Well, I’m back out here in the absolutely beautiful PNW. The only thing different this year is I’m a week earlier expecting cooler weather and it’s hotter than back home!!

I arrived Saturday and bought licenses and my brother wanted to go fishing, so we did. It sucked. The lake was full of skiers, jet skies, paddle boarders, and folks just wanting to run their boats around in circles. This isn’t a large lake, back home I’d almost call it a pond, lol.

After an unsuccessful evening I told my brother, let’s get up at daylight and go. Turned out to be a better choice. We didn’t catch a lot, but I did catch 2 rainbows and he caught about a 3# largemouth and a beautiful little smallmouth.



I had already decided to head to Montana first thing Monday morning. Didn’t want to leave too early because I needed a license. Arrived about 0815 or so and bought a license and checked out the little town. I believe a successful out of state turkey season starts whenever the previous season ends. I had scoured OnX and started marking areas. Now it was time to scout them.

I’ll be honest I was finding sign, but NO turkeys. I even called Montana Fish and Game Dept asking about different places I’d marked and what they thought. They were very helpful and told me to forget the high ground and stick with about 3-4 of the places I asked about.

Well after spending most of the day at one place and thinking all the turkeys had either been killed or abducted by aliens, I went to area number 2. 10 minutes after arriving a gobbler gobbled at a crow call. He then gobbled at my call and I thought I heard drumming. Yeah, I’m not the brightest and I’m almost embarrassed to write this, but it wasn’t drumming. It was thunder rolling through the mountains…and it came quick! My first day in Montana and I happen to catch a sho’nuff little storm.

Now back home when thunder rolls, the gobblers gobble. That joker never made another peep. I then decided this is where I’d make my stand the next day! Well that was short lived because as soon as I got to the truck I thought I have time to go hit another spot…so I did. Nothing heard there and my brain said “you really need to go back to the first place you looked at and hurry!”!

Sundown is like 2100 over there and I came whipping in at 2059! I had the windows down and before I could shut the truck off I heard birds. At one end was a group of gobblers and in another head was another group. One group would all gobble then the others would answer. Glad I listened to that little voice in my head!

I went back to St Regis and got a room and thought I’d be good to go in the morning…except I slept a little longer than I wanted, left my phone in the room and had to go back, missed my exit, and dealt with fog. But, I was treated to a cow elk that was in the pasture I ended up killing my bird in. I got a great video of her looking at me like, “Uh, these birds been gobbling for almost and hour now, where have you been?”

So I park the truck, get ready and start walking. I’m hunting a pasture between to private properties and the gobblers were on both privates. Birds were already on the deck, but with the lay of the land I was able to get to the back without being seen.

Here’s where the “lay of the land” was not in my favor. There was only a couple trees along the property line that were on my side. I set up the best I could and started calling. Birds to my South answered first. They gobbled their fool heads off then the birds North started. I didn’t like my set up and there was a “point” in the pasture so I worked my way around the edge and dropped off in it.

Now that dropped off part didn’t work out so well. I got around to the birds gobbling and was still 6ft from the edge height wise. In other words I’m sitting at the closest tree with cover and still couldn’t see in the field. At one point I know the birds were within 10yds just by their gobbling. I “thought” of crawling “up” but didn’t want to blow the entire shebang if it didn’t work out. I eventually saw 3 gobblers cross the point at 60 yards. After they passed and headed to the North block I had to decide what to do.

I’m hearing at least 7-8 gobblers and I know of one jake. I now make a move or crawl back close to my original spot. There was a huge lone pine that was closer to where those gobblers crossed and I thought if I could call them back, they’d hit that spot again. I pull my best commando sneak on the field and make it to the other side undetected. In fact, there’s nothing in the pasture, they’re all in the North block of private.

I hate being exposed against a tree so I put the gun down and make a blind out of every limb, brush, etc, that I could find. I sit down and at most can see maybe 30yds. I sit and converse with these birds for almost an hour or more. They get to a certain point and go back. I never could see them, only hear their gobbles. I waited until they hadn’t gobbled in 15 minutes or so and snuck out of my hide and used the contour of the field to get to that opening and make some calls and then haul butt back to my hide. Same thing as before, so the next time I laid it on them. I was a (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) hen dying to be bred!! I had the entire block of ground shaking from gobbling.

As I was sitting in my hide I knew the last gobbles were a lot closer but not in the woods anymore. I hope I’ve empathized the lay of the land because the next sight I see is two red heads…no bodies just heads. I already had my gun ready and have it on a head. One disappears and I thought, “Uh oh, they’ve seen something!” When in actuality he dropped his head to peck at something I’m sure. Well, my mind is working OD now, is he in range? Are they about to disappear? What are the odds it’s the one jake I heard? Apparently calculations happened quicker than I remember cause the next thing I know I’ve put that red dot on it wattles (which that and the head were all I could see) and squeezed the trigger.

