Wanted to post on Tristate outfitters run by a guy named Bridger. Tristate runs a Merriam Turkey hunt out of Raton New Mexico. This is a fair chase hunt that was absolutely awesome as were the lodging and food. There were plenty of birds and only 6-7 of us in the lodge. Private rooms, comfortable beds and nice showers.
My guide was friendly and worked really hard to get us into and on birds. First day broke with a mild wind and snow. I started a little mouth calling, no response. Tried a slate call and a gobbler sounded off. Set up the decoy expecting the bird to come in from the right but he came straight at us and our decoy was between him and us. Of course he hung up. We continued to get responses from him as we followed him down the mountain. Finally he stopped answering: very nice bird but we moved on to another area.
Called and got an immediate response a couple ridges away. Worked our way across both ridges and found his tracks. We called but the answer was far away and high above us. We spotted him crossing the ridge line. No way were we going to chase him over that mountain. I was getting tired anyway not being used to 9000 ft of elevation. It was a slow walk back to the truck.
Guide suggested we go around the mountain and try him from the other side. We drove around to the other side and came into a valley with some trees about 400 yards away. Got out the truck and called. Immediately a Turkey answered. We looked at each other and grined. As we planned how to hunt him he popped out a small ravine and gobbling all the way started coming straight toward us. We were caught flatfooted in front of the truck. We stood there for a few minutes but the Turkey kept coming. Finally we moved behind the truck and the guide placed the decoy out front and I moved to the side. When the Turkey got to forty yards I pulled the trigger. Not sure what was funnier watching that Turkey switch ends or the guide running after him. I fell in the snow and mud and the guide came back to me. We watched the Turkey run back the way he came. Then the Turkey slowed and his tail came up. I told the guide to relax the bird was dead and sure enough he dropped in the middle of the field. He had several pellets in his head.
No sooner had we gotten the bird back to the truck then another bird sounded off up the valley. We ran about 300 yards and sat up on this bird. We called him in and I had a good shot at twenty five yards but it was head on and would have destroyed the breast and tail feathers. I held the shot and waited for him to turn. Instead he got behind a tree and spotted our decoy. He turned and was gone. We are sure the decoy spooked him and are just as sure it was the same bird we had chased over the mountain. What a days hunt. This was only the first days hunt. I killed a super bird the second day. But will not bore you with the details. All hunters in camp limited with two Turkeys each: again what a hunt!
