hello all, i am located in northeast tx. 1st time to get a public hunting permit. worked well for dove, as there were tons of fields around Royse City. Now, kinda planning ahead for spring turkey. Dont have a lot of time to scout (a 5 and 7 yr old will do that to ya!) im eyeing caddo national grasslands as being closest to my home but am willing to travel. Spoke to wildlife bioligist for caddo and said 18 turkey harvested last year which doesnt sound like a very high number. Any thoughts or opionions as where best public hunting lands are for turkey:?

For public land I would head over to LBJ. You will find Rios there. I believe Caddo is Easterns and the season is only April 1 to 30th. LBJ has a fall season and a spring season.
That does not mean it will be easy but I believe you will find more birds. Most of you other public land in this area does not have Turkey hunting. Look closely at your booklet it will describe what species and when you can hunt. LBJ does not required APH permit.

DONT WAIST YOUR TIME! I have hunted in the LBJ grasslands for over 10 years and the last 3 years have been HORRIBLE!!! I spent at least 35 days out of 50 hunting the LBJ and only heard 4 birds and only saw 1 jake! the grasslands are DEAD! too many hunters and too many coyotes......

I used to hunt out at Caddo Grasslands. It has been 3 or 4 years, but I had some good luck out there.

well, thank you all for your input. man, thats dissapointing to hear. Just dont have the money this year to get in on a private lease,

next question, anyone know if you can get in on a lease for just the month of april somewhere for turkey>?? at a resonable price>? i do not wanna pay 400-500 dollars for a 3 day hunt to just kill one turkey.....

there are opportunities out there, i routinely pay 500 dollars for the 8 weeks of turkey season....

Im new to texas, Im in Abilene, just looking for some advice where i can get into some thunder chickens this spring. Dont really matter public or private, but i dont want to leases, at this point im just trying to get a plan together and weigh my options. Anybody have hav any suggestions?

There is little or no public land near Abiline to hunt turkey. your only option is to try and find a lease. average cost is 500 to 1000 dollars for 7 week lease

first of all, thanks to all the responses, this is an awsome forum. beting new to turkey hunting, im learning a lot.
I have a passion for it, and have experienced good corporate hunts, but it doesnt look like thats going to be in the cards this year, hence why im trying to size up public hunting.....

So experienced turkey hunters, what counties, or what area is considered the best turkey hunting in tx?

i have access to a little bit of land north of abiline near stamford (only about 10 acres). i have seen same group of about 25 hens over last two years but never a tom or jake, surely they are lurking somewhere. is this small plot worth hunting as im sure these birds roam miles a day and i cant really hop fences and chase em.

The gobblers spread out in the spring. If you have hens, they will search them out. With some good calling, your 10 acres might be possible.

Another option since your not wanting to spring for a lease would be to look at trying to get on standby at one or more of the drawn hunts. But call ahead first to make sure there are openings before making the drive. Scroll down to page 34.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0112.pdf

Yeah it seems like the only way to hunt here is to drop dough or get lucky and get drawn for public hunting. Anybody ever travel to oklahoma to hunt birds?

Welcome to the great state of

"WE SCREW YOU OVER AND CHARGE YOU $3000 DOLLARS FOR A HUNTING LEASE'

sniper john, thanks for the advise. well i am glad to see im not in the only one with this particular prediciment. I guess i have the next three months to search and perhaps get out to do some scouting and we will see how it goes!!

LBJ is full of bird's just gotta put the leather to the ground and find em'. Took 13 there two year's ago.

Some areas within Angelina NF have some high concentrations, but you almost have to know what area they are restocking them because they aren't expaning their territory very fast

Well guys,

After doing lots of looking on the internet, i think i have found some prime public turkey hunting land. Around Lake Whitney and Lake Aquilla near hillsboro, there is corps of engineer land. all you have to do is go to corp of engineer office and get a permit. But from what i understand hill and bosque counties are stock full of turkey.......Think im gonna be doing some scouting there in march and see what i find

and again, just to clarify, to hunt LBJ grasslands, do you have to draw a hunt there, or is it open to public with permit?

I used to hunt there before I moved to Houston, and before I started hunting the grasslands. I shot at and missed my first turkey there...lol. I've always heard or seen birds out there but I've had more success at LBJ. Just have to get out and do some scouting because most of the areas in LBJ that I've hunted over the past few years has began to see a lot of traffic and most of the birds are hanging out on private land now. Whitney/Aquilla can get a bit crowded too....

Forget hunting around Aquilla it is a waste of time, my buddy lives right near there and they laugh every year when new turkey hunters show up and spend hours and days scouting only to find nothing. it is a myth that there are large flocks of wild turkeys around the lake....

Sorry but I don't believe you if you killed 13 birds on the LBJ grasslands 2 years ago then post the pics to prove it......

im curious how you legally shot 13 birds at LBJ grasslands two years ago? Maybe its my ignorance, but I believe two years ago, wise county had a 4 bird bag limit.

He is bragging! he is a hunting guide that claims to hunt LBJ grasslands all the time but in ten years I have NEVER seen a guide service with clients during spring turkey season in the grasslands......

Might look into Davy and Sabine NF. I hunt turkeys on public land but not too many people even know about this area. Had close calls last 2 years, but couldn't close the deal. Only had one morning to hunt both years. Hoping to get a couple of days to get in there this year.

lmao... If you don't see turkey's then you don't see me.... duh lol. plenty of pic's and video's here are a few. Some of the bird's they took were jakes and we didn't take a picture just like two of these. He shot the longbeard off and shot a jake. I have the video right here but we didn't take any pic's! All together we took 13 bird's in 11 day's and did not go a single day with out working gobbler's. For the record yes they were friend's who took the bird's I guided called and ran video for all the hunt's. For someone looking for great public land to hunt it is not uncommon at all to work 15-20 gobbler's in a single morning at LBJ you just gotta get away from the people hunt the river's and be prepared to walk. Also when you do find an area that has a good number of bird's stay in the wood's until atleast noon. I have killed way more bird's in the late mornin' out there than off than off the roost! If you here a gobble past ten a.m. consider that bird dead!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhRfN3rs3U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwjQeYSUuhY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkqLnQbW3RE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPl1VbdvN7Q







2009 spring turkey season under me guiding for 16 day's total all season 11 straight day's then a couple scattered out later in the season = 21 shot's fired under 40 yard's, 13 bird's killed, 11 on LBJ, 2 on private land in aspermount tx.

No special permit's req. just a texas hunting license!