Peak Gobble? Colorado or other high country

[5MilesBack]

maybe it's the newness (doubt it) and it will wear off, but i think it's incredibly fun chasing mountain turkey..... it's like little league elk hunting in big league elk country.... seriously, what's not to like?

Gobbles just don't do anything for me like bugles do. Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to shoot just about anything......but without those bugles it's just not all that interesting to me.

 

[CoHiCntry]

I love turkey hunting, I really do. But... where I hunt them here in Colorado it is very frustrating and as the years go by my motivation becomes less & less.

Finding birds with any consistency seems to be my biggest problem. I’ve found them, I’ve killed them, but they are hardly ever in the same places from year to year. I’ve had a year or two when I never heard a gobble the whole season too!

Turrkey hunting to me is like fishing. Just pure fun, but I’d just as soon be catching a ton of fish to fishing areas that don’t produce or produce sporadically.

I’ve hunted other states in areas where there are lots of turkeys and that is WAY more fun to me. So taking a trip to Kansas, Nebraska or similar every year for a week long trip and hunting active areas where there’s a lot of gobbling, and killing a couple birds may be my approach from here on out! Guess I’m a “fair weather turkey hunter”? Lol!

 

[Slugz]

Cant speak to mountain turkeys but I hunted eastern Colorado early last week as the weather was going from good to bad. AM they were all gobbling on the roost. After fly down, not a single gobble/response to key in on. As the sun came up, I would be in the middle of multiple toms, 15 mins after, I might as well been on the moon. 3 days of chasing them was enough for me.

Same going on in Nebraska right now.

 

[Poser]

I hunted opening weekend about 8,000 feet. Got into a flock almost immediately. They were gobbling and strutting, but my feeling was they were still in a winter flock. There was a good bit of snow still and we’ve had some cold nights and day time snow. I went snowboarding the 2nd weekend, but I’m going to guess this coming weekend will be prime turkey hunting so going to get back out.

 

[Slugz]

My sons Nebraska bird from yesterday.

 

[roosiebull]

Gobbles just don't do anything for me like bugles do. Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to shoot just about anything......but without those bugles it's just not all that interesting to me.

I get that, but it’s only September one month per year... chasing turkey doesn’t compare to elk, but this time of year it’s a great excuse to get into the mountains.

last weekend I spent the weekend chasing birds in the most coveted elk unit in my state, and going again tomorrow... it’s fun as hell and has some strategic similarities.

they live in the same terrain, cover lots of country, you can locate them with calls, and they had me running up and down those same big canyons just like elk.

they are not easy to kill, they are a worthy critter to chase... it’s good practice. It’s not elk hunting, but it’s the closest thing you get during spring.

I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as I do... those gobbles have more excitement when you are actively trying to kill the bird gobbling

 

[justin davis]

Turkeys get my fired up. Honestly I can shoot a big bull stone cold ice in the veins. But I’ve been more rattled by those stupid 20 lb birds ha

they are fun to bow hunt. Very tough in Colorado mountains. A lot of work and time just for a chance or two

 

[willfrye027]

Epic day in the panhandle today. My first Meriams and her first turkey! The birds wanted to work today and did it right.

 

[willfrye027]

Decided to get an extra tag today...hunted for maybe two hours this afternoon and I’m all tagged out. The birds are on fire get out there!!

 

[mmcdonough]

In the same boat here in Northern Minnesota. Weather has been awfully cold to start the season. Birds are still flocked up and sticking to corn and other fields. I've only heard one gobble so far. Once things start warming up and more bugs come out they'll spread out and start moving into their usual haunts.

 

[180ls1]

I think we're going to try again in May next year in hopes for the hens on eggs and warmer weather. They were going crazy a month ago here in Cali.

 

[justinspicher]

Went out again this afternoon. Hiked in about 1.5 miles and then started calling. Got a tom to gobble back. We did this back and forth for about ten minutes. It sounded like he was going away so I decided to try and cut the distance and on the way I spooked several deer. After that O never heard from him again.

 

[hobbes]

Went out again this afternoon. Hiked in about 1.5 miles and then started calling. Got a tom to gobble back. We did this back and forth for about ten minutes. It sounded like he was going away so I decided to try and cut the distance and on the way I spooked several deer. After that O never heard from him again.

You probably know this, but thought that I'd share this anyway. I've found that mountain birds can often suddenly sound like they are moving away when can they are actually moving toward you.

It can happen when they are across a drainage/canyon from you at relatively the same elevation. As they start to move toward you they suddenly sound like they are farther as they head down into the canyon below you but headed toward you. They'll sound farther then closer again as the start back up your side. Of course that doesn't really happen in flatter country.

That may not be what happened to you but thought you may find that useful sometime.

 

[justinspicher]

I have heard that before. I tried to have some patience but I just don’t.

I went out again this morning, a little further this time, almost three whole miles. Called sporadically after the two mile mark, nothing. Sat for about an hour calling and glassing, still nothing. Walked another mile and sat and glassed. Nothing. Around 1300 or so it was getting rather warm so I came down from my glassing spot and hit the trail. On my way back I was just cruising along and heard a random gobble. We exchanged calls for several minutes, he couldn’t have been more than 30yds from me, but I couldn’t see anything through the oak brush. I really tried to be patient but that didn’t happen. I never found him and headed back to the truck. Until next time....