Went out to some of the national forest areas in east TX yesterday to scout for a group of guys I’m taking out to hunt next Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning.

Saw some pretty good sign and lots of tracks. We also had a large hen cross the road in front of us. She was about the size of a hefty rio jake and she was as light colored as a rio hen which was surprising since eastern hens are usually a lot darker.

Talked to some people at a one of check stations and they were talking about the growing number of birds in this particular area and that they were seeing them every day. Later on we talked to a game warden who also talked about a large number of birds in this particular area which is like a corridor.

He also told me about some of the problems they’ve been having with poachers and how a lot of the locals have been baiting over milo and corn and they fail to report birds they've shot.

The two main reasons they don’t check their birds in is # 1 If the birds were baited they would get busted after taking them to the check stations once corn or milo was found in them. 2..They have taken ownership of the birds and feel that if they report the birds harvested and people see a large number of birds reported in that area more hunters will come and bring more competition.

I understand trying to protect something but that pretty much sucks seeing how my hunting license fees and work I do for the NWTF contribute to eastern turkeys being back in east TX in the first place. That and the fact someone thinks the birds belong to them and feel that they can pretty much hunt them the way they want whenever they get ready.

Anyway, that’s a rant for another time but I’m hoping that some of us can tag our first eastern…first animal of any kind for some of these new hunters coming along. Taking the guy who came down with turkey fever after hunting with me at (THF member)Scoops ranch the weekend of the youth hunt. Hoping him and his father get a good chance at a bird…

Good luck. I cut my teeth on Easterns growing up in MS. I will say that most people I've hunted with that have only killed Rios tend to over call Easterns. Purrs and clucks with some hand rustling of leaves goes a long way into bringing in an Eastern. Don't get me wrong. You can find one fired up and get agressive with him on the call, but it's far less often than I've seen with Rios.




I'd say that's the number one reason right there. I've killed Easterns in Texas and have to admit I've been very hesitant to report the bird for this very reason. Most people have no clue where good populations of these birds are, and the last thing I want is more competition making them harder to hunt and pressuring them out of an area. Just my .02!

I know what you mean...didn't get any response from calling and when I did call in a few in past years I did very little calling. Been hunting rios so much sometimes I forget to keep that in mind.




I can understand that but that hurts more than helps turkey populations in east TX. The biologist over program need to know that info in order to help increase bird populations.

Also low numbers reported can end up with a closure in the county you hunt.

I know there are birds in places like the Sam Houston national forest and know a couple of guys who took birds within the past couple of years, but now those counties are closed due to low numbers reported.

will be going on Sunday as well, got a little public place where I always seem to get on the birds. Can't wait!!

I agree on the overcalling. I hunted easterns in KY and never called nearly as much as with Rios. Easterns seemed to move in a lot faster to a call too. Sometimes Rios seem to take their own sweet time, no matter how fired up they are.

Good deal...good luck to ya. I won't get there until sunday evening so hopefully i've scouted enough areas that the crowd doesn't come in and put too much pressure on everything before I can get on a few birds...

Am glad you have birds...they are so spotty dont know if there will ever be a huntable population in my ET area. Am leaving Friday am with five other hunters I work with for southern Arkansas to try our luck for Easterns. Good luck on your hunt am a NWTF member also so I hope we can continue to work toward getting the Easterns established with appreciable numbers. Shame that some ET folks are so selfish about the game we have. I saw a few elk running free close to my house off the riverbottom, would love to see em start to multiply but our rednecks will kill em all before that happens. Guess they were either turned loose by the owner who cant afford to feed em anymore or recent storms have compromised the fence. Would be neat to hear a bull bugling this fall behind the house. Sorry got off on a pig trail...

There are some areas in east TX where the birds are doing alright but it just requires doing some foot work to find where.

According to Scotty Parsons, the NWTF turkey biologist they are supposed to start doing the super turkey stocking in east TX as soon as next year. Would had been this year if it wasn't for the drought last year.

If people would do their part and help protect them by following the laws in place and report those who don't that would help out a whole lot....Hey I can use that little $500 reward for reporting turkey poachers and buy me a couple of sandwiches or something...lol

Heading out this afternoon to chase easterns. There's supposed to be a pretty good chance of rain this evening and tomorrow so hopefully we don't get rained out. Was planning on camping out but will have to find a cabin between Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend to sleep 5 people. Anyone know of anything out that way?

We went out this afternoon to an area where we always get on them. Started calling every couple of hundred yards out or so didn't get a response. We walked up on some private land that they seem to roost on and there they are 100 yrds out and wouldn't sound a peep. Had a hen come in and stuck around for 20 minutes or so. Anyone been hearing these eastern birds gobbling?