2024 Spring Turkey Hunt
- Thread starter gimruis
- Start date
boomerdawg13
Member
any of the western hunters on here know how to distinguish a hybrid bird in the field? Last year I hunted and bagged a merriam on the western slope, got some access just east of Denver and I know there are both Merriam and Rio's. I would like to bag a rio this year - but are there any indications on what a hybrid looks like?
Munster927
Well-known member
Hybrids are almost impossible to tell in the wild. Main thing to look for when targeting a Rio in country where a Merriam can also be found is the tail fan and the wings.
The fan on a Rio will be more buff colored. Cream/tannish. Whereas a true Merriam will have that snow white fan. The wing markings of a Rio are also darker than that of a Merriam. In the picture, top is a Merriam and bottom is Rio. It's hard to tell those differences in the wild when trying to pick out a bird. So main thing to look for is the tail fan color.
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GetTothePoint
Well-known member
I'd like to get a nice Merriam one day, they're pretty cool looking. I wish I'd have done the slam when I was younger, but probably didn't have the funds. Now time is the issue until retirement one day.
Munster927
Well-known member
I'm just an Osceola away from my slam, don't know if I'll ever get to Florida for one. Maybe some day. I need to get a Tom Merriam. Only Merriam I shot was a Jake. It counts but it's like shooting a spike buck, it's a deer but not something to brag about or put on the wall haha
birddude
Well-known member
Looks like an Eastern. Is there a difference? And were the Easterns transplanted or migrated there?
AKSkeeter
Well-known member
Yes NW Montana has Eastern subspecies unlike most of the west which has Meriam's or RioGrande.
I think they were originally transplanted here.
birddude
Well-known member
Nice three year old. A little shy of 22 pounds. Inch and a quarter spurs. Not much to brag about on the beard 9 1/4. It had two buff colored tail feathers.9 yards with an old single shot 20.
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Congrats birddude! Nice Tom!!
GetTothePoint
Well-known member
Pheasant hunting is my all around favorite but nothing gets the adrenaline going for me like those last several yards of a vocal Tom battle.
gimruis
Well-known member
I filled my tag on day 1 of season B here in MN. It was only the second day of April with winds under 30 mph. I went out in the morning and saw a nice group of turkeys about 150 yards away. After they went over the horizon around 9:30am, I moved my blind a little, hoping they would return later in the day along the same path.
That plan worked. Around 7:15pm, when they were returning to their roost, 5 hens, 2 jakes, and a tom came walking back from over the hill. I had a hen and a jake decoy out. I didn't even need to use a turkey call. Both jakes and the tom immediately focused on that lone hen and nearby jake decoy, and headed for that. I dusted the tom at 25 yards.
Its only the second time in 17 years of spring turkey hunting that I've filled my tag on the first day.
That plan worked. Around 7:15pm, when they were returning to their roost, 5 hens, 2 jakes, and a tom came walking back from over the hill. I had a hen and a jake decoy out. I didn't even need to use a turkey call. Both jakes and the tom immediately focused on that lone hen and nearby jake decoy, and headed for that. I dusted the tom at 25 yards.
Its only the second time in 17 years of spring turkey hunting that I've filled my tag on the first day.
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Bob Peters
Well-known member
I ended up getting a MN turkey first season. I made a mistake on a boss gobbler and he got away. Stuck it out two more hours and got lucky with the 2nd tom of the day. This is my first early season gobbler. I prefer the late season, but it's all fun. There are a pile of turkeys in the upper midwest, so I figure get while the gettin's good.
BRITTMAN
Well-known member
Arrived at the blind around 8:30 this morning. The blind is along a woods - field edge ... near (but not at) the corner actually. Hens will pop out of the woods on occasion, but over the years the jakes and Toms always come from the open field. There is a small trail in the corner. Never really see a turkey using it though and the blind window today facing the corner was shut. This area has always been busier on an evening sit than a morning one.
Turkeys were active. Hen came up behind the blind. She started putting but a few soft calls seemed to quiet her down or she left. About 20 minutes later three birds popped out of the field edge about 50 yards to our west ... they muddled about and slid back in the woods.
