Turkey Hunting Grand Slam:
In order to complete your Turkey Hunting Slam, you'll need to
bag all 4 of the US Turkey species: Osceola, Eastern, Rio
Grande and Merriam Turkey. After you get those 4, you can
also get the Gould's Turkey native to Mexico.
 If
you manage to take all four of the above species, you have hit
the “Grand Slam” of Turkey hunting. Then you need to add to
your collection the Gould Turkey native to Mexico. The
Gould’s Wild turkey lives and thrives in the northern and
central parts of Mexico. Gould's is the largest of the 5 turkey
species and they differ by having distinctive white tips on the
tail feathers and tail rump coverts which usually separate to
show an "eyelash" appearance. Lower back and rump feathers have
copper and greenish-golden reflections, not like the faintly
iridescent velvety black found on the Merriam's. Gould's body
plumage is said to be somewhat blue-green in coloration. Adult
females have a less pronounced metallic greenish and reddish
sheen and are more purplish.
Mexico Turkey Hunting Methods:
Turkeys can be hunted with the shotgun, bow
and arrow or black powder. Rifles are also allowed in some
states, but not so often used. Hunters use a wide variety of
calls to attract and ‘romance’ the gobbler into range. Turkey
calling is truly a well-practiced art and you’ll find many
competitions if you check into it. Along with sounding like a
hen, you’ll also need to sound like an owl to wake those birds
up and get them off the trees.
Turkey have excellent eyesight and hearing,
and they are constantly aware of their surroundings. You’ll
have to don your best camo and practice being very still and
quiet to bag a nice trophy bird! Wild Turkey are also very
mobile. Turkey can run at speeds up to 25 mph, and they can fly
up to 55 mph. Trophy birds are judged by three things:
Body size, spur size and length of the beard. Only the Tom
Turkey has a beard and spurs.
When mating season arrives, anywhere from February to April,
courtship usually begins while turkeys are still flocked together
in wintering areas. After mating, the hens begin searching for a
nest site and laying eggs. In most areas, nests can be found in a
shallow dirt depression, surrounded by moderately woody vegetation
that conceals the nest.
Hens will lay a clutch of 10 to 12 eggs during a two-week period,
usually laying one egg per day. She will incubate her eggs for
about 28 days, occasionally turning and rearranging them, until
they are ready to hatch.
A newly-hatched flock must be ready to leave the nest within 12 to
24 hours to feed. Poults eat mostly insects because they need the
protein, while
adults will eat anything from acorns and berries to insects and
small reptiles. Turkeys usually feed in early morning and in the
afternoon.
Wild turkeys like open areas for feeding, mating and habitat,
which makes them easier to hunt. They
use forested areas as cover from predators and for roosting in
trees at night. A varied habitat of both open and covered area is
essential for wild turkey survival.
Our friends at the National Wild Turkey
Federation have been working hard to keep Turkey Hunting a safe
and valued tradition in our country. They offer a
helpful guide to assist in turkey hunting safety and
success.
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