Hunters Are Flocking to Washington State to Bag Turkeys

The general spring turkey hunting season ended May 31st. and the 3 month fall hunt begins September 1st.

The number of hunters visiting Washington to hunt turkeys in increasing according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Biologist in Eastern Washington.

Hunters from other parts of the country where bird populations are in decline are hearing about the abundant numbers of gobblers in Washington state and planning trips to bag their limits.

Anecdotally, WDFW is fielding more calls and emails from out-of-state hunters.  Hunters from as far away as Mississippi, Tennessee, and New Jersey want more information about the best places to hunt in Washington.

The number of non-resident Washington turkey tag sales support that and have climbed approximately 1,000 since 2019 with more than 1,500 sold in 2023.

Many of Washington state's visiting turkey hunters are visiting from Northwest states of Oregon, Idaho or Montana but the third highest number of tags were sold to hunters from Alabama, followed by Arkansas and Georgia.  That coincides with the reports of declining turkey populations in the south and Midwest where officials have limited turkey hunting.

Turkey populations are bountiful in Washington and Idaho and considered a nuisance by some property owners and turkey hunters are happy to oblige.

The Spokane Chronicle has more on Turkey Hunting in Washington State