Anyone having luck in NewMexico?

[djrcm7]

I was out in Gila national forest opening weekend and was blown away how little action I had. Not one gobble in 30 miles hiked, no fresh sign anywhere and never saw a bird. Hunted in the 7500-8500 range. Covered tons of ground, glassed fields, found an elk shed but no turkeys. Possibly going back out this coming weekend but im hoping the turkeys have gotten a little more fired up. Any New Mexico guys/girls having any luck? Any suggestions?

[JMalin]

I did well in unit 36 of the Lincoln.  Can't help you with the Gila as I've never been out there.

[Jester87]

Spent opening week there. Got 2 gobbles opening morning from a group with over a dozen birds and 2 toms. Hens pushed them away. Next day 2 guys sitting the water hole got them and blew nearly every feather off. Spent the rest of the time in decent sign but not a peep. Off the roost, no sounds, no action. Two from the group went lower, maybe around 6500 ft. One called a jake, the other a tom. As soon as the tom gobbled, a coyote cut loose nearby and they had to shoo it away. Awhile went by before that bird would gobble again and eventually came to the gun. I called in several bobcats there.

AZ is much of the same silence, except right at roost. Called in another bobcat here too, grrr.

Tough year.   

[GobbleNut]

I was out in Gila national forest opening weekend and was blown away how little action I had. Not one gobble in 30 miles hiked, no fresh sign anywhere and never saw a bird. Hunted in the 7500-8500 range. Covered tons of ground, glassed fields, found an elk shed but no turkeys. Possibly going back out this coming weekend but im hoping the turkeys have gotten a little more fired up. Any New Mexico guys/girls having any luck? Any suggestions?

My very first question to you would be,...have you hunted the Gila before in the same area?  ....Or are you unfamiliar with the area and just chose a random location to hunt there?   If so, then that was your initial mistake.  That country has large expanses of turkey-looking habitat that has no turkeys (or very few). 

When hunting the Gila, or similar habitat in the western states, you have to first find turkeys to hunt before you actually start hunting.  Learning to find them by covering lots of country and using very specific locating tactics is the key to successfully hunting places like the Gila National Forest. 

[djrcm7]

I did indeed make that mistake. But I talked to an old timer in the area that said he kills birds there every year. Must have just not been in there this year. I'm thinking I'll be going back out and try to locate a bird before hunting. May be putting more road miles on that boot miles. Any specific locating tips out here? I use coyote howl in more open country and owl hoot in less.

[GobbleNut]

I did indeed make that mistake. But I talked to an old timer in the area that said he kills birds there every year. Must have just not been in there this year. I'm thinking I'll be going back out and try to locate a bird before hunting. May be putting more road miles on that boot miles. Any specific locating tips out here? I use coyote howl in more open country and owl hoot in less.

The most important consideration in any type of locator call out here is the volume of the call.  The louder and more abrupt the sound, regardless of the type, the more effective it will be. 

The second most important consideration is using that locator at the right time,...that is, those thirty minute periods at first light in the morning and last light in the evening.  Move quickly, cover as much country as possible at those times with a good, loud locator call ,...and you will find gobblers to hunt.  Then, and only then, start hunting them.

[djrcm7]

That's great advice! Thank you!
When you say move fast, cover a lot of ground, do you mean on foot or if you don't hear one do you drive a mile or so further?

[GobbleNut]

That's great advice! Thank you!
When you say move fast, cover a lot of ground, do you mean on foot or if you don't hear one do you drive a mile or so further?

Try to use the road system if at all possible (however, depending on where you are hunting in the Gila, that might not be practical).  How far you drive between stops depends on the terrain.  In wide-open areas, a mile might be about right, but in tight, canyon-filled country, it might be a quarter mile. 

Don't dawdle at your stops.  Gobblers will generally respond at your first locator call,...sometimes on the second, but rarely after either the first or second. If you are spending more than about thirty seconds at each stop, you are wasting precious time that is better used covering more country during those two "prime time" periods at first and last light.

If you are hunting an area of the Gila that requires you to walk rather than drive, always focus in areas that have reliable surface water availability for turkeys.  Generally speaking,....no water, no turkeys...

[jtsmith3]

I roosted one last night, got on him this morning and made the mistake of putting my decoys where he could see them. That idiot stood up there and gobbled at them for an hour. I hardly called at all. Then, when he eventually flew down a little after 7 he circled me wide and boogied up the canyon gobbling the whole way. I swear he gobbled more than 100 times. Oh well, maybe next year. I put in 8 days in NM this year. Opening week was a bust til probably the 5th day. The 5th and 6th day I had birds on the roost get hauled away by real hens. There were SO MANY PEOPLE this year.

[djrcm7]

I definitely ran into plenty of other hunters as well the first weekend. I'm wondering if they'll be thinner now..

[Jester87]

My very first question to you would be,...have you hunted the Gila before in the same area?  ....Or are you unfamiliar with the area and just chose a random location to hunt there?   If so, then that was your initial mistake.  That country has large expanses of turkey-looking habitat that has no turkeys (or very few). 

Very true. You can easily go miles through what looks to be excellent turkey habitat and not a single bird. But once you find em, there's usually a good grouping in that area. Think spokes on the wheel all leading to the center hub. Find and hunt the center hub. Lots of scouting, driving, locating. Spots that had birds in the past are worth re-visiting. Cover ground fast with vehicle, look for sign, get out locate call and move on. If you're in sign, get on foot and look for canyons and cuts to work.   

We usually go back a week or 2 after opening and it can be a completely different hunt. Way less people too. This year with so many off school and work, I think its going to be more crowded than usual.       

[djrcm7]

I appreciate the input. I definitely covered a ton of turkey barren ground lol. I definitely was not as mobile as I should have been. Put too much faith in good looking ground.