Report on my New Mexico merriam hunt

[Up Hill]

Back from my hunt and wow,was it an eye opener.  My son and I didn't hunt private but was guided hunt in the Gila. Just about everything I heard about merrimums was wrong! 3 million acres and they are in pockets. They don't gobble their head off. In fact opening day was ok, second day less so and the third day, couldn't  beg one to gobble. The outfitter told me that new mexico mountain birds are way different than nebraska birds. A retired nebraska rancher transplant there second this. These guys are like elk with feathers and any bird you take you should be proud of because you've earned it. I got one, the usual buff color and my son got a nice white tired one. As a middle aged,overweight flatlander from michigan,  I am deeply humbled. Was shocked at the pressure too.l. lot of folks from AZ as tags arnt over the counter.  Been on maybe a dozen big game hunts over the years and this one was one of the toughest . Feel blessed that we both got birds!

[Up Hill]

My son was first pic, this one is me

[JMalin]

Never hunted the Gila, but yes, NM birds can be really tough, especially if you've never hunted out west.  I think my success over the years hunting unit 36 has come mostly from a lot of boot leather and knowing a few areas that consistently hold birds.  It's daunting how much land there is and looking at "pretty" habitat that doesn't hold any and "ugly" habitat that does.

[Up Hill]

I got my bird on Mangus mountain . My son's was around apache creek. A person on a do it yourself hunt and never having hunted there before,I don't think they would stand much of a chance.  All you could do to keep from getting lost,lol

[Tom007]

Congrats!!

[Up Hill]

Thank you, we really feel like we accomplished something, lol

[tad1]

Wow, that sounds like a really incredible trip, Awesome photos, and thank you for sharing!
   JT

[JeffC]

Congratulations to you and your son, love those white tip fans

[turkey stew]

Congrats on a couple mighty fine gobblers and an awesome trip!

[joey46]

   congrats (1)

[GobbleNut]

Back from my hunt and wow,was it an eye opener.  My son and I didn't hunt private but was guided hunt in the Gila. Just about everything I heard about merrimums was wrong! 3 million acres and they are in pockets. They don't gobble their head off. In fact opening day was ok, second day less so and the third day, couldn't  beg one to gobble. The outfitter told me that new mexico mountain birds are way different than nebraska birds. A retired nebraska rancher transplant there second this. These guys are like elk with feathers and any bird you take you should be proud of because you've earned it. I got one, the usual buff color and my son got a nice white tired one. As a middle aged,overweight flatlander from michigan,  I am deeply humbled. Was shocked at the pressure too.l. lot of folks from AZ as tags arnt over the counter.  Been on maybe a dozen big game hunts over the years and this one was one of the toughest . Feel blessed that we both got birds!

First of all, congratulations on your success in NM.  Beautiful gobblers...and great representations of the variations in coloration to be found in the subspecies.

I chuckle every time I hear folks that have paid some farmer to hunt his barnyard turkeys talk about how easy to kill Merriam's turkeys are.  Every time I hear that, I just say to myself,..."you, sir, have obviously never hunted pressured Merriam's turkeys on public land". 

In my opinion, where you and your son hunted is one of the most difficult places you could have chosen to hunt Merriam's,...even by going through an outfitter. As you stated, hunting pressure is high...and turkey numbers, generally speaking, are low. 

Now, there are exceptions to the idea that pressured public Merriam's are hard to kill. Stumble onto the "right" gobbler that, for some reason, has not had one or more bad encounters with hunters, and they can be quite willing to come to a call and die (same for any of the subspecies anywhere).  Those kinds of gobblers are becoming increasingly rare, though.

...Again, congrats... 

[Greg Massey]

Congrats to you both on your nice gobblers / hunts

[PharmHunter]

Back from my hunt and wow,was it an eye opener.  My son and I didn't hunt private but was guided hunt in the Gila. Just about everything I heard about merrimums was wrong! 3 million acres and they are in pockets. They don't gobble their head off. In fact opening day was ok, second day less so and the third day, couldn't  beg one to gobble. The outfitter told me that new mexico mountain birds are way different than nebraska birds. A retired nebraska rancher transplant there second this. These guys are like elk with feathers and any bird you take you should be proud of because you've earned it. I got one, the usual buff color and my son got a nice white tired one. As a middle aged,overweight flatlander from michigan,  I am deeply humbled. Was shocked at the pressure too.l. lot of folks from AZ as tags arnt over the counter.  Been on maybe a dozen big game hunts over the years and this one was one of the toughest . Feel blessed that we both got birds!

First of all, congratulations on your success in NM.  Beautiful gobblers...and great representations of the variations in coloration to be found in the subspecies.

I chuckle every time I hear folks that have paid some farmer to hunt his barnyard turkeys talk about how easy to kill Merriam's turkeys are.  Every time I hear that, I just say to myself,..."you, sir, have obviously never hunted pressured Merriam's turkeys on public land". 

In my opinion, where you and your son hunted is one of the most difficult places you could have chosen to hunt Merriam's,...even by going through an outfitter. As you stated, hunting pressure is high...and turkey numbers, generally speaking, are low. 

Now, there are exceptions to the idea that pressured public Merriam's are hard to kill. Stumble onto the "right" gobbler that, for some reason, has not had one or more bad encounters with hunters, and they can be quite willing to come to a call and die (same for any of the subspecies anywhere).  Those kinds of gobblers are becoming increasingly rare, though.

...Again, congrats... 

All of this.

Congrats on an awesome trip in a really cool place!

[Up Hill]

Thank you all, we do feel blessed to have come home with birds. It was a booking agent who placed us there as we wanted to hunt the heart of the original range for pure merriam,s. Even though the majority have the buff colored fans, I can't see how there could be any rio genes there.