Wild turkeys can be challenging quarry for hunters. There are six subspecies of wild turkey in North America, and some are considered more wary and difficult to hunt than others. In determining the hardest turkeys to hunt, factors like wariness, habitat, hunting pressure, and regulations must be considered.
Eastern Wild Turkey
The eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) is the most widespread and numerous of the wild turkey subspecies. Easterns can be found from New England south to Florida and west to the Mississippi River. This subspecies adapts well to a variety of habitats including forests, agricultural areas, and even some suburban settings.
Eastern wild turkeys are hunted throughout their range. They tend to be quite wary and spooky in areas with lots of hunting pressure. Their keen eyesight helps them detect danger at long distances. During the spring mating season, eastern gobblers can be called into range using hen turkey calls. The hens tend to be more difficult to hunt than the males due to their wariness and secretive nature.
Overall, eastern wild turkeys provide a moderate challenge for hunters. They receive moderate to heavy hunting pressure over much of their range. Their adaptability allows them to thrive in areas of human disturbance. A savvy eastern wild turkey in a heavily hunted area can prove challenging, but there are more difficult subspecies to hunt.
Osceola Wild Turkey
The Osceola wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo osceola) is a subspecies found in central and southern Florida. Named for the famous Seminole Indian chief Osceola, these turkeys thrive in the swamps and forests of Florida. Osceolas are similar to eastern wild turkeys but are darker in color with more iridescent feathers.
Osceola turkeys tend to be extremely wary and alert to the presence of humans. Their swampy habitat provides abundant cover and allows them to retreat quickly from perceived threats. The challenges of hunting in thick Florida forests and swamps also plays to the Osceolas’ advantage.
During the spring mating season Osceola gobblers can be called into range, but hunters must be extremely stealthy and patient. The Osceola hens are even more secretive and elusive than the males. Overall, the wariness, habitat, climate, and hunting regulations make Osceola wild turkeys a challenging subspecies for hunters to pursue.
Rio Grande Wild Turkey
The Rio Grande wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) inhabits arid grasslands and brushy areas from Oklahoma and Kansas south through Texas and into northeastern Mexico. This subspecies is adapted to hot, dry habitats dominated by prickly pear, yucca, and mesquite.
Rio Grande wild turkeys are moderately wary birds. Their keen vision helps them detect and avoid danger in the open terrain they inhabit. Their tan and gray mottled plumage provides good camouflage in the arid grassland habitats. Rio Grande turkeys tend to gather in large flocks outside of mating season, making them vulnerable if a hunter can find where they are concentrated.
During the spring mating season, Rio Grande gobblers can be called into shotgun range using hen calls. The hens, however, are more reclusive and will seldom respond to calling. Overall, Rio Grande turkeys provide a moderate challenge for hunters who are familiar with hunting their habitat. Their wariness is comparable to eastern wild turkeys.
Gould’s Wild Turkey
Gould’s wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo mexicana) is native to the mountainous woodlands of Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. This is a large, colorful subspecies that inhabits pine and oak forests. The habitat provides plentiful cover, but the terrain can be challenging for hunters to access.
Gould’s turkeys tend to be less wary than some other wild turkey subspecies. However, their remote habitat allows them refuge from excessive hunting pressure. The challenging terrain also gives the birds an advantage since hunters must work hard to get within range in the mountains.
During the spring mating season, Gould’s turkeys will readily respond to calls. Locating a gobbler and calling him into range isn’t too difficult for an experienced hunter. However, the hens are reclusive and almost impossible to hunt. Overall, Gould’s turkeys provide a moderate challenge mainly due to their remote habitat rather than extreme wariness.
Merriam’s Wild Turkey
Merriam’s wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo merriami) is a subspecies that inhabits the mountainous forests of Wyoming, Colorado, and other western states. This large, dark-colored turkey is well-adapted to coniferous forests at elevations up to 10,000 feet.
Merriam’s turkeys are wary and alert to threats, taking advantage of their forested mountain habitat to retreat from danger. The terrain also makes this subspecies challenging to hunt. The combination of wariness, remote habitat, and limited access allow Merriam’s turkeys to evade hunters with surprising skill.
During the spring mating season Merriam’s gobblers can be called into range, but hunters have to be extremely stealthy to avoid detection. The hens are almost impossible to locate during spring and rarely respond to calling. Overall, the wariness of Merriam’s turkeys coupled with their remote, challenging habitat make this subspecies the most difficult wild turkey to hunt.
Ocellated Wild Turkey
The ocellated wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo ocellata) is a spectacularly colored subspecies found in a section of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. This turkey inhabits tropical forests where they feed on a variety of native fruits, seeds, insects, and vegetation. Their vibrant, iridescent blue heads and bright orange facial wattles distinguish them from other wild turkey subspecies.
Ocellated wild turkeys are challenging to hunt because of their small native range and the thick forest habitat they inhabit. They are wary birds that utilize the dense tropical forest to hide from threats. The humid environment and thick vegetation also provides challenges for hunters.
Very limited hunting opportunities exist for the ocellated turkey due to their small range and protected status in Mexico. While difficult to hunt, their range and habitat make them less challenging overall than Merriam’s wild turkeys which occupy remote mountainous areas while still being huntable in the United States.
Conclusion
After considering the various wild turkey subspecies, their traits, habitats, and hunting status, the Merriam’s wild turkey appears to be the most difficult to successfully hunt. Here is a summary of the reasons why Merriam’s are the hardest wild turkeys to hunt:
- Extremely wary and alert to danger due to hunting pressure.
- Prefer remote, high mountain forest habitat with challenging terrain.
- Their habitat allows them to retreat from and evade threats.
- Gobblers are reluctant to respond to calling.
- Hens are nearly impossible to locate and hunt.
The combination of wariness, inaccessible habitat, and limited hunting opportunities gives Merriam’s wild turkeys an advantage over hunters. Their habitat and characteristics make this subspecies the most challenging wild turkey to successfully hunt.
Other difficult wild turkeys include the Osceola, Eastern wild turkey in heavily hunted areas, and Rio Grande. However, none combine the habitat and wariness factors quite as much as Merriam’s. Turkey hunters looking for a true challenge should pursue the elusive Merriam’s wild turkey in the mountain forests of the western United States.