Calling occasionally but aggressively on my pot call ... and biding time ... I was looking at my phone when my son says ... there is a Tom right there I should shoot. I peak and said yep ... take him. I back up and plug my ears as the gun is in front of me pointing out that opening you see on the blind. Boom ... I got him he says. I peak out and see a bird jump up and down and then stand with his head up. I say hand me the gun and I drop the bird. I said well I guess I helped you a bit... He says no - the bird I shot rolled backwards and never got up. Then he says you know there was at least two ... I shot the one with his head up ... the other was behind him and starting to fan a bit.
A double ... this is the second double together in the past three years.
They came in absolutely silent. They came from the woods in the spot where I always thought they should come from, but never have before.
We never heard a gobble all morning albeit we did not get out there until after 8AM.
Turkeys were active. Hen came up behind the blind. She started putting but a few soft calls seemed to quiet her down or she left. About 20 minutes later three birds popped out of the field edge about 50 yards to our west ... they muddled about and slid back in the woods.
Calling occasionally but aggressively on my pot call ... and biding time ... I was looking at my phone when my son says ... there is a Tom right there I should shoot. I peak and said yep ... take him. I back up and plug my ears as the gun is in front of me pointing out that opening you see on the blind. Boom ... I got him he says. I peak out and see a bird jump up and down and then stand with his head up. I say hand me the gun and I drop the bird. I said well I guess I helped you a bit... He says no - the bird I shot rolled backwards and never got up. Then he says you know there was at least two ... I shot the one with his head up ... the other was behind him and starting to fan a bit.
A double ... this is the second double together in the past three years.
They came in absolutely silent. They came from the woods in the spot where I always thought they should come from, but never have before.
We never heard a gobble all morning albeit we did not get out there until after 8AM.
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Bob Peters
Well-known member
We seen a bunch of different Toms absolutely locked up on our way to the lake this morning. Really made me want to go get one! They might need to up the limit in MN soon to keep the turkeys in check.
Bob Peters
Well-known member
I agree though, late season hunting is much easier than early season.
BRITTMAN
Well-known member
I did not say May was easier ... I said it was never too late in May.
Early season is easily the most successful time for most Minnesota hunters especially those with less experience. There is a reason why most Minnesotans hunt A and B and it is not just walleye opener.
Late season hunting is a test of skill, patience, and absolutely a test of determination. About 60% or more of the MN kill is in the first two seasons.
We hunted parts of days four of the past five ... saw Toms, never heard a gobble - not one.
Last gobbling I heard was last Tuesday in Wisconsin.
Early season is easily the most successful time for most Minnesota hunters especially those with less experience. There is a reason why most Minnesotans hunt A and B and it is not just walleye opener.
Late season hunting is a test of skill, patience, and absolutely a test of determination. About 60% or more of the MN kill is in the first two seasons.
We hunted parts of days four of the past five ... saw Toms, never heard a gobble - not one.
Last gobbling I heard was last Tuesday in Wisconsin.
BRITTMAN
Well-known member
MN needs to stay at one bird limit per year per person. The population is already pressured enough. Many states that had higher limits are reeling back ...
I don't quite get WI. I think they should limit licenses to maybe 3 total per person per year. Don't live there so don't really have a say. We or I will be back in WI this week. Thing about WI is a nonresident cannot get an A or B season tag (our preference points of 6 and 4 seem to provide proof). So nonresidents are typically allowed to hunt D, E, and F (all May seasons).
Look at the success rate in WI ... for late seasons often around 12% - 15%.
I don't quite get WI. I think they should limit licenses to maybe 3 total per person per year. Don't live there so don't really have a say. We or I will be back in WI this week. Thing about WI is a nonresident cannot get an A or B season tag (our preference points of 6 and 4 seem to provide proof). So nonresidents are typically allowed to hunt D, E, and F (all May seasons).
Look at the success rate in WI ... for late seasons often around 12% - 15%.