Front Range Public Land Ghost

[bushman13]

Finally got it done. Hunting these Public birds within eyesight of Denver is no joke. The smallest beard, spurs and weight of any of my turkeys and easily one of my proudest hunts.

The Colorado skunk is out of the boat

 

[Crumb]

Congrats!

 

[Sytes]

Very nice! Turkey's sure are a blast and to take one out of the mountains vs flatland / fields... Very cool!

 

[bushman13]

It aint even the same game. These things will get within 75 yards, gobble and take off 1000's of yards away and then gobble. They are trained enough to not expose themselves, make a call to the hens, and book it. This went on for almost 3 years (for comparison sake, it would take me about 2 days to put down a true eastern limb hanger back in Georgia.) So, this morning I followed the gobbler. Sure enough, 1000 yards away I'm setting waypoints of where to setup my decoy the next day, look over and he is standing at 80 yards with 5 hens. I was completely out in the open, though there was one pine in between us. I put the old Georgia sneak on up to 40 yards. Apex #9 folded him.


If I can get a RIO eventually, I will have stumbled into a lazy man’s turkey Slam

Very nice! Turkey's sure are a blast and to take one out of the mountains vs flatland / fields... Very cool!

 

[rwc101]

I dueled with a gobbler a bit outside Boulder for weeks a couple seasons ago. He kicked my ass up and down the mountain. Last day I get back to the truck and he's standing beside my truck. It was like he knew I couldn't shoot across the road.

 

[cedahm]

It aint even the same game. These things will get within 75 yards, gobble and take off 1000's of yards away and then gobble.

You must have been filming what happened to me Tuesday morning It's shocking how quickly they can cover ground.

Nicely done. The front range birds are no joke.

 

[bushman13]

They have that system down, they would do it to me everytime.

You must have been filming what happened to me Tuesday morning It's shocking how quickly they can cover ground.

Nicely done. The front range birds are no joke.

 

[Sytes]

I had this gobbler a week ago. His smart arse flew into a pine, too far up for a 20g to pelt it enough through the thick pine branches...
While playing cat/mouse, he busted me, off he flew as I've not seen before!!! I tossed a stick (last ditch effort) in a direction he'd fly away from and towards an opening, nope... Took on wings and could have maintained himself w/ geese flying S for the winter! Haha! Lost cause at that point though, is what it is.
Smart buggers!

 

[Bux_N_Beards]

Congrats on closing the deal. Stories like yours and the others in this thread are what make these birds so much fun (and frustrating) to hunt. I've shot them in a lot of different states/terrain, but have yet to chase them in the western mountains. It's on my list.

 

[bushman13]

Aint that the truth. My Osceloa story goes for 5 days and ends with me on my hands and knees crying

Congrats on closing the deal. Stories like yours and the others in this thread are what make these birds so much fun (and frustrating) to hunt. I've shot them in a lot of different states/terrain, but have yet to chase them in the western mountains. It's on my list.

 

[Sytes]

I dueled with a gobbler a bit outside Boulder for weeks a couple seasons ago. He kicked my ass up and down the mountain. Last day I get back to the truck and he's standing beside my truck. It was like he knew I couldn't shoot across the road.

Epic! I would have started laughing! Called it a day and laughed all the way home.

 

[rwc101]

Epic! I would have started laughing! Called it a day and laughed all the way home.

I did laugh quite a bit driving home with soggy boots after I chased him across a knee deep stream and still didnt get a shot.

 

[DRS]

That's very big accomplishment in that area. Back in the late 1990s when I was living in Denver and just getting started hunting turkeys I tried to pursue those birds for a couple of years. I felt I'd really done something the few times I found any turkey sign or heard a gobble.

 

[bushman13]

I’m gonna say, from my limited western experience, that the continually successful CO public land hunter, might be one of the better hunters in the continental U.S. Or at the least the most frustrated

That's very big accomplishment in that area. Back in the late 1990s when I was living in Denver and just getting started hunting turkeys I tried to pursue those birds for a couple of years. I felt I'd really done something the few times I found any turkey sign or heard a gobble.

 

[MT Bound]

I have found that these mountain merriams require a mix of both sitting/calling with some stalking thrown in when necessary, it has proved successful for me. To just sit or move and sit like I used to back east and in the midwest has not proven as effective, so I mix it up as needed.

 

[kansasdad]

The level of effort required magnifies the final victory way more than beard length, spur size or body weight.

Congratulations on the hard won victory.

 

[garby]

Congrats on getting it done! I'm also hunting close to Denver and getting my arse handed to me by these birds.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Congrats buddy!! Great way to start off the 2020 season, got my fingers crossed that this is your year for elk as well.

 

[bushman13]

Thanks dude, the seal has been broken. I can't wait for Archery this year.

Congrats buddy!! Great way to start off the 2020 season, got my fingers crossed that this is your year for elk as well.

 

[cedahm]

Not the Front Range - but not super far - buddy and I went to a spot down south that we have tried to get into a few times since we sniffed it out 10 years ago and have always been stymied by the horrible road into the place. After a 4 mile traverse across a series of creek basins, we setup the dekes in a little meadow on the way back to the truck, made some coffee, called a little every 20 min or so, and were just dozing off for an afternoon nap in the sun when a gang of 5 Jakes came running silent into the decoys and it was too much temptation to not try for the double.

Shockingly, it worked, although my second thought after "<elation at public land turkey success>" was "damn, what am I going to do the rest of May"