We hunted the state of Washington for the first time over the weekend. We arrived late afternoon Friday and checked into a cabin that we had rented through Tuesday. After buying groceries and turkey licenses, we managed to drive up three roads to try and located somewhere to start in the morning. The first area looked like a jungle, the second looked like it had possibilities, and the third area looked as good as the second but there were holiday campers everywhere.
First morning:
We didn't hear a single gobble on the first day, but we did scout during the afternoon and find some country that looked more like turkey country that I was familiar with that held a considerable amount of turkey sign to boot.
Bear sign also where a bear had dug into a big ant hill.
On day two we finally heard a bird a half hour after flydown but on bordering private land. We tried to get a response from the bird but got a response from a bird(s) that was much closer. However, unlike the rest of the Merriams I've called to this year, they shut up after two more gobbles and I never heard from them again the rest of the day.
Closed road we hiked down
Western Larch (Tamarak) trees:
Old Whitetail shed
Isaac was asleep on this rock before I knew it
On day three it was raining when we left the cabin, so I opted to hunt another area that we had found that had similar country as the day before but didn't require 45 minutes of hiking to reach. The area didn't produce a single gobble, so I second guessed the decision the rest of the day. To make matters worse, I had some back problems taht kept us in the rest of the day. I wasn't sure I would be able to get out for a morning hunt on the last day of our trip.
I did however decide that we would hunt, but I had to leave my gun at the cabin since my 3 day small game license ran out that evening. Good thing I remembered that when I did because I had forgotten that detail earlier in the day or I would have likely pushed the back issue and went hunting. Isaac's youth small game lice is a full year license
On day four we hiked into the only area that we had heard a bird besides the jakes that were gobbling on private land next to the cabin. We heard at least four different birds that all ended up on private land. I beliece one or two of them started on public land but by the time we got to them they had shut up and it took us a while to locate them. Just before ending our hunt we had one of them at less than 200 yards and thought he was on the way in, but he just shut up and disappeared.
He was just out of site at the bottom of the hill
We heard enough on the last day to likely warrant another hunt here. It was a typical late season hunt in a new area.........you finally feel like you know what is going on about the time the hunt is over. Also, the hunt confirmed that all turkeys are alike given they are hunted enough and these birds, Merrriams or not, have been pounded all season. Consequently, they kicked my butt. I think I prefer the dumb Merriams.
