Turkey Time.

[walks with deer]

Anybody Else getting excited for Turkey.

I have been too busy with work for geese and it would mostly be a river shoot so a lot of effort.

But Turkey I am excited debatable do I just roll into region 8 where I know of 5 different roost sites or do I go for the long hall and go to south east kootneys.

Whats your plans out there how did the birds fair the winter not that its over yet.

[palmer]

Might be slow around here. Snowing hard today and piles of snow on the ground. Gonna takes weeks to melt

[Danny_29]

Can't wait for turkey time! Anybody coming to the east Kootenays for a hunt? Love to get out and call some in.

[walks with deer]

i might fly to cranbrook and rent a car.
not sure about the drive through the night thing all the time.

[Danny_29]

If you book early enough it can be cheap but otherwise I'd just bite the bullet and drive.

[walks with deer]

yes under 300 plus car rental..not bad if i find a large tom may need to pay for another bag...wallmart cooler taped shut lol.

[hoochie]

I have only gone for them in the fall, EK.
would anyone point me in a direction closer to home? my EK spot is 10hrs away and hard to do with 2 days off.

[Greenthumbed]

I'll be getting out in the Koots this spring. Never hunted turkey before but I'm itching to try.

[hoochie]

I'll be getting out in the Koots this spring. Never hunted turkey before but I'm itching to try.

The first thing I learned was they are not like grouse. They can see you far away and they run like nobodies business!

[Firstblood]

If turkeys could smell you'd never kill one. They have eyes like an eagle and if they hear you call they know what direction you are in, if they hear you call twice they know where you are within a few meters. Camo up and stay still, very, very still. Back in Ontario I had a tom come in a gobble for a good hour out at 100yds, it started to circle and disappeared, showed up 2 yds behind me walked right past me to the decoy before I stuck it.

[montec assassin]

I am VERY excited for our upcoming turkey hunt. My son (nine) has been begging me for an overnight hunt/trip. I figured a perfect opportunity would be a turkey hunt, it's nice and controlled/safe and a good opportunity for a nine year old boy to feel involved. My deal with him is "He calls 'em, and I shoot 'em" We've been practising his turkey talk with the box call. I was able to borrow a handful of my friends decoys and some gear and we'll pop out for a couple weekends. My father in law lent me his Remington 11-48 from 1952. It had some rust issues but i was able to but some effort into cleaning it all up and took it out on this past weekend with the boy to get a feel for it. Yep, stoked.

[btridge]

The Turkeys are gobbleing. While out spotting for critters yesterday, I heard some a few miles from here. This morning, I awoke to Turkey gobbles....spring has arrived.

Last year the gobbles came early, March 09. This years first gobbles are closer to the norm coming on March, 17.

[Brez]

I am VERY excited for our upcoming turkey hunt. My son (nine) has been begging me for an overnight hunt/trip. I figured a perfect opportunity would be a turkey hunt, it's nice and controlled/safe and a good opportunity for a nine year old boy to feel involved. My deal with him is "He calls 'em, and I shoot 'em" We've been practising his turkey talk with the box call. I was able to borrow a handful of my friends decoys and some gear and we'll pop out for a couple weekends. My father in law lent me his Remington 11-48 from 1952. It had some rust issues but i was able to but some effort into cleaning it all up and took it out on this past weekend with the boy to get a feel for it. Yep, stoked.

Make sure you pick a place far from roads if you are using decoys and blinds. There's lots of people out there shooting rimfires and they scare the hell out of me. Just love the sounds of the riccochets off of the ground and branches!

[Brez]

If turkeys could smell you'd never kill one. They have eyes like an eagle and if they hear you call they know what direction you are in, if they hear you call twice they know where you are within a few meters. Camo up and stay still, very, very still. Back in Ontario I had a tom come in a gobble for a good hour out at 100yds, it started to circle and disappeared, showed up 2 yds behind me walked right past me to the decoy before I stuck it.
I don't discount that they can smell you. They can be one tough quarry!

[Brez]

I have only gone for them in the fall, EK.
would anyone point me in a direction closer to home? my EK spot is 10hrs away and hard to do with 2 days off.
Grand Forks / Christina Lake. It's only 5 hours.

