Take a Western Camping Trip for Public-Land Turkeys

There are a lot of turkey hunting destinations, but a Western camping trip for Merriam’s or Rio Grande turkeys can practically cleanse the soul. Image by John Hafner.

The only noise pollution was that of gobbling Merriam’s turkeys. Cool April air settled on my cheeks, reminding me that turkey season had only begun. After a long winter, slipping across the prairies while clutching a Franchi 12-gauge felt liberating.

I got as close as I could to the roost, which was about 150 yards. The flock was making a ruckus as I plugged decoys into the dirt and retreated to a lone juniper. When the birds sailed down, they clearly weren’t coming my way. So, I circled, dropped into a draw leading down to a lake, and stuck my decoys on the beach. I called, and a pack of jakes split off and came in, strutting around my decoys. But the gobbler didn’t leave the flock. Still, I considered it a great start to my Western public-land turkey camp-out hunt.

Besides chasing Merriam’s turkeys, the point of the hunt was to unplug, test out some turkey gear, and experience a tent-based hunt with several friends. Our small village consisted of individual sleeping tents, a wall tent for dining and fellowship, and a loo a stone’s throw away. Should you get the hankering to try your own unplugged Western turkey camping trip, here’s how it might look.

PLANNING AND CAMPING

Several Western states can provide an outstanding public-land turkey adventure. Most destinations require planning well in advance, as tags are often first-come, first-served or allotted via draws. Our trip was to Nebraska. Take heed: The day the tags went on sale, our group purchased ours online. They sold out soon after.

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It’s also wise to study a map-based hunting app. I used HuntStand Pro, and the others in the group used onX Hunt. I spent some time before the hunt identifying likely roosting sites. I dropped markers on timbered lake coves and a larger chunk of timber with a creek in the middle and an ag field on the outskirts. I also became familiar with how to access those areas.

Whether solo or with a group, camping is the perfect unplugged Western experience for traveling turkey hunters. Darron McDougal photo.

I flew because our host had a complete camping setup, but if I were to do my own camp hunt, I’d go with a truck/tent-based approach. We had a full kitchen, but a solo hunter or even a group could get by with a portable propane stove, a Jetboil, Styrofoam plates and cups, and plastic silverware. I’d also keep the grub simple, with sandwiches, oatmeal, protein bars, freeze-dried meals, mixed nuts, jerky, and the like.

Of course, you must determine where camping is allowed on public land. Contact the state conservation department and other authorities to ensure you know where you can drive and camp overnight. If the public land you intend to hunt doesn’t allow camping, see if any other public parcels in the vicinity do. It’s a tremendous benefit to be able to walk from camp or drive a short distance and be in birds.

HUNTING TACKLE

You never quite know what the weather will do out West in spring, so bring your layers. I wore the XKG Lone Peak jacket and pants, decorated in Realtree Edge, from King’s Camo. I also wore King’s base layers, which kept me comfortable during the cold morning hunts. Of course, I shed those layers when the afternoon sun heated the prairies. I slept in the entire outfit tucked into a Klymit sleeping bag. Again, have options and layers for unpredictable weather.

Western turkeys can be difficult to pull within shooting range, so be sure to have a gun and load that can reach out. Franchi’s Affinity 3 in 12-gauge pushing Federal Heavyweight TSS loads yielded excellent 50-yard patterns. Darron McDougal photo.

Our hunt was intended to be active, as are most Western turkey hunts. As such, footwear must provide positive traction and be lightweight, supportive, breathable, and versatile enough for changing weather. I wore a lightweight pair of hiking boots with mid-weight socks, and the combination kept my feet warm and comfortable during long hikes. For cooler weather and more stationary hunting, you might consider a lightly insulated boot.

Footwear that keeps you agile is well-suited for the active hunt that Western turkeys provide. Image by Hunter Arterburn.

Western turkeys are movers, and getting one within range isn’t easy, as our group found out during our five-day hunt. Although any turkey gun could work, having a quality gun that issues a dense pattern can spell the difference between tag soup and a flopping gobbler. Franchi’s Affinity 3 pushing Federal Premium Heavyweight TSS loads produced insanely tight 50-yard patterns, which is what you want when stubborn birds hang up, and you have a lot of money and time invested in the trip.

