Number Five: The Final Arizona Governor's Gould’s Hunt

For a lot of hunters across the nation, spring turkey looking is considered as “one thing to take up time till fall.” For me, this couldn’t be extra inaccurate. Turkey looking is what I’m counting down the times to, whether or not I’m chasing screaming bulls in September or rut-drunk desert bucks in January. Turkeys are at all times on my thoughts.

This previous summer season, the Arizona Sport and Fish Division (AZGFD) handed new laws eliminating public sale governor/commissioner tags. Every year, the AZGFD Fee would award a number of tags to pick conservation teams to be auctioned off. This tag gave the fortunate winner the liberty to hunt twelve months, in any authorized unit, with any authorized weapon. Not solely did these tags generate tons of of hundreds of {dollars} for conservation, however additionally they opened the door to the hunt of a lifetime. This particular tag was offered on the “NWTF: Superstition Stutters” banquet in August 2024. It was the last-ever tag to be offered, and subsequently the bidding mirrored that.

I used to be lucky sufficient to be bidding for anyone over the cellphone, and wouldn’t it, he gained. The subsequent morning, I texted him to congratulate him and supplied to assist with the hunt. He took me up on it, so the primary probability I obtained, I hit the hills.

Gould’s Historical past

Now, one necessary factor to notice is that Arizona is a particular state within the side that we now have three wild turkey species: Merriam’s, that are discovered all through northern Arizona; Rio Grandes, which have a really small inhabitants on the Arizona Strip; and Gould’s, discovered within the southern a part of the state. The Gould’s turkey is a hen with a narrative. It was extinct in Arizona till the early to mid-Eighties when the AZGFD and NWTF started working with the Mexican authorities to relocate birds from northern Mexico into riparian areas and the massive mountain ranges in southern Arizona known as “the sky islands.”

Forty years later, right here we’re with a wholesome inhabitants that a number of fortunate tag holders get to hunt each spring. With the Gould’s being such a sought-after hen and tag allocation being as troublesome as it’s, naturally, that’s the place we set our sights.

Scouting

Scouting began in September. We weren’t simply after any common tom, most having 7-8 inch beards and ½ inch or smaller spurs (in the event that they even have each spurs). We needed to discover a hen that desires are fabricated from. After numerous hours spent sifting by jakes and lots of common toms, I lastly discovered a spot that had a number of birds that obtained me excited. We deliberate to start out looking in mid-March, which offered a brand new set of challenges. The birds would nonetheless be of their winter flocks, they usually would not actually be vulnerable to calling but. However this spot, being an open river backside holding 100+ birds, would supply an excessive problem but additionally an expertise like no different.

Jake, Jake, Jake…

My good good friend and looking associate, Tyler, and I arrived at camp on March twenty first, picked up Kevin, the tag holder, and headed all the way down to the spot to observe the birds roost and make a recreation plan for the morning. The birds did the identical factor I’ve seen them do many occasions earlier than, with some slight variations. Regardless, I had hope that the plan I had in thoughts for the morning would nonetheless work.

The morning of the twenty second rolled round, and we obtained up at 3:00 AM. We must stroll by the fully open, swampy river backside and arrange on the solely cowl we had, about 90 yards away from a pair of sycamore timber that had roughly 100 birds in them. We wanted to be arrange effectively earlier than the birds began to open their eyes. At 3:45 AM, we arrived at our makeshift blind, arrange the decoys, and the wait started. At 5:15 AM, because the solar started to vary the sky from black to grey, the primary hen hit the bottom. Shortly after, the river backside was stuffed with the thunder of all of the birds leaving the roost concurrently, and right here got here some shiny pink heads by the grass, making a beeline to our decoys.

Jake, jake, jake… roughly 30 jakes got here in and beat up my decoy for about 20 minutes till they’d their fill. Within the meantime, I may see the toms, 80-100 yards away from us, simply strutting and never coming any nearer. It doesn’t matter what we did, or what methods I may pull out of my sleeve with calling, it was nonetheless too early. The toms didn’t care. Finally, the flocks started to separate up and work into the thick hillsides, disappearing for his or her noon siesta. That night, we determined to vary angles a bit so we might be extra in keeping with the trail the toms had taken each night.

