With today’s booming turkey populations, many states will welcome your hunting dollars. The excitement of chasing a separate species is right up there with big game hunting. (Heck, hunting Merriam’s in the West is just like elk hunting, only a lot cheaper.) Steve Hickoff, a Realtree.com hunting blogger, lays out three important considerations when planning an out-of-state turkey hunt. Here’s number one:
Huntable Turkey Populations
Does the state have good turkey populations? Think of this first before planning your trip. A state with high bird numbers might mean greater hunter competition, of course, especially on public land. Then again wouldn’t you rather hunt a place with high gobbler numbers than not? Kill data of a consistent trend can help you determine what location to hunt in such states as well. If you’re lucky, the state has town and county information (this if often true for northeastern states). Other locations, where registration isn’t required, might just estimate both turkey kill and flock populations. This is where asking a buddy who has turkey hunted the state can help.
Learn what two other considerations you must factor in when planning your out-of-state turkey hunt.