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Although our host had some blinds, we mostly got as tight to the roost as possible and hid naturally for the fly-down hunt, and then we’d move with the birds after that. We sometimes used decoys while hunting near roosts, but in many cases, you’re better off using the terrain to make birds hunt for you. Although decoys aren’t entirely necessary, they don’t hurt. On one setup, I had four jakes come right to my spread. Another hunter in our group shot one of those jakes on the last morning when they came right into the same decoys on the beach.

Wide-open Western spaces expose you to lots of sun. Pack sunscreen and a good pair of sunglasses. Wiley X Founder sunglasses were extremely beneficial. If you’ve never been out West on a sunny day, you don’t know just how blazing the daytime sun can be. Pack your shades.

A few more things. Ticks can be out in force. But we treated our apparel with Sawyer permethrin fabric treatment and had zero issues with ticks. Because precipitation can move in at a moment’s notice, it’s also wise to keep some dry rags in your truck or camp to dry off your shotgun, and then give it a once-over with a product such as SC-14 Gun Cleaner, which we had in camp.

TACTICS FOR WESTERN BIRDS

If you purely love to run and gun, most of your scouting will happen before the hunt via your mapping app of choice. However, if you like to hunt near a roost for the dawn patrol — I do — then scouting and putting birds to bed each evening is the best way to close out each day. Our group split up into a few trucks and rolled around to glass using compact binos and listen for gobbling (on the calm evenings). The roosting birds stand out fairly well on the prairies, as they often roost in dead cottonwood trees.

The challenge with the morning hunts was trying to determine where the birds would pitch down. I focused on flat benches and beaches along a lake. I didn’t have any birds land right in front of me as planned, which is a testament to the unpredictability of Western turkeys. They tend to roost in the same places night after night, but determining how and where they’ll fly up or down remains the challenge.

When and where it made sense, the author used decoys, but most of the hunt was spent using the terrain to cut the distance before quickly setting up to call. Darron McDougal photo.

When the morning hunts fell apart, we used optics to pick apart the terrain. In my mind, this makes the hunt a true Western experience. Just like hunting for mule deer or antelope, spotting turkeys and then using the terrain to move in is incredibly effective. The best way to increase your odds of pulling in a bird with calls is to get in his wheelhouse. I like to be 100 yards or closer before calling, if possible.

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You can’t see every nook and cranny from the road, so when the optics reveal no turkeys, set out on foot and prepare to log some miles. Always move with the terrain as coverage, and call loudly from humps or ridges, allowing the hen talk to spill into the canyons and draws around you. That’s how I found success.

UNPLUGGED FOR THE WIN

Success for me came on the third morning of the four-day hunt. Per usual, the gobbler I roosted the prior evening didn’t read the script, and I couldn’t turn him up. I was picked up by my host and then dropped off at a new location that we had scouted and where a few others had hunted unsuccessfully. I had marked this spot on my app well before the hunt and had an access plan in mind for the midmorning foray.

As I struck out across the prairie, I stopped at the first high point, calling down into a draw. Nothing. I moved and called a few more times, and soon struck up a gobbler. Three of them, actually. I moved closer using the terrain and cedars. I reached a bench overlooking a mostly open valley and glassed it. I couldn’t see the gobblers. Eventually, I spotted them in the trees, and then I noticed a coyote slinking around in the valley. That explained why they were in the trees. When the coyote moved off, I started calling, and the toms were gobbling hard. And they flew down.

The hunting was difficult, but the author positioned himself to score around midmorning when this public-land tom disclosed its location. Darron McDougal photo.

A hen started responding to my calls, so I turned up the volume and got sassy with her. One of the toms couldn’t handle it, and he followed the hen my way. They closed within shooting range quickly, but cedars completely blocked my view. The tom was gobbling and spitting and drumming; he just needed to step out. Suddenly, I caught movement to my right. The hen had popped out about 40 yards away and disappeared behind more cedars. I swung my gun to the opening, and when the gobbler appeared, a swarm of Federal Heavyweight TSS dumped him on the spot. The pattern was so tight that not one pellet was in the meat.

A hunt like that is just good for the soul, especially if you share it with friends, as it provides time for fellowship over morning coffee and while swapping after-dark hunting tales. It’s also a great way to engage in some of the Creator’s most stunning wild places. Walking across the prairie with a Merriam’s gobbler slung over your shoulder is icing on the cake.