earlybugle

I've hunted turkey in eastern Kansas and Michigan, but in a couple months I'll be in south Texas on an "unguided" hunt. (a Turkey Slam is on my Bucket List) I've paid a trespass/lease fee to hunt an enormous private ranch, the ranch help can/will advise me of where birds have been seen, are roosting, etc, but I'll be on my own for the hunt.

I would like to pose some general questions in hopes you can help me be more successful.

What differences will I find between chasing turkey in the midwest vs south Texas?
Are there any special equipment or preparations I need to make for this hunt?
Any special/different tactics advised because of the topography or cover?
Any other tips you can offer would be appreciated.
- EB

txjourneyman

Rios are easier than Easterns. Watch out for the vegetation. South Texas brush will leave a mark. Snakes are just getting active when the birds are starting to gobble. Be careful where you sit.
In the morning, when moving in on roosted birds be careful. South Texas doesn't have a lot of hills to help you stay concealed. Also, when they fly down, if the brush is thick and you hear a gobbler it could be much closer than you think. Be prepared.

earlybugle

TX Journeyman,
This is exactly the kind of info I'm looking for - never would have thought about the brushy vegetation causing me to over-estimate the distance to birds.

What about camo? I've hunted in the northern tier states (forests) with the standard MossyOak, RealTree, or Seclusion patterns. Should I get something lighter colored for that brush country like a Predator style camo?

Also, can I "locate" birds with a owl hoot, etc just like up north? - EB

superstrutter

Early, I hunt Texas every season. It will be different than what you are used to. The terrain will be like night and day from what you are used to. Not as many places to hide. Rios are easier to call than Easterns, but they can still be difficult when they are with hens or are pressured. It doesn't look like you will have the pressured problem. Their gobble is a little higher pitched than an Eastern, and they usually gobble more on the ground than an Eastern. I believe just about any camo pattern will be fine, as long as you are still. I prefer to wear Nat Gear. Journeyman is right about the brush. Just about everything will stick you. He is also right about snakes. Not just rattlers, but also copperheads. I sat on a copperhead last year while hunting in Texas. I got lucky. Do be cautious. South Texas is a neat place to hunt. You will see things you have never seen before. If your at the right place, you will see an abundance of wildlife. I turkey, deer, and duck hunt in Louisiana, but I love turkey hunting in Texas also, especially in south Texas. You can basically use the same methods and calls you use up north. There are plenty of owls in Texas, so it will be fine to use an owl call as a locator. I'll be going to south Texas again this Spring. You will have a blast hunting there. Any more questions, just ask. BTW, where will you be hunting?

Gamblinman

Be ready to move quickly if they decide to go away from you. Rio's tend to move quite a ways in a days time.

Gman

earlybugle

I'll be hunting on a ranch that is SW of San Antonio and about an hour from the border. Supposed to be lots of game (deer, turkey, and pigs of all origins). I have the option to take a pig too. Turkey will be my primary goal.

From my experience, when Eastern birds move they often "go silent" and then seem to simply disappear. Chasing them is usually not possible and so you just move on. Moving quickly WITH Rios makes me think about my other passion - chasing bull elk during the archery season. If the elk move but aren't busted, they often cover a lot of ground and you have to haul butt to keep up. It's a real cat and mouse game.

This is going to be a blast!!

Snakes - funny, I never worried much about snakes, even when I lived in Idaho. But they were few and far between as a rule. I'm NOW convinced I need to be much more careful. I have chaps. Should I take them?

txjourneyman

I don't think you will need chaps. I never wear them and only occasionally do I wear snake boots. Just be mindful of where you step or sit. Good luck and have fun!

superstrutter

The area you are hunting should be pretty good. Don't know how the drought affected them where you are going, but I was told where I hunt that it didn't hurt them, so you should be good to go. Should be lots of two year old birds this Spring everywhere with the wet Spring that occured two years ago. Jakes on the other hand may be few and far between. They were everywhere last season. I did hunt in Encinal a few years ago and there were plenty of birds. Sounds like you will be close to that area. I don't where snake boots or chaps, just rubber boots below the knees. Like said before, just be aware of where you are sitting. There may be one drawback to your south Texas hunt, you may want to keep going back.(gas $$$$$). It's usually worth it though.

earlybugle

Guyz, your advice and predictions were right on! Just got back from my first (and not last) turkey hunt to South Texas. I've never been to that part of Texas before (2 1/2 hours SW of San Antonio - near Cotulla) and I found it absolutely mesmorizing! The weather ws spectacular.

I had a riot chasing those buggars. The drought last year hit them hard. No one saw any Jakes. This spring has seen good rains.
On morning number two I bagged two birds. They had been pressured hard the opening days before my arrival, so they were kind of cagey. We had our best action after locating, then moving into the old boy's bedroom, and then soft calling (Kee-Kee). Both my birds came hard and fast.

Not knowing what kind of ranges I'd be shooting to, I dusted off my battle worn Browning BPS Stalker (3 1/2"). Since the Parkerized finish had been literally worn off it, I decided to try my hand at camo-dipping and couldn't be happier! Great & helpful folks there.
http://www.hydraphics.com/catalog/index.php It all proved to be more than ample medicine for the task. The country was at times more open than I expected and at other times MUCH more brushy than I'm accustomed to. In the more open country the huge prickly pear clumps are like broken sections of adobe walls. In the thick cover, the mesquite can be like alder swamps up here in Michigan. I had shots in both kinds of cover - at ranges a little over 30 yards.

On #2 bird I was surprised to see somebody had already taken a poke at him... apparently while in full strut, because he had a chunk missing off the top of his tail! So I guess I fooled one with a little extra education.

I'll try to post some pics.

Anyway, thanks again for your help getting this yankee up to speed on Rio's! - EB

earlybugle

Reposting second picture.