This year in Colorado, it seems like the rituals of Spring are beginning a bit early. Reports from some of my long-beard chasing friends indicate that the Toms are already thinking about romance. I asked some of my turkey hunting buddies for a few tips on finding Merriam’s here in the foothills and Keith offered up a few hard learned suggestions. Also, we had a brief snow storm on April 3rd and wildlife photographer DJ Hannigan sent me a photo of a fired up Tom dancing for the ladies. — Jim Bulger
Keith's tips:
In the area we hunt, we have found that the flock has several different roost sites. There are three ridges that all come together and you never know which ridge they will pick to roost. We used to guess which ridge they were on and set up in the morning, only to find out they roosted on the other ridge. Finally, we put our heads together and decided to "know before we go." The night before we hunt, we climb on top of a ridge, right before sunset and settle down. We try to listen for birds that gobble right before fly-up. This helps us pinpoint where they are roosting. If the Toms are quiet, we try and get them to shock gobble. This helps us know where to set up the following morning.
- Mountain birds will typically roost off to one the side of a ridge. They like the large, open branched pines that are 30 to 40 yards downhill from the ridge line. Turkeys need to take a running start before taking flight. We look for open pockets along the ridge that allows birds to group up, strut, stretch their wings and gives them 10 to 15 yards of running room to fly up.
- Look for small openings that allow for strut zones. In our scouting trips, we found strut zones at the bottom of an old logging road. Typically in the middle of the road. The strut zone looked like someone had cleared all the pine needles away with an old metal yard rake. Not finding much turkey sign anywhere else, we set up with a couple of hen decoys and starting soft calling. A couple hours later, a Tom walked in. This was towards the end of the season and thinking back, the hens were probably already bred, and the Toms were still wandering around looking for hens. We knew a bird was in the area due to the fresh drag marks in the strut zone. We simply set up, called and waited. He never made a sound. I think he was just making his rounds and came in to check us out. We planned on spending the entire day in the woods, not leaving for lunch, and it paid off.
- I'm a firm believer in choosing natural habitat for my set-ups. Look around for large rocks or thick cover to set up in before calling. One thing to keep in mind is that you can still have a couple of exit routes in case the birds come in from different directions. Do not to put natural barriers between you and the birds; creeks or large downed trees. Pick openings where birds can see your decoys or where birds would expect to see each other.
To learn more about scouting, gearing-up, and hunting our native turkey, read "A Bird of a Different Feather – Merriam’s Turkey."
New in 2012
Get the latest in changes to turkey hunting regulations.
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| What's New 2012 - Private Land Turkey Hunts |
The turkey hunting regulations brochure is available. Please be sure to read the " New in 2012" section. Changes have been made to license availability, hunting seasons, bag limits and map more. The brochure is available in two formats,
Adobe PDF and an
interactive version (with video).
What's New 2012:
- New Late Season — A new season for turkey hunting increases opportunities for hunters and aids in management of wild turkeys in areas where there are conflicts with agriculture operations. See page 4 of the brochure
(3MB) for details.
- Bag Limits Changed — Bag limits have been modified, allowing for each hunter to take up to five birds annually. Bag limits are different for each season. Hunters may harvest: two bearded turkeys in the spring (one with a limited license and one with an over-the-counter license), one either-sex turkey in the fall, and two beardless turkeys in the late season. See page 7 of the brochure for details.
- Unlimited Licenses in Units 101, 102 — Conflict between wild turkeys and agricultural producers has prompted Colorado Parks and Wildlife to offer private-land-only hunts during the fall season in Yuma County (Game Management Units (GMU) 101 and 102). These licenses are available over-the-counter. See page 5 of the brochure for details.
- Public-land Hunting — Spring and fall hunting in GMUs 101 and 102 on public land has been combined, meaning licenses will now be valid in either GMU 101 or 102. This provides public-land hunters with more hunt options. See pages 2 and 4 of the brochure for details.
Turkey Hunting Colorado
Turkey hunting is gaining popularity, and in an effort to assist turkey hunters, a video has been created with education and successful hunts in mind. Learn more about pursuing the native Merriam's of the mountains and the Rio Grandes of the Plains by watching "Turkey Hunting Colorado."
Hunters may call (303) 297-1192 or e-mail wildlife.dowinfo@state.co.us and request a free DVD. These will only be mailed to customers who request them. We encourage you to help preserve Colorado’s hunting heritage by sharing your DVD with others interested in hunting.