[DBAppraiser]

Any ideas on where I can find info on hunting turkeys in Thurston county? I have never turkey hunted but the idea of taking them with a bow sounds pretty cool to me. Does anyone on the board hunt them there and if so, any info you are willing to share would be great. Thanks.

 

[HickvilleFF]

I know where they are, but i havent hunted them. They are not plentiful in Thurston, but there are some around. If you go to johnson creek road, which will be on the left side of the hwy as you are leaving rainier towards tenino. Just beyond the bridge that crosses the deschutes on the left is johnson creek raod. you will be able to find some on the wheyerhauser roads up there, you will see the gates. If you go all the way down to skookumchuck road, then turn right, go about 3/4 a mile or something on the left will be thompson creek road. There are turkeys down there as well, with streaks of public land around much private. there are some weyerhauser roads down the road and to the left. I dont know any good places aside from that as i have never targeted them back there, but have come across them when chasing deer. Be prepared to see alot more people then turkeys, it gets rediculous back there..... i drive past it when going fishing, and there are rigs everywhere.

Good luck. hopefully this helps.

(one other thing, bring your steelhead gear, as if the turkey hunting goes bad the skookumchuck is at the end of johnson creek road, turn left and you will see it about 1/2 mile down or so on the right. Really good steelhead fishing in there Tup: ) when its good

 

[Huntfishnwork]

Hickville is on the money with his reply. I spend time down there and never see them on the public land. To get one with the bow would be tough. I do know one fella that got one up there 5 years ago with a shotgun, more of a luck deal though. Regardless, it's great for a close to home hunt, but if your serious about turkeys you need to go east. They also used to have them in the Capitol Forest, I'm not sure how well they've faired over the last 5 years though. I've seen them over by the coast, and once up by Arlington, so W Washington does have them. It'd be a good post topic to see where people have seen turkey's in W.Washington.

 

[YellowFever]

Johnson creek road definately has some turkeys, as well as up toward the dam on the skook- that prarie land there where they have the pheasant release site is a good area. Capital forest has some spread around as well, but thats about all i know as far as the west side... If your set on west side turkeys- you're gonna wanna do some serious scouting and get a good locator and calls. If you manage to get one with the bow over here... consider yourself one lucky guy!

 

[DBAppraiser]

Thanks for the info guys. I have some time as I just got a bow and I am still working on shooting it. I have been spending too much time watching the Outdoor channel and the turkey hunting looks like a lot of fun. I saw a really nice Tom in someones side yard out in the Summit area of Tacoma last week. Wonder if they would miss it?

 

[WidgeonmanGH]

Our church sponsors a Turkey hunting Clinic every year. The president of the Gig Harbor Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation does the speaking and it is a great pimer to get it figured out. He doesn't give you GPS coordinates or anything but will give you the low down ho down on how to hunt them, and gives some general info on where in Western WA. to go.

I will post more info soon, but it will be on Sunday March 16th in Gig Harbor.

Tup: