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MERRIAM'S TURKEY HUNTS

New Mexico Arizona Merriam's Turkey Guides and Outfitters 

Merriams turkey gobblers

 

About the Arizona and New Mexico Merriam's Wild Turkey

Arizona and New Mexico are home to the Merriam’s wild turkey. Historically, these mountain dwelling birds were only found in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, but have been introduced around the country.  Our Arizona and New Mexico gobblers are wild and native birds.  This is where they originated, so they are pure.  There is no hybridization in Arizona or New Mexico like some other areas of the country that offer Merriam's turkey hunting.  

Merriam's have a creamy white accent on the outer edge of the tail feathers and rump, unlike the Eastern, Osceola, and Rio Grande turkeys. The wing feathers are mostly white with small black accent bars.  Mature Tom Merriams Turkeys grow beards averaging 9 inches, although we have taken some over 11 inches.  Since the terrain is rough, steep and rocky, the spurs are typically worn down.  They usually do not exceed 1¼ inches.  Three-quarter to one-inch spurs are the norm on our mature 2 or 3-year old Merriam's males.  The colors of these birds will amaze hunters that are only familiar with Eastern turkeys.  The first thing hunters notice when a Merriams turkey approaches is the high contrast of white accents on a dark body.  The size of our wild turkeys are big, averaging over 21lbs.  We have taken a couple near 26 pounds.  These are just a few common features among "true" Merriam's.  If you want a real Merriam's with no mix of strains and show the pure traits, try hunting with us in the original area they came from, New Mexico and Arizona.

This is arguably the most beautiful sub-species of the Turkey Grand Slam.  Every Grand Slam hunter should add a "pure" Arizona or New Mexico Merriam’s to his collection.

About Our Merriams Hunts

New Mexico Merriam's TurkeyWe are proud to offer quality Merriam's turkey hunts in both New Mexico and Arizona.  The birds we hunt are primarily in a wilderness-type setting and live many miles from human civilization.  They are wild in their natural habitat with no food plots, no farm fields, no feeders or other human influence.  Since Merriam's are mountain dwelling turkeys, our hunts take place in the Ponderosa Pine forests around 7500 to 8500 feet elevation.  Some of our hunting areas include the Gila National Forest of New Mexico and the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest of Arizona.  Due to this type of mountain terrain, our turkey hunting can be quite challenging and physically demanding at times.  Since these are guided hunts, the hunters are led into the field by an experienced Merriam's turkey guide.  The guide will go at your pace, but hunters should be in shape in order to reach the quality turkey areas.  Our guides can either call to the lovesick toms while the hunters await the turkey's arrival or experienced hunters can call for themselves while the guide accompanies the hunter.  Most hunts are booked 2-on-1, with the option of 1-on-1 guide service at a higher rate if you cannot bring a partner.  Like Spring turkey hunting anywhere, there are many tactics we use while hunting these mountain birds.  Primarily, we walk large ridges and set-up when we strike a gobbler.  Calling birds off the roost in the early morning can also be effective.  We also set-up in known corridor areas and "cold call" against pine trees to see if a weary gobbler will come to investigate.  We typically do not use blinds since it is not feasible to do so in such a vast hunt area.  In both New Mexico and Arizona, we have the ability to hunt all day, unlike some other states that only allow turkey hunting until noon.  Over the past 10 years, our guided turkey hunters have experienced 95% rate of opportunity (bringing a legal bird within shooting distance) with a very high success rate.    

Calling for Merriam's turkeysOur Turkey Hunts Include:  Accommodations, meals, courtesy airport transfer from Tucson, camp transportation, a guide, trophy prep, and many extras.  Accommodations are in tent camps with cots and pads or in a small camping trailer, depending upon the number of hunters in camp.  The hunt area has breathtaking scenery and great temperatures of around 60 degrees in the day and 30 at night.  Meals are provided, which usually consists of a quick breakfast with coffee, cooked brunch, and hot dinner.  If you are successful, preparation of your trophy for transport will be provided.  If flying, it is easiest to donate the meat to your guide and put the packaged turkey cape into your luggage.  A courtesy airport pickup/drop-off  can be provided for hunters that fly into Tucson, Arizona.  Driving hunters will meet us at camp or a town nearby.  Flying hunters should get a flight into Tucson on the evening prior to meeting us, get an airport hotel room, and we will pickup the morning prior to the hunt for a ride to camp.  For example, if your hunting starts on a Friday, you should get a flight into Tucson late Wednesday evening, get a hotel room, and we will pickup Thursday morning for the drive to camp.  This eliminates loss of hunting time if your flight is delayed or canceled, which is becoming a common occurrence.  We typically arrive back in Tucson in the early evening of the last day, so flying hunters should get a flight out the evening of that day or the morning after the hunt (hotel required).  

