Mountain merriam turkey in fall in Colorado - a fools arand?

[Mammoth]

I am wanting to try my first Turkey Hunt. I live in Gunnison Colorado and my research is pointing me to Delta County on the Western slope for good Turkey habitat and population density. I realize that scouting would be important but the season is on...so my scouting will need to be with a shot gun in hand.

I ran into some turks Elk hunting west of Fort Collins once early in the morning. I was chilling and listening for elk and a bunch of Turks walked 20 feet in front of me. But other that than - I have never seen turkeys in the wild.

All of my research into turkey hunting yeilds tactics and tips for spring hunts durying mating season when the gobbles are thick!

Fall has to be different - does it boil down to luck in the fall? If I get away from the roads with a backpack, sleeping bag and a bivy sack and commit myself to a quite sit in the morning followed by moving and glassing - is that the strategy for fall turkey hunting?

I think I have the right place picked out from a research prospective...HOW DO I CLOSE THE DEAL?

Thanks,
Brad

 

[ckleeves]

Personally I would wait for spring unless you just wanna check out a new area and start learning it. The birds are in some of the same spots they will be in the spring. It isn't hard at all to find fall turkeys (unless your looking for them of coarse!)

Turkeys around the area your talking about get pretty dumb this time of year I see quite a few just about every day elk hunting. They are a completely different bird then they are in the spring and there isn't a whole lot of challenge in hunting them during the fall IMO but they are delicious and it would be a good way to start learning an area.

I don't know any real fall turkey tactics most of them I see are walking down roads and trails and scaring the crap outta me when they bust out of a roost tree that I'm standing under! But glassing and hiking like your talking about would for sure turn up some birds. Good luck, and make sure you try it in the spring it's addicting!

 

[Mammoth]

Thanks for the reply. Honestly I am pretty excited. I think that I will go out and check it out. Thinking on the West side of Kebler Pass around 8,000 feet or so. If nothing else I will be able to hang out in the woods and hike around and get to know an area for spring. I am having to keep myself busy waiting for 2nd Season Elk to roll around for area 551...where as the Turkey thing will be area 53.

Frankly - If you are in Montrose - do you want to go? Do you go water fowl? I desperately want to learn that as well. I so want to fill my family with wild game as much as possible.

 

[ckleeves]

I don't know if I could go fall turkey hunting I'm pretty busy right now elk hunting and trying to get my wife her first archery bull. As far as waterfowl I used to be a total addict but have cut back the last few years but still go maybe a dozen times a year if you wanna go you are more than welcome to. All my friends kinda got outta it so I'm always looking for new guys to waterfowl with. I will send you a pm on some turkey areas.

 

[Jared Bloomgren]

Fall turkey can be a lot of fun but nothing like spring time! The birds will more than likely be bunched up in gaggles and move about quite predictably. They will also come to calls as they are vocal this time of year as well. Not much for gobbling but they yelp a lot! Find their roost and feeding areas.....set up on them and wait em out!

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Resurrecting this thread. For the last 7 years I have killed a spring turkey in Colorado and sometimes a second bird in a neighboring state. Last fall was the first time I actually put dedicated effort into fall turkey and I had no luck. I saw some from over a mile away on private property one day. If someone has some secret sauce they want to share I'm all ears. I know people that have killed fall turkeys but it was always secondary to archery hunting elk - as in turkeys came into the water hole they were sitting and they had a tag so why not? From what I gather they come to calls sometimes, and spot and stalk using a rifle can be effective. Is that it though?

 

[dtrkyman]

I did my first intentional fall hunt last year in New Mexico, I found a couple flocks during elk season and just went back to that area.

The hen talk on the roost was intense, I had birds coming from all over and making quite the ruckus!

Several large flocks came in with mostly yearling birds, I’m talking 50 plus turkeys came in, all went to a dirt tank and one lone Tom slipped through with no shot.

I hunted 3 water sources and called turkeys in at each one, easy to call em where they wanna go.

On my third morning a group of 3 Tom’s and 3 Jake’s finally showed and I killed a nice Tom.

Look for Tom tracks, they are generally separate from the hens and young ones in the fall.

Scratching is pretty easy to find as well.

Busting up a flock is an old school tactic for fall, if you can scatter a flock they will get really vocal once they settle down and try to reassemble.


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[5MilesBack]

I see large flocks of turkeys a lot during archery elk season. One year I was sitting in camp eating lunch and about two dozen birds came walking right through, almost spitting distance. They're kind of like grouse to me though......they're just a detraction from elk hunting.