[Krico]

What has winter been like in the east koots?
I heard from one source yesterday it was another hard winter...heard same last year but then had more action than ever on our hunt....
Hoping there are some decent numbers, my son is asking every day about the turkey hunt!

[btridge]

What has winter been like in the east koots?
I heard from one source yesterday it was another hard winter...heard same last year but then had more action than ever on our hunt....
Hoping there are some decent numbers, my son is asking every day about the turkey hunt!
Turkeys wintered very well, flocks look strong....Creston Valley

[Coldredneck]

Hi Everyone. We just moved to Fairmont. So looking forward to trying to find a big ol tom. Does anyone have any location suggestions? They say there are lots around here but haven't seen a one this winter. If anyone is looking for a partner let me know. Eager to learn

[jtred]

Turkeys wintered very well, flocks look strong....Creston Valley
They overwintered quite well in the valley, on private, but not so well on crown land out of the valley. At least two flocks possibly three seem to have disappeared completely. I spend a lot of time snowshoeing(every weekend) different drainages where animals overwinter and for one flock this is two years without seeing even a track or any sign let alone a bird. I don't know if it's the two harsh winters in a row, predators or what but I can't find them. Areas where for ten years in a row I could count on seeing lots of sign and often the flock now seem devoid of birds.

They did survive very well on private so if you can get permission or have permission already it should be a good hunt. It's a tough valley to get permission in though, personally I prefer hunting turkeys on crown in the mountains They are a completely different bird compared to private land birds that spend all year in someone's yard. The turkeys found up in the mountains are very wary and tough to get. They have to be, they are on the menu for just about everything with teeth.

Can't wait for opening day, spring turkey hunting is my favourite thing to do in spring. Best of luck to all those heading out this spring, stay safe.

[btridge]

They overwintered quite well in the valley, on private, but not so well on crown land out of the valley. At least two flocks possibly three seem to have disappeared completely. I spend a lot of time snowshoeing(every weekend) different drainages where animals overwinter and for one flock this is two years without seeing even a track or any sign let alone a bird. I don't know if it's the two harsh winters in a row, predators or what but I can't find them. Areas where for ten years in a row I could count on seeing lots of sign and often the flock now seem devoid of birds.

They did survive very well on private so if you can get permission or have permission already it should be a good hunt. It's a tough valley to get permission in though, personally I prefer hunting turkeys on crown in the mountains They are a completely different bird compared to private land birds that spend all year in someone's yard. The turkeys found up in the mountains are very wary and tough to get. They have to be, they are on the menu for just about everything with teeth.

Can't wait for opening day, spring turkey hunting is my favourite thing to do in spring. Best of luck to all those heading out this spring, stay safe.

The flocks move around on crown based on food and preds, I'm seeing and hearing turkeys on crown in places they didn't hang out in before. turkeys are coming into full stut now, about 10 to 14 days later than last year. Good hunting to those that venture out.

[NorthCoastHunter]

I wish I could get the time to head south and do some turkey hunting, last time I did was 2012, now it's like an 18 hour drive for me, maybe one day the will move back down south

[Kuiper]

Speaking of crown vs private does anyone know if turks around Christina Lake spend most of their time on private land or are there some decent public areas to hunt them?

[HighCountryBC]

Speaking of crown vs private does anyone know if turks around Christina Lake spend most of their time on private land or are there some decent public areas to hunt them?

Lots of crown land to hunt around there that holds birds.

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

Turkey move around a lot. They flock up in large like (toms, jakes, hens&jennies usually) groups then when warm weather arrives they disperse. Their habits varies widely just like many of the other wondrous Game Species of BC!

[Kuiper]

Thanks HighCountry, good to know! I've always hunted them near Castlegar and Trail but am looking to check out somewhere new a little closer to home.

[Gumsehwah]

I wish someone would come up here and drop a load of turkeys to start a colony.

https://youtu.be/QEYyBU7FqZ0

[btridge]

The Turkeys are gobbleing. While out spotting for critters yesterday, I heard some a few miles from here. This morning, I awoke to Turkey gobbles....spring has arrived.

Last year the gobbles came early, March 09. This years first gobbles are closer to the norm coming on March, 17.

Out scouting yesterday ( march 5th ), Heard the toms gobbling for the first time this year.