Texas Hunting Forum

Public Land Turkey Hunting

Posted By: TxsHunter99

Public Land Turkey Hunting - 03/06/18 11:50 AM

I am curious if anyone plans to hunt public land for the spring season. I have been calling TPW for the last couple of weeks and have talked to about everyone from Dickinson to Austin and multiple WMAs and haven't got any good leads. Most WMA's that allow turkey hunting are closed down for "repopulation efforts". Anyone know a management area that is allowing hunts? I live in Houston so the closer the better but I am willing to travel
Posted By: billygoat

Re: Public Land Turkey Hunting - 03/10/18 03:53 AM

I plan to go to Caddo wma.
Posted By: Booner1

Re: Public Land Turkey Hunting - 03/10/18 12:34 PM

Good luck to everyone!
Posted By: sqiggy

Re: Public Land Turkey Hunting - 03/11/18 04:22 PM

Hunting turkeys on public land, you would probably be better off going out of state. Louisiana or Oklahoma would be the closest.
Posted By: Mad Max

Re: Public Land Turkey Hunting - 03/12/18 07:50 PM

Originally Posted By: sqiggy
Hunting turkeys on public land, you would probably be better off going out of state. Louisiana or Oklahoma would be the closest.


Those willing to make a longer drive may want to consider hunting the Sacramento Mountains (Ruidoso area) of New Mexico. I used to hunt there and got a couple of Merriam's turkeys. The upside is a good turkey population and lots of land. The downside is very heavy hunting pressure. The Gilas have more land and get less pressure but seem to have fewer turkeys.
Posted By: Mad Max

Re: Public Land Turkey Hunting - 03/12/18 07:52 PM

Originally Posted By: TxsHunter99
I am curious if anyone plans to hunt public land for the spring season. I have been calling TPW for the last couple of weeks and have talked to about everyone from Dickinson to Austin and multiple WMAs and haven't got any good leads. Most WMA's that allow turkey hunting are closed down for "repopulation efforts". Anyone know a management area that is allowing hunts? I live in Houston so the closer the better but I am willing to travel


From what I heard, Houston and Crockett National Forests used to be open for turkey hunting, but the Eastern subspecies has always been marginal in Texas as far as population numbers go (hence a season limit of 1 bird, vs. 4 Rio Grandes in areas where they occur).
Posted By: gusick

Re: Public Land Turkey Hunting - 03/13/18 01:32 AM

Originally Posted By: Mad Max
Originally Posted By: sqiggy
Hunting turkeys on public land, you would probably be better off going out of state. Louisiana or Oklahoma would be the closest.


Those willing to make a longer drive may want to consider hunting the Sacramento Mountains (Ruidoso area) of New Mexico. I used to hunt there and got a couple of Merriam's turkeys. The upside is a good turkey population and lots of land. The downside is very heavy hunting pressure. The Gilas have more land and get less pressure but seem to have fewer turkeys.



The Sacramentos do have a ton of turkeys but I remember them being Rios. Am I on crack?
Posted By: Mad Max

Re: Public Land Turkey Hunting - 03/13/18 02:32 AM

Originally Posted By: gusick
Originally Posted By: Mad Max
Originally Posted By: sqiggy
Hunting turkeys on public land, you would probably be better off going out of state. Louisiana or Oklahoma would be the closest.


Those willing to make a longer drive may want to consider hunting the Sacramento Mountains (Ruidoso area) of New Mexico. I used to hunt there and got a couple of Merriam's turkeys. The upside is a good turkey population and lots of land. The downside is very heavy hunting pressure. The Gilas have more land and get less pressure but seem to have fewer turkeys.



The Sacramentos do have a ton of turkeys but I remember them being Rios. Am I on crack?


I'm not qualified to comment on the crack part, but I'm fairly certain that they were Merriam's. The color pattern was quite different from the Rios that I've been killing in Central TX since I moved back here.

I found this distribution map of turkey subspecies in NM online - turns out Rios (barely) make it into the state where it borders on the pandhandle, but the ones you get in the Gilas and Sacramentos are Merriam's:

http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/download...ibution-Map.pdf
Posted By: gusick

Re: Public Land Turkey Hunting - 03/13/18 03:19 AM

Well I be. I thought the turkeys around Taos were Rios too. I guess there are not as many Rios in New Mexico as I thought.
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