Turkey hunting around Penticton

[mikellini]

Hey everyone, first post here so take it easy on me...

Anyone hunt for gobblers around the Penticton area in the spring? Want to take pity on me and show me around? I live in West Kelowna, but it looks like according to the regs I'd need to drive south for the spring season. Just getting back into hunting, went a few times when I was young and I want to be able to do the same for my kids once I figure out what I'm doing. I'm just starting out with a rimfire rifle and optimism, any help would be greatly appreciated :)

[mikellini]

Anybody? I'm realizing I may need to go a bit further south...

[358mag]

Head east .
Beaverdall-Carmi Hwy33 region .
Few turkeys starting to show up around Mt Baldy region but this heavy snow winter might have pushed them back to Rock Creek-Kettle River area .
Good luck .

[303savage]

"The NDP approach: if the facts don't fit your ideology, just pretend the facts don't exist..."

Seem to be that way with all Governments.

[mmckimmi]

Further away, in the kootenays you'll find a turkey gold mine along the north shore. They're borderline becoming a pest. Around my parents farm we see wild roaming groups of 20+. I imagine anywhere between beaverdell and the koots would be good.

[monasheemountainman]

yeah head east, and please buy a shotgun to hunt them.

[358mag]

"The NDP approach: if the facts don't fit your ideology, just pretend the facts don't exist..."

Seem to be that way with all Governments.

And your point is ????

[mikellini]

yeah head east, and please buy a shotgun to hunt them.

Any particular reason why? Aside from the safety of other hunters behind the bird (which is moot if I am making a safe shot) I see a rimfire rifle as an improvement in many ways

[mikellini]

Head east .
Beaverdall-Carmi Hwy33 region .
Few turkeys starting to show up around Mt Baldy region but this heavy snow winter might have pushed them back to Rock Creek-Kettle River area .
Good luck .

Thanks, I guess I was just going by what the regs say about openings, didn't realize there might not even be any birds in 8-9 or 8-1.

[mikellini]

Further away, in the kootenays you'll find a turkey gold mine along the north shore. They're borderline becoming a pest. Around my parents farm we see wild roaming groups of 20+. I imagine anywhere between beaverdell and the koots would be good.

North shore? I'm not familiar, grew up around Kamloops and haven't been East of Rock Creek in my life. Some specific direction would be great

[mmckimmi]

North shore? I'm not familiar, grew up around Kamloops and haven't been East of Rock Creek in my life. Some specific direction would be great

Anywhere between Nelson and Kaslo is considered the north shore. Pretty far away from you, but there's a high density of turkeys out there.

Shotgun because you aim for the head which keeps it clean and fast as can be for the bird.

[mikellini]

Anywhere between Nelson and Kaslo is considered the north shore. Pretty far away from you, but there's a high density of turkeys out there.

Shotgun because you aim for the head which keeps it clean and fast as can be for the bird.

I was planning on aiming for the head with the 17HMR. Seems cleaner/faster than pellets

[walks with deer]

shot mine at 45 yards in the head with number 6 shot with extra full choke..running bird took 9 pellets to the head. i do not recomend body shoys with rimfire.

[hoochie]

shot mine at 45 yards in the head with number 6 shot with extra full choke..running bird took 9 pellets to the head. i do not recomend body shoys with rimfire.

I hit my turkey rather hard with a 12g, and was actually suprised to read a .22 can be used. Has anyone actually done it?
I would think it would be terribly under powered for the job.

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

Have not done it myself, a story so hearsay yet was talking with a guy who swears he saw his friend get a Tom @ 178 laser rangefinder verified yards with a .17. Shot for the vitals like it was an Elk, he got his bird. Rimfire's legal when Turkey is not on Bow or Shot Only.

[Wild one]

Biggest advantage to the shotgun is most hunt turkeys on farmland because that is where most are found. The shotgun is safer under these conditions because of dwellings, livestock, and people

Personally I would go with the shotgun because it opens up the ability to hunt a larger variety of locations safely

[mikellini]

Biggest advantage to the shotgun is most hunt turkeys on farmland because that is where most are found. The shotgun is safer under these conditions because of dwellings, livestock, and people

Personally I would go with the shotgun because it opens up the ability to hunt a larger variety of locations safely

I could see that. I will probably go that way eventually, I am just starting out though and want to learn to shoot well so a rimfire rifle seems the way to go. Will try for grouse in the fall as well. I can only afford one firearm for now and this seemed to be the best first choice.

