Colorado Turkey Advice

[ianpadron]

Joining a Montana buddy to pick up his new trailer in April down in CO. We're turkey junkies planning on hunting our way back.

Trying to navigate the "draw" vs OTC options, and hoping for a CO resident to chime in on the differences.

Thanks in advance, more than happy to trade intel on MT as well with any non resident turkey hunters who have CO experiences to share.

 

[Hnthrdr]

The brochure will show you, most draw units are out east. A few of them in the hills. Draw areas have far more turkeys in them. Otc Turkey units can be pretty scarce. I mean there are like 35k turkeys in Co and 120k Turkey hunters. Resources are a little scarce when it comes to Turks. I’d look on the Turkey dispersion maps by cpw. I will say if you understand turkeys habitat and behavior you will be able to find them still, but man those mountain birds can cover country

 

[cnelk]

Id say screw Colo turkeys and hunt turks in Wyo on your way through that state

 

[ianpadron]

Id say screw Colo turkeys and hunt turks in Wyo on your way through that state

Open to that idea as well!

 

[Jbehredt]

On a whim like this it’s gonna be sparse. More of a spring bow hike with a snowballs chance of finding a bird. Which can be pleasant The really consistently huntable birds are in the draw units along the eastern river bottoms .

 

[Walmart Greeter]

What’s part of CO?

 

[ianpadron]

On a whim like this it’s gonna be sparse. More of a spring bow hike with a snowballs chance of finding a bird. Which can be pleasant The really consistently huntable birds are in the draw units along the eastern river bottoms .

Honestly that's the kind of advice we're looking for haha. If the wild mountain birds are hard to come by maybe WY is a better option on the trip home

 

[ianpadron]

What’s part of CO?

Picking up the trailer in Granite

 

[h2so4]

Picking up the trailer in Granite

I know where your going- PM incoming.

 

[Walmart Greeter]

I know where your going- PM incoming.

If Co Springs area isn’t too far off your route I used to see them in the hills out there. Shot a pretty nice gobbler one year, want to say it was 8 inch beard. That was about 10 years ago though when I lived out there.

 

[sveltri]

In all honesty, our bird numbers are way down around here (I live 45 mins from Granite). I wouldn't waste your time.

 

[dtrkyman]

I have hunted CO. the past three years OTC, killed birds each year. Pressure is focused and intense, guys on electric bikes ignore closed roads, birds are concentrated and most locals know where they are.

Late season birds have been hammered all spring and do not respond well to calls, I killed my first year there over a water hole ambush hunt, lame but better than nothing! I saw more bears on that trip than turkeys!

I think about applying in the draw each year but never research areas so I just go OTC and live close enough I think I have enough areas to roam and get on birds.

I would not say don't go just have those expectations.

Good luck.

 

[Jimss]

Birds on public land along the front range side of Colo get hammered hard. Areas I used to climb cliffs and hike 2 miles in now have hunters every time I hunt those areas. There are also few birds in a heck of a lot of country that sometimes hardly make any noise. There are so many bears, coyotes, mtn lions, and bobcats in the hills that if they make noise they often get eaten. Hunting pressure also doesn't help.

With so much country with few birds not making noise it can be pretty tough finding them. If you have lots of days to hunt and are in great shape to cover rough country you may do ok.

I guess I'm getting old because it just isn't as fun any more....especially running into other hunters. I drew an eastern plains limited unit this year and was sadly disappointed. There wasn't that much public land available with around 4 to 7 trucks parked in every parking lot. They weren't very large public areas so it didn't take time to push birds to private land.

Sorry to paint a poor picture on Colo turkey hunting. I certainly wish the CPW would limit tags and it would be a lot better quality experience with possibly a few more birds.

 

[Felix1776]

This was going to be the first spring I hit the turkey woods. You guys are killing me.

 

[LongWayAround]

I've killed a handful of turkeys in Colorado but overall, the hunting blows. If you look at it as a reason to just go for a hike in the spring mountains, it's an opportunity to get out.

Speaking for the northern front range and northeast limited areas.

 

[ianpadron]

Appreciate all the advice fellas, we're going to make a small detour on the way back North and hit the black hills in WY

 

[Robert Green]

Let me know if you want to hunt Turkeys in Durango in late April.

 

[justinspicher]

I’ve had pretty good luck hunting turkeys in Colorado. I see them quite a bit throughout the year. They are definitely easier to find on private over public much like any game animal. I live here so I’m bias on how hard it is to hunt anything here.