Grand Slam on a budget? You bet! Try these hunting hotspots for an Eastern, Rio Grande Merriam’s and Florida gobbler this spring.
Huffing and puffing, each step was pure work as I chugged my way up the steep, muddy trail toward the saddle between two mountains. Catching my breath, I yawned deeply to clear my ears that felt stopped up from the change in altitude. The fiery hues of daybreak began to give shape to the mixed hardwood and conifer forest in the valley below.
I didn’t have long to wait for the first gobble of the morning. From the north, a gobble echoed down the valley toward me. In my haste to match whits with yet another public-land tom, I marched 20 yards up a faint logging road before I stopped. Catching myself, I stopped again and pulled a crow call from my vest to see if the roosted bird, or any others closer, would answer my shock call. The bird I first heard obliged and answered the raucous caw-cawing. Assured that I wouldn’t be spooking any tight-lipped birds between us, I closed the gap to 150 yards and set up to work the bird.
Setting up with my back to a boulder and my feet resting in the head of an eroded cut in the old Forest Service logging road, I commanded a view of the road that snaked along the mountainside to my left and steep hillside below. With each series of yelps the longbeard would double and triple-gobble in response. Comfortable with his perch, the tom clutched his roost limb and waited for his lady friend to come to him. Finally, after 45 minutes of waiting, I heard the tom answer my calls from the valley below. Fainter now, due to the thick foliage and terrain, the bird’s muffled gobble seemed to be getting closer.
Slowly, but surely, the tom climbed back up the mountain toward me. Now, nearly two hours into our duel, the bird gobbled from just below. He was close, but just out of sight.
Stock pressed to cheek, I eased up and forward just as the gobbler flapped his mighty wings and hopped onto an ancient fallen chestnut tree. I drew a bead on his head just as he gobbled for the last time.
At the shot I stood up to see a gobbler rise from the side of the mountain and wing its way back up the valley. My excitement turned to utter dismay. Standing their slack-jawed, I couldn’t believe my eyes. How could I have missed at 30 yards? Then, I caught movement beneath the chestnut log as the bird I had shot at began to beat his wings on the ground in his death throes. He began flopping and falling down the side of the mountain. Without thinking, I bailed off the logging road and bounded down the mountain in hot pursuit. Just 30 feet shy of a sheer cliff I caught up with the now dead bird.
Something of Value
Just like anything of value, finding flocks of wild turkeys on public land takes work. And if you yearn to take a Grand Slam of gobblers on public land, opportunities are getting better each season. If you’ve got your heart set on taking Eastern, Rio Grande, Florida and Merriam’s subspecies toms on public land, some “kitchen table” scouting is in order to put you on the right track. To help in your search, we’ve put together some of the top picks for each subspecies of the Grand Slam on public-access areas.
Bird in hand, I sat for quite a while admiring his 10-inch beard and inch-long spurs. Smoothing his feathers, I pondered the tremendous opportunities turkey hunters have today to chase these feathered wonders on millions of acres of public land across this nation.
Three simple approaches to finding public access hotspots for turkey hunting are to contact state game and fish agencies, the USDA Forest Service and private timber companies. These three groups control millions of acres prime turkey habitat, and hunting is affordable. If these three options aren’t enough, then try the turkey hunting on one or more Indian reservation out west.
Start at State Level
In your search for places to turkey hunt with public access, start your search at the state level. Contact a state game and fish agency biologist who is their resident wild turkey expert. To make the reader’s search easier, I’ve put together a data base of places to start your search. These states are ranked from the best on down for their public-land opportunities. You’ll find Missouri at the top of the list with the most liklihood for success on public land. There’s even a few key suggested areas you’ll want to start looking first. I’ve hunted many of these areas over the past four decades. Click on the link below to take a look.
Get the Google Sheet here.
Another avenue for locating public access areas is to contact the USDA Forest Service. Some of the best turkey hunting this nation has to offer can be found on Forest Service lands. It is possible to hunt for all four major subspecies on Forest Service lands. The first step is to contact a Forest Service regional office for contact information on the forests within the states you wish to target your efforts. Then, contact the Forest Supervisor for the particular forest you wish to hunt for details on hunting in their area. Beyond hunting information, these folks can provide you with camping area information and other tips to make your trip more enjoyable.
The next piece in your turkey hunting jigsaw puzzle is to learn about public hunting opportunities on private timber company lands. In many cases, state game and fish agencies manage these lands and can provide access information. A good example is Tennessee’s cooperative program with several timber companies. Local license vendors also often sell special permits that allow use of these lands. Maps and some sage advice on where birds have been harvested in past seasons can be had for the asking.
With the above information in hand, you have the key to putting together your own special public-land grand slam together. To give you a little nudge, we’ve compiled a few top picks for each subspecies to get you started.
Eastern
The hunt depicted at the beginning of this article took place on the Cherokee National Forest in East Tennessee. Turkey populations have been on the increase on several national forests in the Southern Appalachians. Georgia’s Chattahoochee National Forest, North Carolina’s Pisgah and Nantahala national forests are also good bets. The Wayne and Hoosier national forests in Ohio and Indiana, respectively, are also up and coming hot spots to try.
