Parrey Cremeans | Mossy Oak ProStaff
The Rio Grande turkeys in California are Just for Hunting’s bread and butter turkeys. We have two of the top five properties in northern California for taking Rio Grande turkeys. On one of the properties, we have had so many turkeys that the Wildlife Division in California captured 300 Rio Grande turkeys and traded them to the State of Oregon for elk. Now California has some Oregon elk, and Oregon has some California Rio Grande turkeys.
During the season, you can take three Rio Grande gobblers, but only one per day. We do 1, 2 and 4-day hunts for Rio Grande turkeys, with or without lodging and meals. In California, you can hunt Rio Grandes until 5 p.m. One of the advantages of hunting the Rio Grandes is all the gobbling. Because California homes a large turkey population on the two lands Just for Hunting hunts, you’ll hear a large number of toms gobbling.
I believe the Rios out here are easier to take than eastern gobblers are on the other side of the country. Rios don’t have as much hunting pressure, haven’t been hunted as long as easterns have and aren’t as likely to embarrass you as the birds back east may. Rios put on a good show, and you can watch them walk up almost to the end of your gun barrel. If you’ve been hunting some tough gobblers that are about to drive you nuts, you may want to come out to California and hunt some of these Rios to regain your confidence and have more fun seeing and hunting turkeys.
