Turkeys, what kind of terrain do they like?

[Firstblood]

Hey all, Turkey season is comin up and this year Ill have some time to head down to the areas which have a spring season so I have some questions to ask. Ive hunted turkeys before and took one with my bow back in Ontarible, Im confident with the locating and calling and identifying sign part and Ill have calls decoys a model 12 with some turkey loads and my 17 hmr if they decide to hang up a little ways out. What Im hoping is some fellow HBCers could answer a few questions to point me and Steelpulse in the right direction. Im not lookin for the Lat/Long of the longest bearded gobbler out there just a few BC turkey basics. I will be and already have been checking out the areas close to the border around Christina lake, Midway and rock creek on google earth and front counter BC but I wont be able to get boots on the ground much as its about a 7 hour drive for me. So heres some questions.

1. what kind of elevation should I be checking out, do they like it down low or should I be following the snow line up the hills?
2. what kind of terrain do they prefer, open rimrock or thick bush, steep, flat?
3. what is the Lat/Long of the biggest gobbler in BC? and can someone paint it orange and hold it until Im ready to shoot? (<INSERT SARCASM HERE)

If you are inclined to share some good areas to help me narrow it down shoot me a PM and ill buy you a beer/whisky/coffee/applejuice sometime.
and Im always happy to share some good areas up around Fruitloops if your lookin for rabbits or muleys and Ive got some great spots to go wing shooting for chukars and blues and some great ponds to stack up a few ducks.

[hunter1947]

Turkeys like low rolling land that is open but still has a few trees for cover I have seen and heard turkies at elevations from the 1200m to the 900m elevation hear the turkeys calling at this time of the year when out shed hunting..

[kamloopshunter25]

Im from the kootenay's, go hunt my back yard or downtown main street

[boone8]

Firstblood - I like that. Ontarible. Can I use it? We moved here in September from back east and I tell friends I'm claiming refugee status as we fled an oppressive, corrupt regime. I've seen Ontari-owe and Morontario but never that.

As for turkeys, I hadn't missed a spring back east until last year, when I decided to NOT fork out the leglalized extortion they now call license fees there. Forum members here may be interested that to hunt turkeys last spring would've cost me...
Outdoors card - $9.68 plus $2.26 "service fee."
Small game license (mandatory) $25.15 plus $2.26 service fee
Turkey tag - $29.19 plus $2.26 service fee.

Seventy bucks seemed a little steep, even though I hunted on a friend's farm about 20 minutes from where we lived.

And deer tags are $48 bucks now - plus the service fee.

We just fulfilled our six month residence requirements so I'm looking forward to BC hunting and fishing.

[Drillbit]

There's lots by the Trail WalMart.

Have a guy across the river at Ft. Sheppard (not sure if you can hunt there tho?) with a shotgun.

Have another guy at walmart chase them so they fly across the river to the shooter.

Would be some spectacular crashes knocking them out of the sky!

The first push might not be a success, but you'd know where to sit for the second push.


I'll disclaim right now, I'm not a Turkey hunter and have never done it, but this works great for crows & ravens.

[AgSilver]

There's lots by the Trail WalMart..

I'll bet there are even more IN the Trail Walmart!

(was that just funny in my head?)

[p0stij]

There's lots by the Trail WalMart.

Have a guy across the river at Ft. Sheppard (not sure if you can hunt there tho?) with a shotgun.

Have another guy at walmart chase them so they fly across the river to the shooter.


Would be some spectacular crashes knocking them out of the sky!

The first push might not be a success, but you'd know where to sit for the second push.


I'll disclaim right now, I'm not a Turkey hunter and have never done it, but this works great for crows & ravens.

This imagery made me laugh, hard.

[jtred]

I've only been hunting turkeys since moving to BC nine years ago and have been successful 5 times. Twice on private land where the birds are far less wary and more used to human activity and three times in the hills. Around here steep means nothing to a turkey although they do seem to like the benches, landings, and logging roads to do their strutting. Early on they seem to be attracted to wetter areas where you find skunk cabbage and other early greens lower down but as it warms they will head up the mountain as it greens up. I can't wait to get out this spring, my daughter really wants to get the next turkey so we've been practising lots with the .410 for hunting on some private land where we have permission. If they aren't cooperating there we'll head up the mountain and she'll pack the .22lr and I'll be packing the 12g.