Has anyone here been hunting in Texas before?

[dawgfrombama]

I'm going to San Angelo on April 15th and was just wondering what to expect. I hunted in KS last yr and those birds gobbled all day.  I know there's a lot of Rio's there.

[handcannon]

I hunted TX year before last and I'm going back in a month for round 2. Love it! Havent hunted the San Angelo area. Cant really help you out on that. You should be into some good birds though.

[redleg06]

The San Angelo area is pretty good generally speaking.

We used to own about 1600 acres about an hour south of there and my brother in law (from Bama also) became a fan of the West Tx rios pretty quick. 

Bring your snake boots and plenty of shells cause that area can get good quick......for long beards and/or rattle snakes!

[chcltlabz]

Very dependent on the local turkey population to where you're hunting.  It can vary quite a bit from ranch to ranch.

Place I hunted wasn't filthy with them, but there were plenty of birds and I killed one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  I wasn't far from San Angelo.

I found the birds extremely pecking order oriented.  When I got dropped off in the morning, my friend explained how the birds would be roosted down in a certain creek bottom, and the boss gobbler was right here in a cottonwood.  I probably heards 50 or more gobblers in that creek bottom from one end to the other and couldn't for the life of me figure out how he could say the boss was in a certain tree...at least until the boss gobbled.  It was like the old EF hutton commercials, because when he spoke, everyone else shut up.    He gobbled decent the rest of the moring, but I could hear he had a passle of hens with him.  I left there walking and calling trying to get another bird to fire up and he lost his mind as I left.  He followed me for a ways before I realized he was coming closer, so I sprinted back to my original setup (left the decoys there).  I sat down, pulled my facemask up and counted to 5 before I saw his head.  Killed him as he crossed a fence headed to my decoys.

Bird in the afternoon never gobbled.  I sat under a tree in the shade cooling off and running through my calls and heard that unmistakeable "pppfffttt".  Thought I was imaginging things, then heard ppffftt dooooom, just before I saw the fan.  Shot him in the decoys at 2 in the afternoon.

[shootumindaface]

chcltlabz, from the sounds of your story.. You could have killed every other gobbler on that ranch in the next two days..

[chcltlabz]

I would have loved to be back on that ranch for a couple more days.  I'd bet things got real interesting, at least if it really was the boss gobbler I killed.  He was the only one gobbling, but I guess its completely possible that a satelite bird slipped in and started gobbling while I was off on walkabout, but I doubt it.

They definitely were not shy about decoys.  Called for my friend the next day on another ranch, and he would set up with the decoys sort of behind him.  Gobblers would actually walk past him headed to the decoys and wouldn't bat an eye at him.  All we could get in range that day was jakes though.

[stinkpickle]

I've hunted not too far from there around Brownwood, always around opening weekend.  The first time we went, the ranches we hunted on were loaded with birds and they worked really well.  The second time around was completely different.  The few birds we found gobbled well (all day), but hens ruined almost every set up.  As soon as we'd call, a hen (or group of hens) would come charging in to intercept the gobblers...I'm talkin' full sprint.  We resorted to putting up jake decoys in one setup and have somebody circle around and call from the other side to drive them the other direction...yuck.  So, it's hard telling what it'll be like for you.  There will probably be plenty birds around, though.

[anthonyjhallen]

I hunted just East of San Angelo last year.  And yes the snakes and prickly pears can make for a long hot day if the birds are not co-operating.  If you are going to semi guied hunt dont let them tell you how to hunt.  They wanted us to sit in a blind all day so we wouldnt bump the birds onto neighboring property therefore queering the next batch of hunters.  Thats fine if you like to blind hunt, but I couldnt take it with 100 degree temps,  birds gobbling all directions, and none of them moving towards us.  It didnt make it any better either when I came back to the camp empty handed because I didnt follow their expert directions. 

It was cool to see birds roost on power lines.

[LAWRENCE BOY]

I leave for San Angelo on April 6th
this will be my first time hunting Texas
Are you going with a outfitter ?

[Tail Feathers]

I've killed more Rios in the afternoon that in the morning.

Can't kill an afternoon Eastern to save my life, but those Rios are good gobblers all day.

[AndyH]

We killed two fairly easy last year in south Tx. Probably would have got our limit if it weren't for the 8 inches of rain in three days we got while we were there.

[dawgfrombama]

I'm not going with an outfitter.  I have a friend that sells the company I work for vaccines.  He lives in texas and has close to 13,000 acres leased for deer hunting.  He said noone hunts turkeys and he knew the me and a couple of friends would rather hunt turkeys than deer  so he invited us out for a 4 day hunt.  Should be good hunting since noone hunts it.

[chcltlabz]

Depends on the predator situation.  Texas has lots of things that love to eat turkeys.  Coyotes, Bobcats, Mountain Lions, even hogs. 

If they're leasing it for deer, chances are someone is managing the predators at least some, so I'm sure you'll have a great time.  Take the decoys and watch them fight!