Turkey Season!

sliverpicker · 04-15-2002, 05:12 PM

I stayed home and worked. :depressed: The weather didn't look to promising. Quite windy where I was, not exactly the best conditions for turkey hunting. I was thinking the end of the week myself. This weekend I'll be trying to call a bird for my 13 year old son. :smile:

fishinbuddy · 04-15-2002, 10:45 PM

I hunted near corvallis, don't care to reveal my hot spot. I ran into two different groups. The first group, I only had one shot I could have taken. Obstructions in the way and a long shot, so I passed. On my way out of the woods I spotted one tom and ended up calling to a group of 2 toms and 2 jakes. Worked the birds for 45 minutes, almost within range. Then I had two jerks come over the top of the ridge. The two hunters shot two jakes out of the group leaving me with a bad shot. I took a 45 yard shot at a running bird. Missed. I was ****** off and just went home. Didn't care to chase down spooked birds. Oh well. :depressed:

birdhunter · 04-15-2002, 11:12 PM

Okay, I'm chomping at the bit here. It's opening day and I'm stuck in classes for the week. I might take Thursday off and hit the hills outside of Philomath. Too much to bear. I'm hunting this weekend down out of Tiller on a private ranch. That will be awesome. Till then, anyone make it out for the opener? Have any success stories to share? I'm dying here!!!

Jennie@ifish · 04-16-2002, 05:37 PM

Is it illegal to buy a wild turkey from someone?
I'm dying to cook one.
I want one!
Do I have to buy a license and go get my own? (Best of luck, blind girl!!!)
If someone were willing though, and I don't even know how likely that might be, is it illegal to sell wild game??
Could you e mail me, cuz I rarely check this board!
Jen

Jennie@ifish · 04-16-2002, 05:40 PM

Never mind... Bill says it is illegal.
Bummer.
Look out! I'm getting my gun out!
:smile:

lightline · 04-16-2002, 07:53 PM

Jennie: its not illegal for one of your friends to give you one

Jellyhead · 04-16-2002, 08:11 PM

Just got home from southern oregon, Got a little jake for the table. I got snowed on this morning, very cold and wet opener.

Aaron

Baldpate Basher · 04-18-2002, 10:52 PM

Turkey huntin'? :whazzup:

Too much like caniblism!

See ya B1-RD! [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

Lured In · 04-19-2002, 08:12 AM

My brother, the turkey king in our family, got his third bird in as many seasons yesterday. My folks have 26 acres, plus 80 adjacent to theirs with permission in Jackson County. Since the beginning of the week over 12 Toms have been spotted. :shocked: :grin: Man I can't wait till the end of May when I get to go. I hope they don't take them all before then!

BH I know you know the area around Tiller, but if you can get permission, there are at least two good size flocks above (up river)from the Angus ranch on 227 below Tiller. (That turn that has one ranch on one side and the other on the hill above.) I have also found them up in Drew about 5 miles south of Tiller on 227 on the east side. Check it out.

Jennie@ifish · 04-20-2002, 06:11 AM

Do I have any friends out there?
:smile: :grin:

sliverpicker · 04-21-2002, 01:25 PM

Took my two boy's over to White River Saturday. We hiked and hunted for 6 hours without hearing or seeing a single turkey. :depressed:

The kids were exhausted last night and didn't want to get up at 3:30 this morning so I went over by myself. Hunted quite abit highter and got into birds at daylight. Called in a 19# 2 year old with an 8" beard.

Waited for sun to come up and get pics, and made it back home by 7:45.

Taking the kid's over and stay for next weekend. My 13 year old was really bummed about not going this morning.

sliverpicker

Jellyhead · 04-21-2002, 02:18 PM

Good job Ron,

I'd love to see pic's of that one. Nice frosty white tail tips too, I bet. If you get a chance e-mail me a pic.

Aaron

birdhunter · 04-21-2002, 05:31 PM

Opening weekend wasn't a total bust for me, but it could have been a lot better. We found very few birds out for some reason. They've been there all winter, but get scare when the season opens up. Funny, huh.

Driving between Tiller and Canyonville I only saw 4 turkeys the entire weekend. Usually every other field has a flock.

The property we started off hunting on had birds on Thursday, but not Saturday morning apparently. Did a bunch of looking around in some back areas and never heard a gobble all morning. Finally went over to another piece of property outside of Days Creek and got into a flock.

