What Do I Need For Turkey Hunting Out West?

For hunters, turkeys represent a fantastic opportunity to try new tactics and attempt to harvest one of the most challenging game birds in the country. Even unsuccessful hunters can use their turkey hunts to scout and explore areas that they may return to later in the season for big game.

The next question for prospective turkey hunters is, “What do I need for turkey hunting?”. This article will break down the birds, the states, the gear, and even some tactics that can help hunters bag their first gobbler. Read on and find out what you need for turkey hunting in the west.

To have a successful turkey hunt, you need your shotgun or bow, camouflage, a good call, a decoy, and to be prepared with some basic scouting techniques.

Types of Turkeys

For those who are new to turkey hunting, there are four subspecies of wild turkey found in the United States. The Merriam’s, the Rio Grande, the Eastern, and the Osceola. Of the four, the Merriam and the Rio Grande are commonly found in the western states.

Males are known as Toms or Jakes depending on their age, Toms are mature birds with long “beards”, a stringy feather that grows from their chest. Females are known as hens, while vocal, hens like does are not the target of most hunters. In fact, few states even allow the taking of a hen.

Rio Grande

The Rio Grande, or Rio’s as hunters often call them, have a traditional range from the Rio Grande River north to Kansas. These arid, flatland living birds are one of the most attractive subspecies, making for a great photo or tail mount on your wall.

Rio’s will respond to calls at all hours of the day, making them a very huntable bird for those who can steel their nerves and stay patient. Rio Grande turkeys are a scout-friendly bird too. Trees suitable for roosting are few and far between in the flatlands of the Midwest, a hunter who can locate roosts before a hunt increases their chances of bagging a big tom many times over.

With reintroduction efforts, ongoing Rios have also made gains in states like Utah, California, Colorado, and even Hawaii.

Merriam’s

Merriam’s turkeys are the true western subspecies of wild turkeys. With a home range spanning from Arizona to Idaho and South Dakota, the Merriam has made itself a home in everything from elk forests to arid desert canyons.

Merriam’s are often associated with black bodies and white-tipped feathers on the toms. The gobble of the Merriam is higher pitched and softer than that of other species, making them a surprisingly hard bird to track when hunting the mountain ranges these birds will call home.

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Gear

The bane of every hunter, at least after the credit card bill shows up. Turkey hunting is a game of stealth, precision, and patience. Having the basic gear for turkey hunting can be the difference between a long walk in the woods and a new obsession.

Shotgun

While some states permit the use of rifles or archery equipment to take turkeys, the most common method is with a shotgun. While we could spend the entire article comparing and designing the ultimate turkey hunting scatter gun, the basic confines are the same.

Your shotgun needs to deliver a single payload of shot into the bird’s noggin. Unlike wing shooting, where a hunter wants to down the bird, turkey hunters aim for the head for a swift kill and minimal meat damage.

Some states allow the use of .410 shotguns for turkey hunting. With new choke and shell combinations, the diminutive .410 is an effective tool for the job. However, a 20 or 12-gauge is a better option for a first turkey season.

Dedicated turkey guns or specialized chokes are easier to find in the larger bores, and ammunition choices are plentiful, as we will discuss shortly. Regardless of bore choice, a dedicated choke like the Cabela’s BlackMaxx choke tube gives hunters a much tighter pattern at extended ranges that wary gobblers can hang up at.

One consideration for western hunters is the distances required to travel on public land can make your heavy autoloader feel like a howitzer. Invest in a good sling or consider a lighter single shot or pump action.

Ammo

Whether hunting turkeys in a mountain forest or a corn field, having a shell that delivers a tight group at the range is ideal. A 3-inch shell loaded with #6 to #4 lead pellets will absolutely kill a turkey at 30 yards or less.

For longer-range turkey shots, a specialized shell-like Federal’s TSS tungsten shell delivers tight patterns and, when used with a turkey choke, can deliver killing shots at more than 50 yards. Tungsten is a more expensive option; however, turkey hunting is often a single-shot encounter.

Camo

Turkeys have very good eyesight compared to many other game species. They have better than 20/20 vision, like an antelope, with the ability to see nearly 300 degrees around their head. They can see color and become wary of outlines that don’t fit their environment.

For this reason, camo is key. Many hunters choose a full camo suit, like the Titan3D Leafy Suit, to break up their outline. A facemask or netted veil is a helpful option, especially in spring turkey season when mosquitos can become a nuisance.

Gloves are also a key accessory when turkey hunting. A pair of thin Nomex or camouflage gloves will keep your fingers warm and concealed on a chilly fall morning.

It’s important to think about the location for turkey season. Spring and fall seasons can change from pleasant to bitter cold in a flash.

Most turkey hunting involves sitting still, so having the correct base layers and insulated clothing for the early season is essential. Having a matching hard-shell stuffed in your bag can make your hunt much more enjoyable when the rain starts.

Turkey call

Western birds love to travel. Unlike their eastern relatives, the western turkeys will travel for miles looking for mates. Having a variety of calls will make a huge impact on locating and drawing birds in.

