New Mexico turkeys

[jcour4]

Trying to pick dates for New Mexico turkey hunt. Thinking the last week of April or first week of May, do the birds stay responsive that late into the season or should I try to go earlier? Ill be in the lower part of the state.

[Turkeyman11]

I always hunt the opener and have really good luck over the years.  With that being said a few years back my grandmother passed away the day I got there so I turned around and drove home to be with family and attend her funeral.  After being home a couple of weeks I couldn't stand it anymore so I headed back down on the 5th of May. The next two mornings produced two gobblers.  They were the only two I heard but man did they come in on a string....

[Cove]

Normally for Merriam I like to go as late as possible. Second week of May or later. . .

[GobbleNut]

If you are hunting public land birds in southern NM, you want to hunt as early as possible.  The easy birds get thinned out as the season goes along and the most of the ones that are left are scared out of their wits by the last week or ten days of the season.  They are much harder to kill late in the season here.

[jcour4]

Thanks for tips guys, I will see how it all pans out timing wise. Are the turkeys usually vocal there after the first week or do they get quiet? I really want to avoid going when the pressure is high but I also don't want to go out there and not hear much gobbling. It's tough figuring birds out on a large piece of land when they don't even gobble on the roost.

[TRKYHTR]

If they are a Merriams they will gobble on the roost.

Joe

[GobbleNut]

yes, southern NM Merriam's are very good at letting you know where they are on the roost, both morning and evening.  Even late in the season it is fairly easy to locate them by using sound locator tactics.  The trick is to understand that you have to cover lots of country to find them and you must do it quickly at the right times.

[TRKYHTR]

I remember that well Jim. LOL