There was 1 tom, 4 jakes and a bunch of hens in this group. When we found them, the tom was still in the field strutting around and the rest of the flock was heading up the hill. Well we managed to get sneak very quietly between the flock and the tom. Thought for sure we'd have him. Tom was 30 yards below us, and the rest of the flock was 20 yards above us. Had to keep shutting up because the jakes would sneak to within 4 feet of us and just stare, trying to figure out where this hen was. Pretty cool.

Well this tom was behind a lot of brush and didn't seem very inclined to come up the hill. Everytime I called I got swarmed by the rest of the flock. It was an interesting situation for sure. This went on for around 30 minutes. I was trying to get my buddy his first turkey and he REALLY wanted the tom. The jakes would have been so easy to kill. I can't tell you how many times I watched two of them stand next to each other, their heads only inches apart.

Well, if there's one thing I've learned about turkey hunting, it's the longer you mess around with the birds, the more chance there is for something to go wrong. And of course it did. Some ranch hands drove out into the meadow and ffftt, turkeys disappear. No tom, no jakes and no shots. That was the first day.

Today was also slow. Those same birds had roosted on another property and wouldn't come across a creek in the morning so we had to give up on them. Went back up into the National Forest and after a lot of walking around, found a tom and two hens. They wouldn't respond to calls and the tom never gobbled, just strutted around. I sneak way way around to try to cut them off, and some bozo sees them from the road (a "scant" 60 yards away) and opens fire. Turkeys flee. Had another opportunity at a jake this afternoon in Yoncalla, but after all I'd been through I didn't feel like settling quite this early in the season. I still think I can get my 3 big toms.

Only really saw just a few other hunters out there. Didn't see anyone who would admit to getting a bird. Saw and heard surprisingly few birds out for this early in the season. Still had a great time. Saw elk, bear, deer, bobcat. Got to watch grouse drumming. Fun time camped up at the Forest Service cabins Saturday night.
Try it again in three weeks.

Glad to hear some of the rest of you are getting birds. Congrats. Thanks for the advice Lured In. I know the spot and it always holds birds. Didn't see or hear any there this weekend. Did have a herd of elk out there milling around with the cattle this morning.

sliverpicker · 04-21-2002, 07:54 PM

Hey Aaron, I'm not digital yet, so it will be a week or so when I get around to sending the pics. I think this bird is mostly Rio, compared to all the Merriam's from the past. Are you heading back down for another go at the birds?

Birdhunter, I've got a young son who would love to pop a cap on one of those jakes!

Jellyhead · 04-21-2002, 08:08 PM

Sliver,

We're heading back down the first week of May to give Meg a shot at another bird this year. I'm going to hold out for a nice tom now. It should be better weather for sure.

She got to sit home opening weekend and get her wisdom teeth pulled. She's chomping at the bit for another tom. I'll be playing guide, But after her getting that one last year by herself, she may not need my guiding skills

Hope you're boy gets one. If you've got the time to go south, I could clue you in on a for-sure place he could blast one.

Aaron

troutguy04 · 04-22-2002, 04:50 PM

I spent last Saturday hunting in Klickitat County in Washington. It was quiet at daybreak, but we found a gobbling tom at about 8. Unfortunatly he was on the other side of a canyon. So, we never got him to come in and we didn't see/hear another turkey the rest of the day.

fishinbuddy · 04-24-2002, 12:37 PM

Silverpicker-
You hunting white river near the refuge, or farther east. Wondering how far east I will have to go to get into birds? Just hunted over by corvallis this year. Haven't made it over to white river yet this year. Any snow I should be prepared for? [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

sliverpicker · 04-24-2002, 05:26 PM

fishinbuddy, the state land has birds, as well as the national forest just west of the refuge. No snow to worry about, unless it comes this weekend!

Good luck!

birdhunter · 04-29-2002, 10:51 AM

Hunted around White River Sunday. Sounds like they are up quite a bit higher than I went. Spent my time above Rock Creek, and in Badger/Little Badger. Didn't see or hear any birds. Saw a bear and lots of deer, but no turkeys. :depressed:

sliverpicker · 04-29-2002, 05:00 PM

I think those bearded bad boy's have a severe case of lockjaw at this point in time.

Maybe with decreased pressure they'll pry their beeks open again before the season ends. :smile:

troutguy04 · 05-04-2002, 08:09 PM

Tried Klickitat County for the second time this year. No gobbling whatsoever, but we did run into two hens and found a lot of sign. Hopefully they will start gobbling soon.