PUBLIC LANDS
There's no shortage of decent public forestland in Northeast Washington. You should, however, expect company.

What it actually calls for is hiking or walking farther than your competition, getting into the woods earlier, and staying longer to bag a bird. Keep in mind that the heaviest populations of birds can be found in Stevens County, followed by Ferry County.

This land encompasses the far eastern edge of the Okanogan National Forest, then the main body of the Colville National Forest. Highway 20, heading east out of Tonasket, will get you close. Roads heading north, such as Torodo Creek Road off Highway 20, Highway 21 out of Republic, and Highway 395 just north of Kettle Falls, will put you into some prime national forestlands. Farther east, roads heading north out of Colville, and Highways 20 and 31 out of Ione and Metaline Falls, will also put you in some prime public hunting turkey lands.

Turkey hunting in this part of the state can be excellent near waterways, too. The Columbia River (Lake Roosevelt) can be teeming with them, while public lands adjacent to the Pend Oreille River are also good bets. The land between the two rivers, such as around Deep Lake, is also a solid bet.

In Ferry County, be mindful of the Colville Reservation's boundaries, as hunting by non-tribal members is not permitted there. But elsewhere along this stretch of Lake Roosevelt, it's prime turkey hunting country. And so is the Colville Valley, which extends north and south with the small town of Chewelah roughly in the middle. Waitts, Deer and Loon lakes are all in this area. The national forestland between Chewelah and Newport is also excellent.

FINAL ADVICE...
Cope offers this advice for turkey hunters who are really pining to bag a bird this year: "My tip for hunters is probably the same thing you've heard before: Do your scouting. It's a lot better to hunt if you know where you're going and what you might see when you get there. If you can, secure permission from private landowners. There are a lot of private landowners in this area who have turkeys, and a lot of times, these folks don't mind people hunting so long as you ask permission.

"I've found turkeys all over the place in the spring, and some of it can be really variable depending on what kind of spring we're having."