All here should know the different feelings you can get after a trigger pull. At the shot I “swore” I saw my bird go down. After raising to one knee a bird gets airborne and flys right past me heading behind me…he’s fine. As I rise to my feet and bird flys North and my heart sinks. I take two steps and see a bird running done the fence line of the pasture and I feel like I’m going to puke. I thought somehow I misjudged the range and ruined this spot that I worked so hard to preserve. Three more steps and total elation…my bird is lying there dead!!

I’ve never been more thankful. Traveling to a place you’ve never been and just pouring over an app and “picking” spots on the map you “think” are worth the effort paid off. I’m not a rush type person after the kill. I take it all in. I took plenty of pics, weighed and measured the bird, FaceTimed my wife and son, and thanked God for a beautiful Montana turkey.

He weighed in at 19.4# a little wispy 7” beard, and 7/8” spurs. A fine Merriam turkey!!



Then this evening we head back fishing…I got another rainbow and 2 dink smallmouth. My brother got another nice smallie and largemouth!

Good story. Congratulations on the nice bird.

I'm no Fisher man , but do I see gill plate erosion in those rainbows ? Hatchery fish ?


Anyways , looks like a fun trip , great pics too

Yea these are rainbows from a hatchery put in a lake. I didn’t mean to imply “wild” trout, but still fun as heck to catch!! Ain’t got any where I live.

Hey , they're all wild unless they're in a fish tank !

Thanks for taking us on the hunt. You're a good story teller.

Great pictures and story and time had.

Are you going to shoot one of those nasty birds in Idaho or are you going to leave it up to me to try to exterminate them? Nice story. I hope you take this heat with you when you leave, a new record yesterday at 87, just 30 degrees above normal.

Great hunt story. Congrats

Looks like a great time, congrats!

Very nice! Congrats on a great trip!

But, one question: what happened to the hair on your legs???? Lol!

If you’re asking if I shave? The answer is no, guess it rubs off. Got a little. Think I have more on my chest than both legs combined, lol.

Ok…trip made!! Saw my first moose up close and personal this morning and got it on video!! Saw it about the time I heard it! Don’t laugh but at first I thought someone’s cow was roaming the mountain then remembered there ain’t no cows around up here. Guess what through me is it had sorta a pale face.
Heard umpteen turkeys, played the game with a few, had one within range and didn’t pull the trigger cause I was sure (thick) then after it was over I stood up and it was less than 30yds probably, lol. Saw a couple deer. A couple grouse. And two coyotes!! It May and those jokers were furred up better than anything GA could ever produce on a coldest winter, lol. I was quite quick enough with google to pull up if Washington had a season on them, about 45 seconds too late!!!
If anyone want to see the moose just PM your number and I’ll text it.
Elk in Montana and Moose in Washington!!!

Yeah, plan to come over at some point. And this weather sucks!! It was 5:55pm and 88 in Montana Monday evening!!
Supposed to get rain this weekend it looks like and temps drop…thank God!!

Wednesday May 3, back in Washington chasing birds…walked over 9 miles locating birds and spent all day doing so, lol. It may just be me but the birds aren’t overly aggressive. Sorta take it or leave it. I see now why most folks out here use decoys. I had 3-4 different birds within 100yds and a lot less and only saw one. If the set up ain’t perfect and they don’t see a hen before you see them, their next gobble is 200 yards away.

Thursday May 4, after scouting the previous day, ALL DAY, I had a spot I wanted to get to that would allow me to listen and maneuver. The previous day the turkeys were using this ridge and this ridge also lead to the highest point on this mountain.

I get there before daylight and wait…and wait…and wait. The wind which had not been a factor decided that it needed some exercise and let it rip. Didn’t “hear” a gobble until 0510 and I might as well as flipped a quarter to pick a direction it came from, so I sat in my spot.

By 0600 I started hearing gobbles here and there but nothing on my ridge. It was still cool and the wind was NOT diminishing so I mentally prepared myself for another long day. I pulled up OnX and figured I’d hike back to the top of the ridge using a “bike” trail then hit the back side and working my way down and around using connecting “bike” trails until so hit the top most logging road. Once there I’d pick a ridge that dropped to the lowest logging road and work back to my ingress point.

So about 0715 I started towards the top. I called off every finger off that ridge until I reached the top. I sat down and took a break and pulled up the app to make sure I was on track. I was under a small group of trees in the shade enjoying the view and doing some calling. Still hadn’t heard a bird, but the wind wasn’t in my favor.

I’ve always viewed turkey hunting as a game. And the great thing about this game is you never lose. You either win or learn. I look at the property or area I’m hunting as the “stadium” and right now I wasn’t even sure I was in the right stadium, much less on the right field, lol. As I was there my Dad sent me a text and asked how it was going? I told him I was waiting to play the game but the other team hadn’t showed yet. He said, “Well you know it can turn on any minute and they show up, just keep playing.

