Peak Gobble? Colorado or other high country

[180ls1]

Just got back Sunday from a Colorado turkey hunt. The birds were very call shy (it was snowing also). Is there a better time of year to chase them? Like the middle or end of next month when they may be more receptive to calls? I'll have access to private as well as public. We were between 7-10K feet in elevation.

 

[justin davis]

Maybe they are henned up. I’ve found mountain turkey hunting to be the best towards the end of the season

 

[LongWayAround]

Mountain turkey hunting sucks ass all season. You just have to get lucky with one that wants to play or know their pattern.

The bird in my picture gobbled everytime I called and walked away each time. It was the second Saturday last year.

 

[justinspicher]

Turkey hunting is my least favorite of all hunting I’ve done.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Turkey hunting is my least favorite of all hunting I’ve done.

Now, don’t use that kind of language up in here.

 

[justinspicher]

My bad.....

 

[Slugz]

Im hearing that in Nebraska and Colorado right now. Not coming to calls. Toms going one way, hens going the other way right now off the roost.
I think the weather has em a little behind.

 

[Felix40]

Last week seemed like a peak here in S NM. Then the season opened and they all got chased to hell and back. I’m still hearing a gobbling but most of the birds I see are on private. We are at 9k. I have finally gotten smart enough to stop hunting them.

 

[Rodéo]

Not sure on your seasons over there in Colorado but here in CA our season starts off just before the birds are "rutting" (responding to calls, acting stupid, etc.). I've talked to many biologists and game wardens here that suggest the best success rates come on opening weekend and closer to the end of the 6 week season. That early-middle portion of the season is generally tough hunting. At least where I'm at.

 

[sveltri]

Our birds are nowhere to be found this year, yet. It’s kinda weird this year the elk are still pretty low and I think the turkeys are still down on the private. They’ll move up sooner or later, but I can’t remember the last time I hadn’t heard a gobble by now.

 

[willfrye027]

Leaving tomorrow morning for a north Idaho turkey hunt. Not great news!

 

[mattwill00]

I didn’t realize there were so many people who hated turkey hunting on the game bird forum...

If you search hard enough you’ll find them. They were gobbling in Colorado going up to the roost before opening day and all morning. Im sure the snow has turned a few off but the next high pressure spell should be pretty good hunting I would imagine. If you are close to the mountains I would just hunt as much as you can without keying in on a certain timeframe. All it takes is one lonely bird. I wouldn’t take anecdotal accounts on this thread as the indicator on how your hunt will be.

 

[Jimss]

One thing to remember if hunting foothills or mtn birds is that generally earlier in the season the turkeys tend to hang out below the deep snow line. As snow melts they generally have a lot more area they can inhabit so have even more country to find....like a needle in a haystack especially if they aren't talking! Merriams are a lot different than river or prairie birds. Mtn merriams travel a lot and there is a gob of country with few birds. Some of the meriams country is fairly dense with trees so it's nearly impossible to spot and stalk birds. Here in Colo the public land OTC units with decent number of turkeys tend to get hit pretty hard. Similar to elk they often end up on non-hunted private land. Hunt long and hard and you may be rewarded! Just be prepared for a tough hunt if hunting public OTC turkeys!

 

[Slugz]

I didn’t realize there were so many people who hated turkey hunting on the game bird forum...

If you search hard enough you’ll find them. They were gobbling in Colorado going up to the roost before opening day and all morning. Im sure the snow has turned a few off but the next high pressure spell should be pretty good hunting I would imagine. If you are close to the mountains I would just hunt as much as you can without keying in on a certain timeframe. All it takes is one lonely bird. I wouldn’t take anecdotal accounts on this thread as the indicator on how your hunt will be.

Shhh......mountain birds are very very hard to hunt.

 

[5MilesBack]

My only experience with turkeys was a few years ago. About 20 of them came strolling through my elk camp, must have known that I didn't have a tag. So I picked up a tag and then found them off the side of the road one day driving back to camp. I parked off the road, grabbed my bow, and went after them. Every time I'd get within bow range and start to draw back, they'd all scurry off. Went through that routine probably a dozen times while I continued to chase them. Eventually I'd had enough and started back to the truck. Pulled out the GPS to see where I was, and I was a mile and a half from that road........drenched in sweat. I'd always heard that turkey hunting was like elk hunting.......I guess they're right. But at least with elk, I normally get a shot.