Hunters can separate calls into a few groups. Shock calls, slate calls, box calls, and mouth/diaphragm calls. Of the four types of calls, only the shock call is designed to not sound like a turkey. Instead of keying in on the Tom by imitating a potential suitor, shock calls prey on the bird’s inability to not answer other animals’ calls.

While it confounds many hunters, blasting an owl or crow call early in the morning can produce a “shock gobble” from a nearby bird. Die-hard turkey fanatics can and do spend a fortune on calls for all situations. The Hunter’s Specialties Strut Raspy Old Hen Turkey Call Combo is a collection of all four calls for the new turkey hunter.

Having a set of calls gives hunters the chance to practice with each style and cycle through them when out hunting to produce the best results. While not as loud as a slate or box call, the diaphragm call is hands-free, giving hunters the ability to sweet-talk turkey while readying their shotgun.

Scouting

Like any species, scouting is a key factor in having success. While it’s hard to beat boots on the ground while looking for birds, other options are available. First off, hunters today have a plethora of GPS and online maps to look at.

Seeing the terrain on apps like OnX allows hunters to study where ravines, valleys, and even snow lines are to locate birds better. To help narrow down the sometimes massive areas to look at, hunters can find population surveys from game agencies that will paint a better picture of the overall density of birds in a given area.

The second scouting tip is to talk to folks. Western hunters are typically less interested in turkey than big game like elk or mule deer. Asking at your local sporting goods store and calling forest service stations to ask if they’ve seen birds can get a hunter first-hand info.

Coming full circle with scouting is to hike in, looking for food and water sources that are key to locating hens. When a hunter can dial in on hens or the whole flock, finding a good tom is much easier.

In low tree count areas, focus on finding trees. Mature hardwoods with turkey feathers and scratched earth at the base are good indicators that the flock uses this tree as a roost. Focusing your efforts on a roost tree pre-dawn and just before dark are smart options.

Tactics

Ambush a Bird

If you are fortunate enough to gain access to a farm or public land next to a food source, odds are there will be birds there. Setting up in cover near their roost or on the path to food is a great way to ambush a turkey.

If the cover is sparse, a ground blind like the packable HuntRite Deluxe 4-panel Hunting Blind can be a hunter’s best friend. Patience and a few soft clucks are just about all a hunter needs when they’ve put the time in, to ambush a bird.

Run and Gun

If the roosting tree was unreachable by sun up or conditions have changed, the “run and gun” method is a great option. Keep your ears trained for the sound of a tom and work a series of shock calls and hen yelps to entice a bird to gobble. With the general direction discovered, head off in search of the Tom.

Every few yards, stop and let off another call. Feel free to adjust this distance between calls as the terrain dictates. Merriam’s turkeys are known to come charging in when they hear a hen, and when the bird is within 100 yards or so, set up and wait. Call with a combination of hen purrs and clucks.

Don’t become so focused on calling that you forget to bring your gun up to the ready position.

Seasons

Unlike game birds or big game, turkey hunters have two seasons in which to hunt. Fall season and spring season.

Fall Season

Despite being quintessential for thanksgiving feasts, fall is a more challenging and ultimately less popular season. Competing with big game and football, fall turkey hunters will find fewer hunters out looking for toms.

These fall birds are less vocal and often less predictable than their spring selves. Many states permit hunters to take either sex turkey in the fall season.

In Idaho the fall season is more or less used by elk and deer hunters who run into a turkey during their big game hunt. Similarly, the fall turkey tag could be used by a hunter who spots a good group of turkeys and returns after the big game season is closed and just wants another excuse to go hunting again.

Spring

Spring turkey season is the “first” season for turkey. The breeding drive makes calling and locating birds much easier. Since hens are actively breeding, most states limit harvest to only males.

For western hunters, the spring season is not only a great way to shake off a month of hunting doldrums, but also a time to see the snow melt from mountain passes and the first green appear again.

Locations

Texas is the capital of Rio Grande turkey hunting. For hunters selecting a private hunt, These hunts are significantly cheaper than a whitetail hunt on the same managed property. While parcels of land in Texas are enormous, the comfort of a lodge at the end of the day is a nice treat.

For public land hunters, Oklahoma has 1.5 million acres of walk-on accessible hunting land. The Black Kettle WMA is known for its healthy population of Rios.

New Mexico should be the go-to hunting state for hunters looking to hunt multiple subspecies in one season. With Merriam’s, Rios, and even Gould’s subspecies, the state is a true sleeper for hunters. With its lower hunting pressure and healthy harvest numbers, the state is worth a look.

Wyoming is the top destination for hunters looking to hunt a Merriam’s. The Merriam’s turkey has been transplanted since 1935 and has become successful enough to provide top hunting throughout the Black Hills region.

Final thoughts

Turkey hunting is a varied and challenging season. From seeing snow melt off the mountain passes to seeing a strutting tom move toward your position, it is a fun critter to pursue.

Regardless of where a hunter chooses to hunt and regardless of what subspecies they chase, at the end of the day every turkey hunter lives for one thing. Hearing the first thunderous gobble of a new turkey season.

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