Rio's ?

[WV Flopper]

 Question, say you wanted to go after some hard gobbling Rio's and a lot of them. Where would you go?  Public land or private, but no guide, DIY only.

Looking to go after them in a year or so, so I need to start finding them now. I guess I'm asking for a Rio wish list if you will. A state is good enough, don't want to burn any spots, but give me if you will a "Why" would you hunt or want to hunt there.

Thanks.

[Spitten and drummen]

Texas

[Tomfoolery]

Texas hill country.

Why?

Blue bonnets, bright mesquite, cedar, lush live oaks, pecan laced creeks. And hard gobbling mid day rios running across the rocks and cactus to put on a show. Not to mention the stars at night.

[earl9932]

Just wondering, is there any snake issues turkey hunting Texas hill country?

[LaLongbeard]

Texas. Not much public land but plenty of ranches that do  deer and exotic hunts also have do it yourself  turkey hunts. The big problem I found in Texas is most places run feeders year round and I have no desire to shoot a corn fed turkey. I hunted public land and there were plenty of birds. The second important thing about Texas it's feast or famine you could hunt an area  one year overrun with Gobblers and the next year almost non. It's important  to know the hatching success in the area you intend to hunt two  years back. So if you intend to hunt 2020 find out how the hatch went in 2018 or how many jakes were seen in 2019. When you find an area that is on an upswing in population it can be easy to kill 4.

[Tomfoolery]

Just wondering, is there any snake issues turkey hunting Texas hill country?

I have killed one rattle snake while turkey hunting in texas. Couple coral snakes. But honestly I don't worry about them. I see more snakes in LA than over there.

[Tomfoolery]

Texas. Not much public land but plenty of ranches that do  deer and exotic hunts also have do it yourself  turkey hunts. The big problem I found in Texas is most places run feeders year round and I have no desire to shoot a corn fed turkey. I hunted public land and there were plenty of birds. The second important thing about Texas it's feast or famine you could hunt an area  one year overrun with Gobblers and the next year almost non. It's important  to know the hatching success in the area you intend to hunt two  years back. So if you intend to hunt 2020 find out how the hatch went in 2018 or how many jakes were seen in 2019. When you find an area that is on an upswing in population it can be easy to kill 4.

I agree, I'm not i to shooting a turkey over corn either. But lots or ranches run feeders year around to keep the turkey on their property. If you don't have an established roost on your property or a natural creek with no food the turkeys will move to neighboring properties. For example, on years that we feed through the spring we consistently strike mid day birds roaming our property and sometimes even roost some. On years we don't feed we hear birds across the fences but rarely catch any roaming our property. Just a different world out there.

[WV Flopper]

 Thanks guys. This is what I am looking for. Give me some more!
I was setting in a motel in Florida this spring and reached out to Hawaii. Seems that you have to use a guide there. Thought that would be nice for the woman. But I can't do a guided ? hunt, just can't do it.
I was thinking Texas, maybe Kansas, but love to hear from people that have been there and done that!

[nativeks]

Kansas is a shell of its former self.