Seeing as I don't know any farmers and none have volunteered here, I figured I'd be on public land ;)

[mmckimmi]

As a first gun, get a shotgun! You can hunt a wide variety of stuff with them and one of the funnest things to do off season is Trap and Skeet shooting!

[Wild one]

I could see that. I will probably go that way eventually, I am just starting out though and want to learn to shoot well so a rimfire rifle seems the way to go. Will try for grouse in the fall as well. I can only afford one firearm for now and this seemed to be the best first choice.

Seeing as I don't know any farmers and none have volunteered here, I figured I'd be on public land ;)

Only way to get permission from a farmer is knock on the door ask respectfully and cross your fingers

Often if you build a good reputation with one it opens doors with others in the area

as for learning to shoot well shotguns and rim firearms are very different when it comes to getting good

[mikellini]

Agreed, and I hear you both. The main reason I went with rimfire over shotgun is that I want to move on to big game sooner than later, and I don't plan on hunting waterfowl for quite some time, if ever. Also, I don't know that I have time for the recreational/off season aspect of shooting, and meat is my primary goal here.

Guess I could have started with a centrefire rifle instead, but then there's no option for turkey or grouse!

[badgreenbird]

BC seems to be among the few places that allows rimfire for turkey hunting. And for sniping them in fields, it's a good tool. But I can't recommend a .22 or .17 for turkey or grouse hunting. Lots of guys say they take head shots and either kill or miss. I say they are being naive. There are undoubtedly lots of birds wounded by rifle bullets... just nicked, or the beak shot off, or leg, or whatever. I've seen it, and I encourage the use of a shotgun for these birds... plus, you don't have to put the gun down when the bird takes off! And a shotgun is infinitely better is brushy situations..

Admittedly, I did shoot my first turkey with a .22. My scoped rifle was sighted in at 75 yards.... and when the bird quickly closed to 15 yards I shot right over its head with my first attempt!

[mikellini]

BC seems to be among the few places that allows rimfire for turkey hunting. And for sniping them in fields, it's a good tool. But I can't recommend a .22 or .17 for turkey or grouse hunting. Lots of guys say they take head shots and either kill or miss. I say they are being naive. There are undoubtedly lots of birds wounded by rifle bullets... just nicked, or the beak shot off, or leg, or whatever. I've seen it, and I encourage the use of a shotgun for these birds... plus, you don't have to put the gun down when the bird takes off! And a shotgun is infinitely better is brushy situations..

Admittedly, I did shoot my first turkey with a .22. My scoped rifle was sighted in at 75 yards.... and when the bird quickly closed to 15 yards I shot right over its head with my first attempt!

Appreciate your post. I'll keep that in mind for close shots, the 17 shoots quite a bit flatter so if I sight 1/2" low at 100 yards I should hit everything in between.

I will be trying a few methods, it turns out I'm a natural with a diaphragm call so I'll try to call them in from a blind and spot and stalk for longer shots.

[btridge]

BC seems to be among the few places that allows rimfire for turkey hunting. And for sniping them in fields, it's a good tool. But I can't recommend a .22 or .17 for turkey or grouse hunting. Lots of guys say they take head shots and either kill or miss. I say they are being naive. There are undoubtedly lots of birds wounded by rifle bullets... just nicked, or the beak shot off, or leg, or whatever. I've seen it, and I encourage the use of a shotgun for these birds... plus, you don't have to put the gun down when the bird takes off! And a shotgun is infinitely better is brushy situations..

Admittedly, I did shoot my first turkey with a .22. My scoped rifle was sighted in at 75 yards.... and when the bird quickly closed to 15 yards I shot right over its head with my first attempt!

I've been hunting turkeys since the season started many years ago in the Creston Valley. I have shot many turkeys, from very close to 50 or so yards. Many times I find that the turkey has been wounded at some point in its life. never have I found a rifle bullet, but many shotgun pellets!
I have used a old 22mag rimfire since the start and find it to be a VERY effective turkey gun.

[hoochie]

So is there any good places to go? Im trying to justify the cost of a spring hunt, as the fuel prices etc....
its a very expensive bird!

[mikellini]

Better check page 16 of the regs.....no rimfire.

Are we reading the same regs? Page 16 says rimfire for grouse, ptarmigan and turkey.