 

[justinspicher]

I went out this morning, about 0730 I parked and headed in. Walk for a few miles and found a spot to call from. I was in an area I’ve killed a few turkeys in. Called for about 1/2 hour. Nothing. Made a big loop back to the truck. Saw deer and elk. No turkeys. Got back to the truck and there sitting on private land staring at me.

 

[hobbes]

Mountain turkeys are no tougher to call in than any turkey. The terrain is the biggest obstacle and the amount of country they have to get lost in. Covering ground calling and locating birds that will respond is the name of the game. Merriam's like to talk on most days. They will however keep a tight lip sometimes if they are strutting for hens. A lonely bird can hardly be made to shut up. If I'm not hearing gobbling, I'm moving. I call "too much and too loud" on most days at least until I locate birds.

Unless you are hunting riverbottoms or crop fields, parking it and throwing out a few occasionally calls is rarely going to be met with success on big country Merriam's. That's an Eastern tactic or at least a tactic for areas with a lot denser population of birds.

Except for the perfect circumstances of broken terrain features, stalking turkeys will rarely work out. They can see approximately 270 degrees and their head is constantly moving so they don't miss much. Learn to call birds into range for a higher success rate. Also, learn to recognize when someone else is already working a bird. Public land or not, trying to sneak in on a bird that someone else is already set up on is unethical as hell. I've had it happen three times already this season.

As far as dates go, I preferred the month of May in Colorado and Nebraska, and still do here in Montana. Early season birds are being drug around by their snood by hens that aren't nesting quite yet. She'll often lead him away from hens that she seems a threat but on occasion will get pissed and drag him along on her way in raising hell. However, look hard enough and you can find a lonely one that'll come in on a string. The hens start spending less time with the toms as season moves into May so I think while you may not hear as much gobbling, you'll find more lonesome birds. If I had to pick one week I'd go with the first week of May provided I could have decent weather.

 

[NoWiser]

I drove 6-1/2 hours last week on Friday to chase turkeys in South Dakota in an area I'd never been to. I parked the truck, walked 10 minutes and called. A gobbler immediately responded. I scurried over the crest of a hill and called again so he'd have to be in range before he could see where the call came from. 5 minutes later my second ever merriam's was dead on the ground. A beautiful 24.6 pound bird. I hopped in the truck and was back home 6-1/2 hours later, in time for dinner. Man, I love turkey hunting.

 

[Huntin_GI]

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.

 

[roosiebull]

Mountain turkeys are no tougher to call in than any turkey. The terrain is the biggest obstacle and the amount of country they have to get lost in. Covering ground calling and locating birds that will respond is the name of the game. Merriam's like to talk on most days. They will however keep a tight lip sometimes if they are strutting for hens. A lonely bird can hardly be made to shut up. If I'm not hearing gobbling, I'm moving. I call "too much and too loud" on most days at least until I locate birds.

Unless you are hunting riverbottoms or crop fields, parking it and throwing out a few occasionally calls is rarely going to be met with success on big country Merriam's. That's an Eastern tactic or at least a tactic for areas with a lot denser population of birds.

Except for the perfect circumstances of broken terrain features, stalking turkeys will rarely work out. They can see approximately 270 degrees and their head is constantly moving so they don't miss much. Learn to call birds into range for a higher success rate. Also, learn to recognize when someone else is already working a bird. Public land or not, trying to sneak in on a bird that someone else is already set up on is unethical as hell. I've had it happen three times already this season.

As far as dates go, I preferred the month of May in Colorado and Nebraska, and still do here in Montana. Early season birds are being drug around by their snood by hens that aren't nesting quite yet. She'll often lead him away from hens that she seems a threat but on occasion will get pissed and drag him along on her way in raising hell. However, look hard enough and you can find a lonely one that'll come in on a string. The hens start spending less time with the toms as season moves into May so I think while you may not hear as much gobbling, you'll find more lonesome birds. If I had to pick one week I'd go with the first week of May provided I could have decent weather.

i don't know much about hunting turkey, but from my very limited experience, this reply seems like a lot of excellent information..... very relatable from the little i have been around turkey. they can be frustrating, but it's all a learning experience.... the frustration is also what makes it fun.... there are things to figure out or go home empty.... they aren't just a big dumb bird.... they are a big dumb, crazy alert, extremely paranoid bird with crazy eyesight.

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?