FEATURE:
325-655-0877 - Our Spring Texas turkey hunting takes place
on approximately 15 different properties located in Central,
West, and South Texas. A great deal of discretion is given to
ensuring that hunting pressure and harvest of birds is limited
in order for hunters to enjoy good turkey hunting throughout our
season which runs from late March through early May. Due
to our conservative hunting pressure, we generally average 1.5 -
1.8 gobblers harvested per hunter each year, with average beards
measuring over nine inches and spurs in excess of one inch being
the norm.
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Turkey Hunting Info |
FEATURE:
1-800-460-1843 - Spring Texas turkey hunting can be
very challenging, rewarding and sometimes disappointing, but
there is no greater challenge or thrill than calling in a
Big Spring Gobbler and knowing you beat one of the smartest
birds in the woods. Our 16,000 acre ranch, which is a
permanent residence of the famed and highly prized Rio
Grande, is located near Ozona, Texas. It will provide you
the opportunity to match wits with this magnificent bird.
See Our Trophy Room & Get Free Texas
Turkey Hunting Info |
FEATURE:
800-693-2253
- Panhandle of Texas - Our Texas Turkey Hunting success ratio is 100% (wounded birds count as
a kill). We have an extremely large population of Rio Grande
Turkeys! We maintain feeders and food plots to hold the birds in
our area. Our Boss Gobblers or toms have 9 ½" to 11" beards, 1
1/8" to 1 ¼" spurs and weigh from 17-22 lbs. Most reservations are
made a year in advance--so contact us early for your Texas Turkey
Hunting Adventure!
See Our Trophy Room & Get Free Texas
Turkey Hunting Info
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West Kerr Ranch: 830-329-5171, Ashley Kana - We are
located just outside of Austin TX on over 10,500 private acres
under fence. Our property is superb habitat for the wild
turkey.
Get Free Texas Turkey Hunting Info! Rolla
Outfitters: 806-341-5517, Joe O'Rear - Texas Panhandle
Spring Turkey hunting on over 11,000, all free-range hunting.
Beautiful lodge can accommodate up to 10 turkey hunters.
Get Free Texas Turkey Hunting Info!
Katemcy Ranch: 254-386-8812, Zane Streater - Our
private 6000 acre hunting ranch is loaded with Rio Grande
Turkey. Our turkey hunts are all inclusive with a great
lodge, delicious home-cooked meals and first class service.
Get Free Texas Turkey Hunting Info!
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. In Texas,
you can hunt the Eastern Wild Turkey and the Rio Grande Turkey.
The
Rio Grande Turkey is primarily as western bird. The Rio
Grande turkey, at full maturity, is approximately four feet tall
and has strangely long legs. It is pale and copper colored
having tail feathers and tail/rump coverts (short feathers
located at the base of the tail) tipped with a yellowish buff.
An alternating color pattern includes tan feathers with medium
or dark brown buffed tips. The color is consistently lighter
than the Eastern or Florida Turkey, but is darker than the same
feathers in the Merriam or Gould subspecies. Feathers of the hen
breast, sides and flanks are tipped with pale, pinkish buff.
The
Eastern Wild Turkey is found in eastern states all the
way through Texas. The Eastern Turkey has chestnut brown-tipped tail
coverts (smaller feathers which cover up larger ones) and
dark-buff or chocolate-brown tail tips characterize the most
abundant and most widely hunted turkey, the Eastern Wild Turkey.
The tom turkey’s breast feathers are tipped in black, while
other body feathers are colored with copper or bronze metallic
iridescence. The primary wing feathers have white and black bars
that extend to the feather shaft, while the secondary wing
feathers mainly have prominent white bars. This results in a
white triangular area on each side of the back when the wings
are folded backward. Hens are browner with less brilliant
iridescence and the breast feathers are tipped in buff or
chestnut. The Eastern Turkey can weigh from 8 to 25 pounds and
grow as tall as four feet!
Texas 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 (young turkey) 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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