 

2010 RATES

 Turkey Package # Days Rate
Merriam's Turkey: Guided (*2 on 1*) 3 *$900.00/person*
     

*This is a 2-on-1 guided turkey hunt.  *2on1 means two hunters share a guide or can alternate use of the guide.  *You must bring the other hunter to share the guide with.*  If you cannot  bring another hunter, the 1-on-1 rate is $1,500.00.  One-on-one means you have your own personal guide all to yourself! 

 

2010 Turkey Seasons

  • New Mexico Seasons are April 15-May 10.  We are currently booking for 2010.  Available dates are: April 15-17, April 21-23, April 27-29, and May 3-5.  New Mexico Spring Turkey tags are over-the-counter or Internet.  Licenses are not included in our hunt prices.  New Mexico hunters will purchase the license, tags and stamps at a sporting goods store when they arrive.  The turkey license tag fee is $110.00 plus a $5 habitat stamp, a $4 land access validation and $1 vendor fee ($120.00 Total).  You must purchase each of these listed items if hunting in our area.  There is a one bearded turkey limit in our New Mexico area (units 15 and 16).

 

  • Arizona Seasons are April 24 through May 21.  Arizona Spring tags are by lottery draw from September through early October.  Contact the outfitter as soon as possible for assistance with the AZ turkey draw.  Licenses are not included in our hunt prices.  Tag fee (NR): $77.75 and license fee: $151.25 ($229 Total).  There is a one bearded turkey limit in Arizona.

  

Additional Information

Camo: The best camo patterns for our areas are Mossy Oak New Breakup, Realtree AP HD, Advantage Timber, Seclusion Conifer.  Face nets and gloves are required.  

Weapons: Bows must shoot an arrow with a broadhead diameter of 1" or larger metal cutting edge.  The bow cannot have magnifying sights or lenses.  Shotguns should be chambered for 3" or 3-1/2" in either 12 gauge or 20 gauge (for smaller shooters).  The best loads we have found are the new Hevi-Shot brand with 2 or 2¼ ounces of either #5's or #6's.  Choke tubes should be "turkey super full," to produce the tightest patterns possible for your particular gun.  It is recommended that you pattern your shotgun prior to arrival.  Patterning is well worth the time and money,  considering how much we spend on turkey hunting.  Use a few different boxes of shells to see which loads produce the most hits. The magic number is 100 hits inside a 10" circle at 40 yards.  When it comes down to that one shot on a gobbler's noggin, you want to be confident it will "get the job done" without crippling the bird.   

New Mexico licenses and tags are OVER THE COUNTER.  License and tag fees are not included in our price.  New Mexico hunts fill fast.  Please try to book early if you are interested in a certain date.  

Arizona licenses and tags are on a limited draw basis.  Contact us before September for instructions on how to apply for AZ Merriam's. License and tag fees are not included in our price.  If you already drew an Arizona tag, give us a call or email.  We typically hunt Arizona units 1, 27 and 23.  

For those that own a camping trailer/pop-up and would like to bring it to camp to sleep in are more than welcome to do so, but we cannot discount the hunt any.   It must be small and high enough to be pulled on rough dirt roads.

If a hunter has not tagged by the scheduled end of hunt, there is an option of paying at a daily rate thereafter.

The possible hotel stay before/after the hunt for flying hunters is not included in the price.

Non-Hunter Fee: Invite someone as a non-hunter while on your guided turkey hunt for a fee of $500.00.

A minimum 50% non-refundable deposit is required to book the hunt.  In NM, the deposit is required upon booking.  In AZ, it is required only after tags are drawn.  The remaining balance is due at least 21 days prior to the hunt.  We recommend cancellation insurance for all of our guests.  Visit our general info page for more details on cancellations.

Be sure you visit our general info page and list of items to bring page.  Read our turkey articles for more feel of our hunts.

Latest Turkey Hunting Photos

 

New Mexico Merriam's wild turkey

Larry Hunt from New Jersey and turkey guide Pat Feldt with a big New Mexico Merriam's.  This bird has a 10.25" beard, 15/16" worn-down spurs and weighed 20.5lbs.  It was called-in and taken at 5 steps!  May 2009

 

New Mexico Merriams turkey

PJ Lampros came back to hunt for the legendary "Paintbrush Gobbler" of the Gila National Forest.  Thick 9" paintbrush beard and 1-1/16 inch spurs.  April 2009

 

Arizona Merriam's turkey

Robert Sandifur with his high-country Arizona Merriam's Gobbler.  This bird hung-up for nearly an hour before committing.  Once it came to the decoy, the game was up.  April 2009

 

New Mexico turkey Merriam's style

Rick Beach from Ohio took this nice Merriam's Gobbler at 29 yards.  Guide Pat Feldt called this 21-pound bird across a 500 yard canyon.  April 2009

More Merriam's Turkey Photos

Visit our favorite turkey hunting websites, the National Wild Turkey Federation and Wild Turkey Zone

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This website last updated: June 12, 2009

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