Mountain Merriam's

[birddogdoc]

Weird spring here in the Colorado high country.  Got this old bird at 8,500 feet in a foot of snow this week.  Passed on him twice last year...nice Merriam's with a 9.5 inch beard and 3/4 inch spurs.  Taken with my 1937 Ithaca NID 16 bore full choked barrel at 25 yrds uphill...got lucky!

[VA Gobble Addict]

 

[Gooserbat]

Very nice

[Snood Life]

Very beautiful!

[renegade19]

 

[hobbes]

Congrats!   Gotta love the mountain birds.

[Smooth_Operator]

Very nice, love Colorado any time of year...

[wernerjd]

Very nice bird. Lived in Colorado for 5 years and miss every bit of it. What part of the state did you shoot that bird. I always hunted south west of Colorado Springs.

[birddogdoc]

Thanks for the replies everyone!  JD...I was in the Sangre de Cristos

[hobbes]

Congrats again!  I hunted the Sangres when I lived in CO 06 to 11.  I lived in Leadville most of that time.

[birddogdoc]

Hobbes...thanks!

I love that area and there are now more turkeys around the Arkansas River valley then one can imagine.  I love to fish the ark and chasing Merriam's is a total thrill!  Last year by the middle of May I was at 9,500 to 10,000 ft chasing one big tom in particular. 

[mgm1955]

Congrats!!

[spaightlabs]

Lots of frustration in Colorado this year it seems - way to keep after them.

[Farmboy27]

Beautiful bird in beautiful country!  Congrats. Just out of curiosity, how did you know it was the same bird you passed on twice last year? 

[stinkpickle]

Noice work!  I'd love to try that, but I can't carry a gobbler lounger and an oxygen tank at the same time.