We arrange at 3:00 PM and began listening to the primary hens yelping within the distance at roughly 5:45 PM. One after the other, birds began to seem within the distance, they usually learn the script. They learn it so effectively that they determined to vary it! All of the birds got here in from behind us, and from that angle, we had been sitting geese. One hen picked us out, putted, they usually all flew into the tree from wherever they stood. We had one tom come into the decoys about 15 yards away from us, however as a result of crossbow being on a tripod, not solely was the hen secure because of his common beard, however transferring the tripod would’ve been not possible with out spooking him, as effectively.

Sluggish Strut

At 3:00 AM on Sunday, March twenty third, we determined to go away the decoys within the truck and arrange the place the toms had spent all morning strutting the day earlier than. We went in quietly and slowly, placing us solely 30 yards away from the roost tree. We thought we made it in there like bandits within the evening, however because the solar began to rise, I seen one thing. A tom roosted 10 yards behind us, about 4 toes off the bottom on this little thicket of downfall that we had been sitting in. Quickly, all of the birds started to fly down. The tom behind us flew down and walked in entrance of us at about 15 yards, however by no means stopped for a shot. He joined up with the remainder of the flock, they usually all sat there feeding and strutting about 80 yards out.

We had the identical group of jakes and hens from the earlier morning stroll previous us at six yards, and all of the toms determined to take a path I had by no means seen them take earlier than. They weren’t spooked or scared–simply strutting, slowly working off in numerous instructions. The opposite problem of mid-March: they’re simply beginning to slowly transition into their spring habits, and their patterns are altering little by little.

On our approach again to camp, we got here by a spot the place we had a hen fireplace off one time the day earlier than. Lo and behold, there have been birds, and a whole lot of them. It was thick and nasty, so the crossbow wasn’t an possibility. I threw out a number of quiet yelps to check the waters… nothing. With the birds not responding to calls, that left us with one possibility: We loaded the shotgun and started our stalk. We may solely see about 10-20 yards, with a number of home windows the place we may see farther. We spent a couple of minutes sorting by hens and jakes till we laid eyes on a mature tom, and he regarded large.

Chess Match

We obtained a shot alternative in a small clearing at about 50 yards, however with out sufficient time for Kevin to get settled and execute a superb shot. We looped across the birds and obtained a few small shot home windows at him, however nonetheless couldn’t make it occur. Lastly, across the 20-minute mark of stalking these birds, we got here to a spot on the canyon edge. Wanting down, there have been two hens. Tyler mentioned, “Shoot that hen, he’s obtained a rope.” I mentioned, “Don’t shoot that hen, it’s a hen. I’m taking a look at it by the binos.”

After a number of seconds of bickering like an outdated married couple, I used to be shortly corrected as I noticed this tom step into the small window, 40 yards away. I obtained Kevin in entrance of me and informed him to take his time, however make it rely. He shot, and there was no hen. Tyler and I took off working down the steep hill, nervous that the hen would possibly’ve simply been rolled. We obtained to a roughly 20-foot cliff, and the hen was on the backside together with his head up. Earlier than I may even say something, Tyler was sliding down the cliff. He grabbed the hen, and the hunt was over.

After a whole lot of cheering, high-fives, and hugs, we regarded on the hen, and he was approach greater than we thought. He had each spurs, proper at one inch, and the beard was dang near 11 inches. We took footage, obtained again to the truck, and measured. 10.5 inches was the ultimate size of the beard. After official scoring, the hen was a whopping 63.79 factors, the brand new #5 typical Gould’s ever taken within the state. A hunt everybody will keep in mind. Thanks to Kevin for letting us assist out on the hunt. Thanks to Tom Hinski for the photographs and video. Thanks to Tyler Stein for serving to out as at all times, and naturally, Greg Koons for the connection and recommendation.