Washington Hunter

Between the tresspassers, the downpour of rain, and the people who aren't calling before coming up, I don't think this kid is gonna' bag his bird this year.

Thursday Morning (Opening Day):
My dad and I get up at 3:30AM that morning and after a cup of coffee for dad and a light breakfast for me we head on up to the private property we've been hunting for the last 4 years. The previous night we had roosted a flock of jakes. The group of jakes had one mature tom in the bunch, the one I planned on trying to get.

We get up to the mountain, park at the gate, leave the landowner a note at his door so he knows (even though we called the night before) that we'd be up hunting that morning, and start the half mile or so hike to where we want to set up.

Fast forward to Dawn: We're set up, we've got a few gobbling down the ridge, they're slowly making their way up, and crunch, crunch, crash, snap, out walks Gomer and Pile. Dressed in Camo from head to toe, carrying about 500 lbs of gear each, sporting $2,000.00 Benelli Semi-Auto Shotguns, they claim to have permission from the landowner to be up there though they seem to have forgotten his name. Hmmm... We pack up and start to head down the logging road to area #2 to try and cut the birds off.

Step, step, step, turn corner, decoys. Damn! We called the night before and noone but us was going to be up there, and here's 4 people in the first half hour of opening day. We start to walk off and here comes Bill and George Nobody who also supposedly got permission last fall to hunt. They remember the landowners last name, but don't recall his first.

We say screw it, we've run out of ideas, we'll head into town to IHOP, grab some breakfast and try for a late morning hunt. On the way back up we're followed by a white 2002 Dodge Ram. We know exactely who it is, why he's headed up, and what he's going to say when we get out of our truck.

Sure enough, out walks the biggest goof I've ever laig eyes on, about 6'8", un-coordinated as all heck, he walks up and says in a voice closely resembling that of a boy just starting puberty 'Where you guys gonna go?'

Uhh... We're going where the birds are, where're YOU going? One of those 'Here's your sign' type comments. Like we'd tell him where we're headed. We point in the general roundabout direction of where we're headed and he races back to his truck (Marathon style even) and grabs his gear and heads out. We set up, start calling, get one to gobble, and just on the other side of the fence, here comes Goofy walking the logging road. That was it, I was extremely angry by now. These guys were rude enough not to call the landowner the morning before, ask me where I plan on hunting, then come walking up the road I'm watching! I was done, that was it, no more hunting for me today.

Friday: Despite a downpour of rain we go out. Repeat of Thursday.

Saturday: Hardly any rain, but same story as Thursday and Friday.

Sunday: Screw it, I'm sleeping in.

Call me a quitter, tell me I don't have what it takes, but I don't care. Until I can head farther up north to the other property we have permission to hunt i think I'm done for the season. I'm hanging the vest up, the turkey calls are going into their respective boxes and shelves. I was PISSED to say the least. These people ruined my favorite time of year, my favorite season, my favorite game to hunt.

The birds are spooked and most have been pushed up over the top of the mountain and onto the game reserve where the hens nest. Season ends May 15, I might head out in early May once the hens have decided to stay over on the reserve and the Tom's start meandering back, but until then, Wash is done.

Thickbeard

I know how you feel. One of the places I hunt is like that. I don't even try to hunt there on the weekends until later in the season when most of the other hunters have decided to go fishing. Luckily I have a day off during the week and am able to go out there and have the place to myself. Don't give up. Try that other place you have up north. You can't kill one sitting on the couch in the house.

stick flinger

sorry to hear about your misfortune wash.hunter. ya know i come to expect this type of crap on public land but not private land, we hunted public land near colville, and all the gomers and wkend warriors were out, needless to say we came home empty handed also. hope ya have better luck towards the end of the season.

cj5

i believe id let the landowner know whats going on, and for those other people who arent supossed to be there have the owner get the game warden or local law up there to issue some tresspassing tickets

Power

I'm right there too. Went out a ton pre-scouting this year and had Tom's locked in at a half-dozen locations. Had a bird pegged the night before the opener. Got up at 3:30 am too and got out there with plenty of time to set up. Saw a truck 1/2 mile down the road but figured he was after another bird. Well, we got set up on the gobbler and he's hot and ready to play so I set up the decoys and wait. Right before sun up I hear hen calling 200 yards away from us, the other hunter. Well, %$#@! Out of respect (he did get there first and all) I don't make a sound and we just wait an hour or so. Finally he fires his gun (sounds like either he missed or was shooting to drive us away) so we pack it up and head for another spot. After an hour of driving and then hiking down to another spot and setting up we have the area to ourselves. Too bad the birds won't play. We sneak over the edge and see a gobbler with hens just standing there like a P.O.W. afraid to move. We retreat and I try to work him and he won't budge. After wasting another couple hours we leave and head to area #3. Then the rain starts POURING down. There's already someone working that canyon so we bag off and head to a different area.

Needless to say we set up 5 different places on the first day and had a ton of other hunters everywhere, even though it was a Thursday. We are seeing a lot of birds but they are so call shy as soon as you start clucking and purring they clam up and leave the county. I accidentally sneaked up on about a dozen birds on my way back to the truck and there were at least 3 toms in the group but none of the birds will come in to my calling and decoys. I even went out tonight after work (snuck out at 3pm) and walked into an area that's had very light pressure but none of the birds were talking. The weater was overcast with slight misty rain and windy. I even went back where I'd seen all the birds Saturday and no gobbling at all.

I'm thinking as soon as the weather breaks and warms up again it'll turn around. I have to go away for training for a few days and won't be able to hunt after the 7th of May so I've got to take any time I can to get out. Luckily the birds seem to be doing well numbers-wise so there are a LOT of places one can go if he asks around so hopefully I might find some new places this year that don't have as many other hunters.

Bldhound

I agree with you guys, man they opened the gates & let the idiots flood this state. Our group did manage to get 3 over the WE. I was ready to beat this one jacka$$ with in a inch of his life. Sat I worked 6 birds & he screwed up 4 of them by coming through on a ATV, one time during a run & gun he decided to pull up & park between me & the bird! Right before I shot Sad Daddy's side kick my hunting partners had to stop this fool from coming through the area again.......he knew I was there b/c I got all over him with the crow call. He even admitted it to my hunting partners. When I shot he said " Can I go now?" The birds scattered a good 2 minutes before he got down there & he runs up with his gun ready to bush wack anything that moves, I said "they went the other way a few minutes ago!" So he looks at the bird & goes nice Jake.........it was a 2 year old round fan & 5 inch beard. I wanted to knock the sarcastic tone right out of him. Get a clue you idiot you're not going to sneak up on a turkey with a ATV freakin dumba$$ road hunter anyway.

jalvja

The beauty of turkey huntin is you can go all season and have everythin that can go wrong go wrong,Then on that one day BAM! everythin goes right.All of a sudden a terrible season becomes a great season.Don't give up.

RIStrutStopper

I sympathize with you guys. Sounds like my opening day last year. Almost called it quits when I finally had one gobbling good and out of nowhere, two dogs with orange collars come running straight at the bird. About 80 yards away, down the bike path comes owner man on his mountain bike. Its ILLEGAL to run your dogs in that area, but since when do people pay attention to rules... I expect more of the same this year, but have a nice private farm to look forward to in another state about a week after my home season opener. Hope I don't run into trespassers, dogs, idiots, etc. when I get there.