Introduction to Western Hunting Through Spring Turkeys

“Where is he going?” I heard my dad whisper from across the hood of the truck as we glassed a lone Rio gobbler feed his way across an abandoned pasture field, his outline eclipsed by the setting sun. “It’s almost dark, he has to be heading to roost but there isn’t a tree within 500 yards”. Just as I replied the tom took off at a run, as if he realized the hour glass was about to run out for the day. A minute later the lonely bird was perched in a single cottonwood tree overlooking a narrow stream bed, a thousand miles away from the hardwood ridges I had hunted the week before. “Roosting him was easy enough, but good luck getting within 200 yards of him even in the darkest of moons” a fellow hunter mentioned as we recapped the evenings scouting report over dinner. “You can’t hunt them the same way we do back east, and if you try to it’s going to be a long week”.

The turkey hunting wasn’t the only thing that felt unfamiliar. The landscapes, hunting regulations, and services felt out of an eastern hunters comfort zone. “I have never used a spotting scope to find turkeys before” I said to Jordan, the man in charge of the western Kansas camp for Heartland Pride Outfitters. I had hunted with Jordan before but this was my dad’s first experience hunting the Plains and I could tell his excitement was only matched by his anticipation to learn a new way of doing things in the turkey “woods”. The plan for the next three days was to chase these beautiful gold tipped birds with an open mind with the hopes of taking home a couple of tail fans while gaining experience in western style hunting.

A turkey tour like this can loosen the straps for future hunting trips for big game species like elk, mule deer, and even whitetails. Along with hunting in a new environment there are several things to consider, and a spring hunt is a great way to become familiar with circumstances that may otherwise be overlooked. Here is a condensed list.

Driving realities. Driving has its advantages for sure. It allows you the freedom of dictating your on schedule and doesn’t limit you to a single checked bag. How much seat time can you handle in one day? Everyone is different and if a couple hunting partners are sharing fuel costs make sure that everyone is content with the travel arrangements
Flying If time and convenience are a concern than flying is a great options but offers unique challenges. Become familiar with airline regulations for firearms and ammunition (every airline is different). Being unprepared may leave you at the ticket counter.
Physical fitness. Like the old tom in the intro, western game are comfortable covering lots of ground and you need to be able to as well. This particular turkey hunt put the vast landscapes of the west into perspective.
Licenses and tags. In the east we are accustom to over the counter (OTC) tags even when hunting out of state. It may not be the case the further you go west- even for turkeys. Become familiar with your intended states regulations and don’t be afraid to call a state agency to ask questions.
Pick a suitable area. Maybe you enjoy the hunting environment in this new area and you want to return in the fall. Knowledge of the area is irreplaceable
Build relationships with landowners and outfitters. If you use an outfitter to gain access to private ground for turkeys but want to hunt elk in the fall there is a good chance your turkey outfitter has reliable contacts and information to set you towards a good experience. Remember the outfitting business is small and word of mouth is king.
Use your trip to strategize for fall hunting. An evening spent in town can teach you a lot about the local deer hunting. While most guys aren’t willingly giving out access to their honey hole they will surely take a minute to boast through sharing kill and trail cam photos. This will give you an idea of what the area has to offer.

The next three days were full of encounters (no shortage of turkeys here) and miles traversing the dusty Kansas back roads. Although we were many miles from home the pre-dawn gobble of a roosted Rio offered us familiarities as if to say “I’m right here, just like my Eastern cousins”. Good luck getting within 200 yards of the roost tree.