Turkey hunting

[rickt]

My hunting partner and I are going to go turkey hunting this season. We're from the lower mainland and don't have any idea of where to access the birds in 8-1, 8-9, 8-10, 12, 14, 15.

We'd appreciate some information?

[Poguebilt]

i'd be going either 8-12 rock creek area or 8-15 christina lake area...

good luck

[Muleycatcher]

hunted christina lake are 2 years now. First year limited out opening day and the second year word must have gotten out.. because it was a zoo up there..met guys from vancouver,langley. we hunted 4 days and some guys had been up there a week and nobody had gotten anything..definately not as good as the first year..i'm heading farther east this year

[RMG]

drive a bit farther, go into the southern parts of 4-8, 4-9 or even 4-7

[300H&H]

Id try Christina Lake or reg. 4 down by the US boarder. The first year at Christina Lake was good but the second year saw a lot more hunters. With that said I found most guys driveing the back roads looking for birds. It can work but find their roost and set up very early to call them to you. I got my bird last year in reg. 8-12. Only my second day ever hunting turkeys. And I called it in !!! Good luck.

PS - I think Oliver & Penticton will see more birds taken in the next couple of years. They love grapes !!!

[Brambles]

drive a bit farther, go into the southern parts of 4-8, 4-9 or even 4-7


They transplanted 200 turkeys out of 4-8 and took them somewhere else, I think the okanogan some where in 2006. Numbers haven't quite come back yet. That was a horrible year.

8-15 just west of Grandforks, I was driving along one day with my brother and we seen some turkeys up ahead on the side of the road coming up the bank. We started to slow down thinking they would be clear of the hwy by the time we reached them. Well we had to lay on the brakes pretty hard when the other 100 turkeys decided to cross the hwy behind the first few:eek: Well maybe not a hundred but I'm guessing a good 50 anyways. It was incredible

[palmer]

Hard winter here in 8-15...Turkeys are not doing well outside of the ones that live in backyards. You may want talk with some locals to get the best spot once spring arrives

[freeman6]

There's a flock hanging out on the Gilpin Range, but I think they roost mainly on the south side of the Kettle. There isn't much room on that side before you run into Yankees. The same is true west of Grand Forks. The best spring habitat is private, low elevation and choked off by the border.

I can't say for sure, but I'll bet that the ridge between the Kettle river and Myers Creek has a flock or two in the spring.

[pupper]

Ive seen them around cranbrook

[heliwrench]

What abou the creston vally? anyone ever seen them around those parts?

[Rackmastr]

We went to Skookumchuk last year and hunted all around there and down to Jaffray country....it was definatly a fun hunt and we'll be going again this year. We've slowly learned a bit more about them and how to hunt them and we're excited to get back out again this year.

Fun time...we only killed 2 birds but hopefully can get into some more this year....

[Tikka7mm]

Ive seen them around cranbrook

x2...Jaffray area saw about 20-30 within 10 days and I wasn't really looking for them or calling them in just stumbled on them.

[Poguebilt]

x2...Jaffray area saw about 20-30 within 10 days and I wasn't really looking for them or calling them in just stumbled
on them.


those were decoys... No trukeys out here but us hbc members!

[sfire436]

Me and my father tried up in cranbrook this past season. I would STRONGLY suggest where ever you go, go the day before opener. The locals will wipe them out. We got there two days after opener and there was nothing. Saw a few cross the roads but thats it. Heard no calling, only a few gobbles in the morning. Call the CO office whereever you are going perhaps they might tell you something. I found turkey hunting to be the hardest so far. I would try rock creek Christian valley only because it is closer and one of the first places they transplanted them. I have heard from quite a few "real" turkey hunters that they do get smarter every day/season so perhaps this is why opening day is your best chance.


good luck you will need it

[boxhitch]

one of the first places they transplanted them.MOE says they have done no transplants. Can you give details ??

[sfire436]

I had always heard from others (guess not always the best place to get information lol) that rock creek was one of the first places the were introduced. They are by no means native. Rock creek and Creston were the two places I had heard that they were first introduced.

[greasysidedown]

I don't believe that turkeys in BC where ever introduced. They have naturally expanded thier range north from the states {into the Creston area first} & now are moving west. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

[happygilmore]

we went to cranbrook area last year, gammies have no official position with regards to turkeys they still don't know if they want to continue to legitimize the hunt with licences and tags or consider them invasive species and have an open season on them. had alot of time to talk to them since we got checked out 4 times in 3 days (2x by the same co):confused: we saw about as many co trucks as we did turkeys. still had fun.:wink:

[sealevel]

I don`t know if the turks were interduced around creston . But the ones up though rock creek beaverdale and up to winfield were interduced . Right up till the moe in 2007 made it illigal to transplant an group from the kelowna area were trapping and moving turks. A very good friend of mine was doing it.

[Jonny outdoors]

I work in trail a couple times a year and spend a lot of time on my quad, I see tons of birds in the back hills behind 7mile dam.

[meathead]

ive hunted turkeys for a few years now they are getting smarter every year. i would go to creston area go towards yahk go over bridge takeckyour first right towards the gilnocks. lots of birds there.dont just drive around go out in the evenings befordark and hoot like a owl lister hard and you will find there rosts.buy some decoys and place in a opening close buy roost .buy a primos call they werk awsome.my uncle lives in rock creek he owns the harper rancch which is i thinck 3000acers it runs the length of the border you would think tones of turks there but not many more up valley past westbridge good luck and camoup real good and dont move a muscle they can see unreal

[bighornbob]

Turkeys naturally migrated up from the US into the Creston area. When they becmae a real nuicense the Ministry moved some to the cranbrook area. That was that last move by the ministry.

The birds found all the way too Christina Lake have just spread from the Creston population or up from the states.

the Christian Vally birds were transplanted by members of the Turkey federarion. The Turkey was not really classed as wildlife but as Agriculture so you could actually move them so the ministry could not really do anything about it. So guys were catching them in the trail area and releasing them around beaverdell.

I guess the ministry finally put a stop to it last year.

BHB

[model88]

Lots of turkeys around Jaffary, Grasmere areas. Bottom of the Bull there are lots as well.