Where Can You Hunt Turkey In Washington State?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Rio Grande turkeys can be found in

Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Lincoln, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties

. Easterns roam west of the Cascades in Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Thurston, and Wahkiakum counties.

Where can I hunt wild turkey in Washington?

Rio Grande turkeys can be found in

Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Lincoln, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties

. Easterns roam west of the Cascades in Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Thurston, and Wahkiakum counties.

Where are wild turkeys in Washington State?

Rio Grande turkeys can be found in

Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Lincoln, Walla Walla, and Whiteman counties

. Eastern subspecies can be found west of the Cascades in Cowlitz, Lewis, Thurston, and Wahkiakum counties.

Where can I find turkey hunting?

  1. Proximity to water. The old hunter’s adage suggesting, “Turkeys love to roost where they can hear their droppings hit water,” rings true here.
  2. Heavy, mature timber. …
  3. Open areas. …
  4. Evergreens. …
  5. Shelter sites. …
  6. Look for sign. …
  7. Use your ears. …
  8. Use your eyes.

Does Washington state have wild turkeys?

The eastern, Merriam’s, and Rio Grande subspecies of wild turkey currently

inhabit Washington state

.

What trees do turkeys like to roost in?

Turkeys also prefer

pine trees

to any other types of trees. They offer cover year round and often a clean forest floor to take off and land on. A single pine tree will do the trick if it is big enough, but clusters of them are best.

Is it turkey season in Washington State?

Statewide general season dates run from

April 15 through May 31

. You can harvest three turkeys during the spring season, depending on location, with additional harvest opportunity during the fall season.

Is it legal to keep wild turkeys?

Answer: There is nothing illegal about selling or purchasing domestic poultry sold as wild turkeys. However,

it is not legal to release wild turkeys

that have been domestically reared for propagation or hunting purposes.

What do wild turkeys eat in Washington state?

In Washington, these turkeys eat

grass, leaves and seeds, ponderosa pine seeds, acorns, grasshoppers, forbs, and fruits like wild strawberries

. However, turkeys are adaptable and can live near people in more urban areas, especially when there is available food, like birdseed.

Are there turkeys in the Pacific Northwest?

The turkey is a quintessentially American bird, exported from the New World like corn and potatoes. But

the turkey is not native to the Pacific Northwest

. The wild turkeys you may have seen here are part of the bird’s comeback story. The Northwest’s wild turkeys are out-of-state newcomers.

Can you find turkeys in the woods?

If an area is devoid of acres of fields,

turkeys live in the woods

. But they still gravitate to edges of openings like cleared power lines and blueberry barrens, and are often found lingering in selectively cut parcels and woodlots that are still relatively open.

Do turkeys roost in the same tree every night?


No they don’t always roost in the same tree

/trees. Especially easterns they tend to move around.

What does Turkey poop look like?

Male turkey poop tends to

be elongated or J-shaped

, while the female’s is like a spiral blob, more or less similar to a snail’s shell. The contrasting configurations arise from the different internal anatomy of male and female turkeys.

Are wild turkey invasive?

The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is

an invasive species currently causing heated debate in California

. … Turkeys also appear to have narrower preferences for both microhabitat and macrohabitat than quail, and are therefore limited in the areas they can colonize.

Why are there so many turkeys now?

Originally, these turkeys were brought

for hunting

at private hunting clubs and on state-managed lands… it’s been sort of a continued population growth from that time, from the 1950s to the 1980s, when these releases were happening. … Turkeys have certainly been in California before.

Why are there so many turkeys in Spokane?

Those turkeys expanded and soon were in

Spokane after naturally migrating from Stevens

, Pend Oreille and Kootenai counties. Now, turkeys are in every state except Alaska, with a population of more than 6 million. In 2018, Washington hunters killed 7,332 of the birds.

Diane Mitchell
Author
Diane Mitchell
Diane Mitchell is an animal lover and trainer with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and horses. She has worked with leading animal welfare organizations. Diane is passionate about promoting responsible pet ownership and educating pet owners on the best practices for training and caring for their furry friends.