South Platte Colo gobblers
Turkey
I'm curious if anyone hunted the South Platte near Sterling during the 2nd seasons the past couple years? Driving down the highway and it appeared that most of the cottonwoods along the river were standing in fairly deep water? I would expect it to be fairly tough to find birds and hunt?
With all the snow pack in the mtns this year I'm wondering if the same thing is prone to happen. Too bad the turkey seasons on the Platte aren't staggered a little differently to compensate for runoff! If anyone would like to email comments I can be reached at [email protected]
I hunted in2014 following the big fall floods of 2013 and had no problems. So barring record setting floods this Spring it shouldn't be an issue
If the river floods in May again like it did last year the birds will still roost in the river bottom but fly out to the dry Ag ground outside the bottom for the day. at that point you will probably need access to private ground as most of the public will be underwater and un-huntable. Hopefully we don't repeat last years flood...very destructive
I would think mature turkeys fared ok but I wonder what affect the floods had on nesting and broods the past 2 years in that area. I imagine there ought to be a few spots where turkeys ought to be on public and possible fly to trees to roost but I can see where it may be pretty frustrating. From what I saw while driving along the area the water spread way out on each side of the wildlife areas. Thanks for the comments!
I would think mature turkeys fared ok but I wonder what affect the floods had on nesting and broods the past 2 years in that area. I imagine there ought to be a few spots where turkeys ought to be on public and possible fly to trees to roost but I can see where it may be pretty frustrating. From what I saw while driving along the area the water spread way out on each side of the wildlife areas. Thanks for the comments!
every day for 13 days I saw many turkeys along the So Platte river in Oct and Nov while deer hunting. Flocks of 10-20 birds.
On our place the hens nested after the water receded. The broods were late as we had small poults running around in August, but overall I don't think the floods affected numbers much...very adaptive birds
Curious - Those Rio or Merriam's?
I have a feeling they are pretty much all rios. If you either head to the Front Range/West Slope you'll find merriams. Also in Wyo or NW corner of Nebraska you'll hit rios. There are lots of rio crosses throughout western Nebraska and possibly the NW corner of KS so it's possible there may be some that wander into the South Platte but I kind of doubt it?
I have a feeling they are pretty much all rios. If you either head to the Front Range/West Slope you'll find merriams. Also in Wyo or NW corner of Nebraska you'll hit rios. There are lots of rio crosses throughout western Nebraska and possibly the NW corner of KS so it's possible there may be some that wander into the South Platte but I kind of doubt it?
Yea, mostly a cross breed (Rio/Merriams) in eastern Colorado, western Nebraska.
Killed this one last May along the So Platte near Julesburg co.
Some have more white and others more tan.
my best, Paul
Why I ask is because I seen a small flock in western NE near the Wildcats and they looked pure Merriam's to me for the banding look awful white and they were at close range...
I've found scattered pockets of merriams in Nebraska that tend to be surrounded by what look like rios. Other spots where there is a mixture of both colored birds in the same field. I have a feeling there are more birds that look like merriams in the Wildcats.
If you do a web search you can likely find a map of the US with subspecies distribution. Here's one: http://www.biggamehunt.net/graphics/photos_talltales/k_wilson_turkey_map.gif You may want to make sure the distribution map you are looking at is fairly updated because a mix of turkeys may exist after movements or introductions.
I have a feeling that a lot of turkeys may appear to be rios or merriams but are actually crosses. I shot a bunch of turkeys in Nebraska and was never sure I shot a true merriams until I got one in the mountains of Colorado.
If you want to be 100% sure of the subspecies you may want to go to an area that is way inside the border and only that particular species was planted or exists.
jims - Cool map, thanks for the linky, indicates they were Merriam's in the Wildcats....
Here are two of the toms I killed last year, one near Julesburg Co and the other one in NW Nebraska.
Both have the marking of a Merriam.
A week later I was hunting near Montrose and killed this Merriams tom.
THis tom was killed in unit 103 in Colorado. Not a true Rio.
Near Cambridge Ne, more like a Rio in color.
I have to say, I have never killed a true Rio in Kansas, Colorado or Nebraska.
I might have to go to OK or Texas.
my best, paul
And the only true Merriams I have killed were in the Mts of Colorado. Killed near Montrose.
Note this two year old tom has less white marking than some of the more eastern Merriam/Rio crosses.
Paul
Paul, not being completely schooled in the marking patterns of the Rio vs. Merriam turkeys, besides the wing and tail coloring which can vary greatly between birds, I've have found that the Merriam's I have shot had that double dark band just inside of the tail tips (evidenced by your pics) and solid bands on the rios/ cross'. Any support to this notion?? Kip
Love the bird in the ponderosa's Paul, and remember that hunt well. Major envy.
Somewhere down the road one of my descendants may have red hair...but does that mean they're Irish? :-)
