There are numerous public lands from Fort Morgan to Nebraska along the South Platte River open to hunting. Blinds are light, compact and easy to use.
One good alternative is to use a portable blind. Turkeys have very keen vision and can pick up on the slightest of movements and colors. Good camouflage from head to toe is important.
Decoys can be toms, jakes or hens and calls most often mimic the various sounds made by hens. Typically, hunters have the most success using a decoy and call. Turkeys can be hunted in the spring with shotguns, hand-held bows and crossbows. Over-the-counter licenses are available for private land only in GMUs 91 and 92 and for unlimited GMUs that are outside of the river corridor.ĭepending on the GMU and season, a spring turkey license can take up to five preference points to draw and a valid hunter education card is required. Youth licenses are for hunters under the age of 18 and valid in units 91, 92 and 96 during both spring seasons.
Licenses available through the draw include general licenses valid anywhere in the unit, private land only licenses and youth licenses. Spring licenses are for bearded birds, typically adult males or “Toms” and sub adult males or “Jakes.” Limited licenses are available through the draw process and hunters can apply for licenses through the first Tuesday in February, annually.
In these GMUs, there are two spring seasons (early and late) that split in early May to help disperse hunters and alleviate pressure on the birds. Spring turkey hunting runs from the second Saturday in April through late May.įrom Highway 144 at Orchard, east to the Nebraska state line, the river corridor is separated into Game Management Units (GMUs) 91, 92 and 96.