The Eastern subspecies can be hunted in every state that touches the Mississippi River, plus all of the states that lie east of Big Muddy. Other states with Eastern populations include Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Washington, Idaho and Oregon.
Rio Grande
Texas is synonymous with hunting for Rio Grande gobblers, but the scarcity of public access removes it from the running for top picks for states with public-hunting opportunities. Other states with Rio Grand populations include Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. From all of these states listed, either Washington or Oregon would get the nod for top picks for Rio Grandes. Both of these states have rather new turkey populations, and it seems that flocks that haven’t had years of hunting pressure are the most fun to hunt. In areas such as these, it’s a common occurrence to work birds that are not so call shy that it takes a Ph.D. in turkeyology to put a tag on their leg.
Merriam’s
Merriam’s toms are typically found in ponderosa pine habitat, with the exception of the populations found on the Great Plains. The Dakotas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and all the states westward have huntable populations of these grand birds. According to some well-traveled turkey hunting experts, the Custer National Forest in southeast Montana, or several of the other national forests in Big Sky country offer hunting that is tough to beat. New Mexico and Arizona have limited access to public areas, but if you are drawn for limited quota permit areas, competition from other hunters will be low. Getting drawn for quota-only areas offers some the best quality turkey hunting experiences found.
Although there’s no official recognition within the NWTF Wild Turkey Records, a few states offer “mini-slams.” This exists when more than one subspecies or a hybrid of two subspecies inhabit the borders of a state. Washington, Oregon and Idaho have populations of Eastern, Rio Grande and Merriam’s wild turkeys, which make it possible to collect three-fourths of a Grand slam in one state. At one point, Washington’s wild turkey restoration was doing so well that hunters could take three birds during the spring season, but limits have been reduced to two these days.
Osceola
Possibly, the most challenging subspecies to collect on public land is the Osceola . The Ocala National Forest is available for hunting, but better options exist on state-managed areas. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has limited access quota permit system on the top turkey hunting areas in the Sunshine State. Starting in 2026, nonresidents are not allowed to turkey hunt the first nine days of the season on public land.
Five wildlife management areas stand out as top producers of swamp turkeys. Bull Creek WMA, Green Swamp WMA, Three Lakes WMA, Camp Blanding and Relay WMA are all good bets. Applications for quota areas are available November 1 online. Completed applications must be received in the Tallahassee office only during a time period specified on the application.
For WMAs listed as Daily Permit Required or Open, only a hunting license, WMA permit, and a turkey permit are required. Opening dates and length of quota hunts very among areas. Request the appropriate brochures from the Regional Office to verify hunt dates and regulations, since season dates vary. Northeast Region, call (904)758-0525; Central Region, call (352)732-1225; South Region, call (941)648-3203; Everglades Region, call (561)640-6100.
Quota applications: Florida Game & Freshwater Fish, Farris Bryant Building, 620 South Meridian, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600.
Maps
Several sources exist to obtain maps of public-access hunting land. Major land holders include the United States government, state agencies and large corporations. Starting broadly and narrowing your focus will help you locate potential turkey hunting hotspots.
You and I are the largest landowners, through the U.S. government. The agencies to start looking at include the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The Forest Service is divided into geographical regions, with regional offices offering information and maps of various areas. The best way to go about hunting on national forest land is to start at the state level and seek out federal lands. State game and fish agencies typically manage wildlife and set seasons on federal lands.
Over the past four decades some of my most memorable hunts have been on national forests. I’ve killed more than a dozen toms on federal lands in six different states.
Indian Reservations
Some of the most promising and scenic areas to hunt wild turkeys are on Indian reservations. Though not technically “public land” Indian reservations are great places to hunt. Primarily found in the West, tribal lands are governed and managed by the each tribal council. Special quota hunts are held on most reservations, which limits access and raises the quality of hunting and hunter success. To obtain contact information on Indian reservations with hunting opportunities, write to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Chief, Branch of Fish, Wildlife and Recreation, Washington, D.C. 20240; or call (202)208-5116.
One of the top picks for chasing a tom on tribal lands is the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona. Contact John Caid, assistant director of Wildlife, POB 220 White River, AZ 85941; or call (602)338-4385.
The game wardens on tribal lands typically are very cooperative. Most of the reservations don’t require that you purchase a state license, but it is wise to check with state game and fish agency personnel to be sure. Birds taken on tribal lands are not usually counted as part of the state’s bag limit, but check to be sure. When hunting Indian reservations you must purchase a tribal permit. Season dates are regulated by tribal council, and are not always consistent from one year to the next. Contact the tribes well in advance and get the season dates.
Typically, on reservations in the Great Plains states, turkeys seem to be only on portions of the tribal land with turkey habitat. River bottom habitat is the best place to find birds. Many reservations are at higher elevations, so wind and cold can be a challenge in early spring. Use louder calling instruments to fight the wind. Be prepared for freezing temperatures.
Be prepared to pick up permits a day in advance of hunting. And the person who is hunting must usually pick up their own permits.