It wasn’t 200 yards from that spot when I was making my way down a bare ridge line when I thought I heard a hen. I immediately dropped in the brush and did a few light calls to see if I could get a response. I was met with silence. I sat about 3 minutes just scanning and then decided to get aggressive with the calling. I was immediately hit with a gobble. Now again, a close gobble and couldn’t see a thing! I waited and minute and hit him again and he gobbled but hadn’t moved.

I’m on one little finger coming down and I “think” he right over the next finger. Between us is a little ravine that I figure I can slip into and get down low towards the road where I’m sure he is. So I begin to belly crawl down this naked ridge into the ravine. Notice the word “begin”…belly crawling downhill isn’t exactly an older fat man’s best option, lol. I decided the ole butt slide would work better with a bad hip. And here’s just a little PSA…Washington has cactus! Or it looked like a little bitty cactus after I flattened it with my hand!!! It felt like a cactus as well!

I finally get to where I can stand and sneak down towards the road and a cedar that gives me shade and cover. I call immediately to let him know I’ve made a move now show yourself! Well he gobbled and I’m convinced he’s right around the corner and should be in view any minute, except he’s not.

I wait…and wait…and nothing. I call again and this dang fool gobbles above my head! Like I spin around and I’m looking up the ridge and can’t see more than 15yds max. I hit him again and he gobbled again. I ease up to the standing position and still can’t see him. I squat back down and shuffle up the ridge a few feet still maintaining the shade and cover. I ease up slowly and see a red head. I drop down to my knees and get the gun up. I’d seen his head above a stump so I knew exactly where to put the dot. All I need is a clear visual of a beard and it’ll be a done deal.

First it’s the head, then the neck, then the entire body. He looks and doesn’t see the hen and starts back where he came from. During all that I never saw a beard. I know it’s a gobbler from the head, but never want to inadvertently shoot a jake. I decided that a gobble like he had and his size that it was definitely a gobbler and squeezed the trigger. His first roll down the mountain showed me his beard, lol. I knew the road was below us, but the ravine below it was a little steeper than I wanted to retrieve a turkey, lol. I dropped the gun and made a mad dash I grabbed him by his head before he’d gone 20 yards from where he was shot, lol.

My first tag in Washington was punched. A beautiful 16.4# (thankfully) 8” thick beard, 1 1/8” sharp spurred Merriam!

Nice bird. You ever thought about writing stories about your outdoor adventures? I think you would be good at it.

Today, Friday May 5.

After yesterdays hunt I decided last night to now even set an alarm and just sleep in since they were calling for rain. Not sure what’s going on but I woke up at 0345 all bright eyed and bushy tailed! I checked the radar and figured I’d at least get some scouting in on some new property. I have a buddy coming in from Georgia Sunday and seeing how I heard 4-5 other gobblers walking out with my bird yesterday, that I’d leave that property alone until he arrived. I’ll send him there.

I get to the property a little before daylight and wasn’t expecting much due to the weather, but the birds had other ideas. First heard several right off the public on private and worked down to them a little just to see if they’d respond. I never count on those birds when hunting, but always keep them in the playbook. They responded better than expected so I left them wondering what happened.

I get back near to where I wanted to be and heard three on the mountain. Seeing we’d killed here last year I knew where the birds headed East would head but with muddy conditions they beat me to the spot. 2 went East and 1 went West.

Now it wasn’t raining and I should’ve just made my way back to the truck and called in a day. But NO, for some reason I decided to press on. Now here’s a shameless plug for FORLOH clothing. That stuff may be expensive, but it is 100% worth the money. Winds blowing and it’s now raining…not misting like I was told it would be, flat out raining. I’m now too far to turn around so I might as well finish my trek around the mountain.

I made it to a spot that offered a little cover under some cedars off a finger ridge and the radar showed only maybe another 30min of rain. During that time I called in a hen and checked the radar that should’ve come with an apology because it now showed no end in sight. I decided I was still dry and warm and just to grin and bear it and keep going. The rest of the trek was uneventful except for sliding back down and road I’d almost made it to the top of, lol. I’m about 300 yards from the truck near private on the SW side of the property and hear chickens. I thought let me hit the call and just see if a turkeys down there hanging out with them.

Sure enough I’m met with a gobble. I quickly set up and as I’m getting set he gobbled again. I call and immediately hit with a gobble. I’m thinking it on!! They I hear someone from a house yell and scream “Shut up and get out of hear you dang turkey!” Needless to say, never heard him again until he was across the road, lol.

Hoping tomorrow is a dryer day! I now have several starting points. I will say I thought SWGA had some slick mud. This stuff up here is just as slick! I’ll think twice about using a bike trail tomorrow with the logging roads as slick as they were!!