# Northern Turkey Tag Help



## hurleyman (Oct 14, 2007)

Well again I am in need of some of help. I have a Northern Turkey Tag and so far my luck at the fisrt time turkey hunt isn't going so well. Went out first part of the month and have seen several hens and jakes but no toms. Went out again Saturday and no luck again. We have been going out around the Hunstville Area. Have heard from a lot of people that they havfe removed the Toms from around there and relocated them. So now my hunting buddy has given up. I on the other hand have not and determined to fill my first turkey tag. My biggest problem is now that the month is almost over I dont have a lot of time to try and scout the entire northern region. So if anybody can point me in a good direction or help me fill the tag I would appreciate it. I would even be willing to pay a little as well.


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## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Call the northern unit biologist and he will point you to the largest populations of birds. I wish I could help but I don't know anything about the area. And if you see a jake don't be to picky. I shot a jake on my hunt last year with 4 hrs left in the hunt and there wasn't a happier hunter on the hill that day. After 10 day of hunting the reward was great.


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## HJB (May 22, 2008)

Im in the same boat. I have been hunting the huntsville area also and I thought I had a little piece of property all to myself but, I thought wrong. There is just way too much pressure everywhere you go. Northern Utah has very little public property and I have just about given up on my turkey hunt after waiting five years to draw.
There are a few Walk-in-access properties up by Richmond and Clarkston that hold quite a few birds, but require a lot of hiking and a lot more patience. There are three WMAs that also hold some birds: Middle fork, Henefer/Echo, and East Canyon. Other than that, I don't know what to tell you. This hunt really sucks! I'll never put in for turkey again, what a waste of money!!!


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

HJB said:


> There are three WMAs that also hold some birds: Middle fork, Henefer/Echo, and East Canyon. Other than that, I don't know what to tell you. This hunt really sucks! I'll never put in for turkey again, what a waste of money!!!


I thought they were up middle fork also. I walked 1.5 miles up it and no sign. I talked to some hikers and horseman and they hadnt seen any for a long time. I have never heard of any turkeys on the henefer/echo WMA. The East Canyon WMA, I have seen turkeys about 1 mile downstream but that is the closest I have seen them to that unit. I went into one walk in access and no turkey sign, in fact very few trees in the area. I have not seen any where near the number of turkeys while driving around in the past. I knew I should not have put me and the wife in for the general season turkey hunt in Northern Utah. I wont make that mistake again. I have talked to a lot of people that say they have not seen the number of turkeys this year as in past years.


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## scott_rn (Sep 11, 2007)

My little brother and I covered a lot of ground in a canyon on the east side of Cache Valley last saturday. We saw one poop and a couple of footprints. We ran into another guy who had seen one bird - and I'm not even sure if it was a tom?

I was really frustrated because my brother drew the tag and can only hunt weekends - it sucks because I have to work 2 of the three weekends of his hunt.

I was hiking in southern utah yesterday and heard a couple of toms gobble up a side canyon, I think I'll put in for a southern unit next year.


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## hurleyman (Oct 14, 2007)

Glad to hear I am not the only one. Sounds like the winter was hard on them and the state has relocated some to preserve them I guess. I may try again Saturday and see what I cant dig up. Sucks real bad.


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## HJB (May 22, 2008)

reb8600 said:


> HJB said:
> 
> 
> > There are three WMAs that also hold some birds: Middle fork, Henefer/Echo, and East Canyon. Other than that, I don't know what to tell you. This hunt really sucks! I'll never put in for turkey again, what a waste of money!!!
> ...


Are you kidding??? I know quite a few people that have filled their tags on Middle Fork WMA, East Canyon WMA and both WIA (Richmond and Clarkston). I have seen turkeys on every property that I have visited so far. There is no shortage of turkeys whatsoever. The fact is: They are elusive little farts and HARD to hunt.
The best chance to get one is in the early morning hours before they get with the hens. Once they are with the hens, you're screwed. Calls don't work very well, and spot and stalk is nearly impossible everywhere that I have been. All you can do is listen to them laugh at you in the distance. To find the turkey sign, you can't just walk up and down the trail. I have been belly crawing around through the thickest stuff in the world just to find some sign and scratches. These turkeys have fooled us all! They are not dumb, and you won't get one unless you can think like one and pattern his every move.


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

HJB said:


> Are you kidding??? I know quite a few people that have filled their tags on Middle Fork WMA, East Canyon WMA and both WIA (Richmond and Clarkston). I have seen turkeys on every property that I have visited so far. There is no shortage of turkeys whatsoever. The fact is: They are elusive little farts and HARD to hunt.


NO I am not kidding!!! I am glad someone is seeing them. I drove to the Richmond and Clarkston WIA just before the hunt. All the logs in there at that time stated no one had gotten a turkey on the early hunt. That is not the one I hunted. I hunted the Baxter with no sign of anything where I was. If you know people that got them up middle fork in Huntsville then they were lucky considering no one else is seeing them. If you are seeing that many turkeys you should be able to get one then right??


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## HJB (May 22, 2008)

The Log book in the property close to Clarkston is full of turkey hunting entrie from the early hunt. There were at least 5 guys that got turkeys out of there. I actuall saw a guy packing one out before my hunt started. 
You would think with as many turkeys as i have seen, I would have bagged one. Most of the turkey that I have seen, I have spotted several hundread yards away, and was unable to close the distance. None of them have been very responsive to calls either. 

If you get to Middle fork in the morning about 5:30, make a little owl hoot and the place will explode. You might not get to see any because it's so thick in there, but you will hear them gobbling their heads off. 

Good luck! I'm about done here. I might give it another go in the morning, but that's about it for me.


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## rukus (Apr 11, 2008)

pm sent


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## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

You guys make me feel better. :lol: 

I'm hunting the Central, but these birds have humbled me pretty good. The one place I've found birds in good numbers is unhuntable because the turkeys are right on the paved road. I could blame the weather, or the fact that I've been sick for the past couple weeks. But the truth is, I got a whole bunch to learn about turkey hunting and it's just that simple. But hey, the fat lady hasn't sung yet and I still have one more day that I can hunt.

Hang in there and good luck to you boys.


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## luv2fsh&hnt (Sep 22, 2007)

I took a turkey on May 11 2001.Back then it was called the Ogden South hunt but is generally the same unit you are hunting.You have to realise this is a late hunt and traditional spring tactics are not as effective now as they are during the early spring hunt.If you are locating birds the best tactic is ambush just like you would a mule deer pattern them and try to set yourself up between where they are roosting and where they are feeding in the morning.Also due to the fact most of the toms have already henned up and or bred if you call to agressively you are just letting the big toms know where you are at which works against you.When you call call very sofly and try to act as though you are a timid and scared hen.


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