Colorado Turkey?

[OZapo1986]

Hello all! I'm not able to make it to Colorado for elk/deer season this year, so I will be joining my buddy out there for spring Turkey, I have a tag just as well us it. I am looking for advice on places to go that are no more than 2 hrs from Colorado Springs. Our current plans are to go near Eleven Mile Res but there is still a good bit of snow on the ground. My friend is planning another scouting trip this weekend but I would like to hear some opinions from ya'll. I've been looking over OnX to find likely places but he doesn't have time to scout all of them. Any advice or comments are welcome. Thanks!

Andrew

 

[TOGIE]

OTC spring turkey spots in colorado that produce for people will be shrouded in secrecy.

Though, I found a foothills spot with gobblers gobbling just by looking for meadows in the forest that coincide with the turkey overlay in onx and then hiking in. Heard plenty in the mornings and evenings, but saw and shot none. I thought it might be too far from water, but they are there.

Don't overlook various SWAs east of i25.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I would give up an elk spot before a turkey spot, you and about 3 million people would like a spot within 2hrs of the front range.

 

[OZapo1986]

Oh I completely understand that! I'm from Nebraska originally so i've taken turkey for granted, they were on the edge of being a pest when I was growing up. I know there are likely to be a few birds in the area we selected, my friend hunted around Eleven Mile reservoir last year and had a couple encounters. The snow has us worried though. He said there were still ice houses on the lake and snow in the hills.

 

[bushman13]

I totally believe you, but being a newb out here. I've spent 6 total days turkey hunting and 5 total days elk hunting.
Number of turkey hunters seen in the woods: 0
Number of elk hunters seen in the woods: 151,637

I would give up an elk spot before a turkey spot, you and about 3 million people would like a spot within 2hrs of the front range.

 

[OZapo1986]

OTC spring turkey spots in colorado that produce for people will be shrouded in secrecy.

Though, I found a foothills spot with gobblers gobbling just by looking for meadows in the forest that coincide with the turkey overlay in onx and then hiking in. Heard plenty in the mornings and evenings, but saw and shot none. I thought it might be too far from water, but they are there.

Don't overlook various SWAs east of i25.

Thanks! I've been looking east of i25 and found a few spots that look promising. Not terribly far from my friends house, so he will check them out. Water was one thing that i've been worried about when searching the map for spots, this year it may not be an issue though. I've also been looking for private land bordering NF that appear to have some crops on them. I'll only be out there for a weekend so want to make the most of it. It'll be a great trip regardless, I always enjoy a good camping/hunting adventure with friends.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I totally believe you, but being a newb out here. I've spent 6 total days turkey hunting and 5 total days elk hunting.
Number of turkey hunters seen in the woods: 0
Number of elk hunters seen in the woods: 151,637

I've hunted elk in CO 4 season and killed 2 elk, in 6 years of turkey hunting I've killed 1 bird on public land. The day I killed that bird on public I saw 5 guys in the area and I was 6 miles from the truck.

Granted those elk were over 2 hrs from Denver and required lots of scouting, while I did 0 scouting for the bird and killed it 45 min from downtown. (Drive time to trail head)

Point being, a turkey spot that you have a decent chance at success, that you can put minimal effort, within close proximity to Denver, into is gold. I will give up loads of spots I've found turkey's outside of foothills for nothing.

So yes lots of caveats.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Have actually gotten into birds in a couple of places where "there aren't any", found a group of toms running around 371 last summer.

 

[Mudranger1]

Thanks! I've been looking east of i25 and found a few spots that look promising. Not terribly far from my friends house, so he will check them out. Water was one thing that i've been worried about when searching the map for spots, this year it may not be an issue though. I've also been looking for private land bordering NF that appear to have some crops on them. I'll only be out there for a weekend so want to make the most of it. It'll be a great trip regardless, I always enjoy a good camping/hunting adventure with friends.

There are only a couple places east of i25 that aren't draw just keep that in mind

 

[OZapo1986]

Thanks wllm! This will certainly be a learning experience for me. I'm hoping to at least see some sign in 581. Talked to a park ranger at 11 mile, he said he sees some on 90 in the mornings. We always seem to pick the areas that there "shouldn't be anything in" but end up seeing something.

 

[OZapo1986]

There are only a couple places east of i25 that aren't draw just keep that in mind

Thanks for the reminder. That is the case for the Fall season but nearly every unit east of i25 in the spring is OTC, some are OTC Private only though.

 

[TOGIE]

Yeah, you're not too limited east of 25 on OTC. It's really just 96 and private land only units that hinder you.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I hunted 581 last season, it was a couple weeks into the season, I actually backpacked in a ways and hunted for 2 days. Saw some turkey sign but no birds (huge pile of feathers from where someone had obviously killed one), I didn't run into any hunters in the field but there were 5 rigs at the trail-head I when I walked out sunday night.

 

[Mudranger1]

Yall let me know how those units go for you east of i25. Cant wait to hear

 

[TOGIE]

Yall let me know how those units go for you east of i25. Cant wait to hear

Why would I tell you where I’ve found turks on public land east of 25?

Public land turks can be like public land deer east of 25. Care enough to try and you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Mudranger1]

Not wanting your spot. I have my own I'm just interested in seeing the success. imo opinion you can get a much better rio Turkey experience in Kansas and you get 2 birds for the price of 1 in Colorado if a NR

 

[OZapo1986]

Mudranger1, I am only coming out to Colorado for turkey because of the new “qualifying license” rule that Colorado started this year. I’ll be moving during 2nd rifle that I usually hunt so I decided to get my annual hunting trip in the spring. If I could convince my wife to move back to CO i’d Be all over the state finding places to hunt. There are better places to turkey hunt that’s for sure. I’ll be in Nebraska in May visiting family, I plan on taking my daughter on her first hunt ever.

 

[Rzrbck918]

The best turkey hunting in Colorado within two hours of Colorado Springs is probably in Kansas. Ive hunted So. Col and NM hard for turkey; not an easy proposition. They are really hard to find consistently on public land in my experience.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

The best turkey hunting in Colorado within two hours of Colorado Springs is probably in Kansas. Ive hunted So. Col and NM hard for turkey; not an easy proposition. They are really hard to find consistently on public land in my experience.

Do you think that is a merriam v. rio thing? I've heard that Rio's tend to stay in one place and merriams tend to do more traveling.

 

[Rzrbck918]

Do you think that is a merriam v. rio thing? I've heard that Rio's tend to stay in one place and merriams tend to do more traveling.

Yeah, I do. I also think it is a function of the preferred elevation and biosphere of the two species. Merriams tend to be at higher elevation and Rios are more lowland birds. I think patterning Rios is easier because they roost in the same places year after year and have less reason to roam in search of food. To my knowledge the Merriams don't roost in the same areas primarily, I think, because they inhabit areas with more trees and less reliable food. Ive hunted years in NM where turkeys (Merriams) moved 4 or 5 miles in 24 hours.