Hunting Gould’s

By: Jared Felkins

Probably some of the most unique turkey hunting in the world can be found in the northern and central parts of Mexico where the Gould’s wild turkey lives and thrives.

According to Hunter’s Specialties Pro Staffer Eddie Salter, hunting Gould’s is like hunting no other subspecies of wild turkey. He said the most important thing to remember is to come to the hunt prepared.

“I grew up hunting Easterns,” Salter said. “You try your best to get good ground on the birds you are hunting. That means the same or higher ground they are on. I remember the first time I hunted Gould’s. Climbing those mountains was killer on an old flatlander boy like me.”

Salter said to keep in mind that locating birds is your most difficult challenge. Once found, a Gould’s is willing to travel a long distance to your call.

“If you hear a bird gobble, it may take them 30 minutes, but they are coming,” Salter said. “You have to cover a lot of ground, but if you find them, you can call them in fairly easily. If you hear a gobble, stay put because they are going to investigate that hen yelp.”

In terms of calling to a Gould’s, a higher pitched call seems to work best for Salter. He recommends using a two-reed mouth call or a boat paddle to send a high-pitched series of aggressive calls.

“The Gould’s seems to respond better to a high-pitched call, unlike the raspy sound an Eastern hen makes,” Salter said.

According to Salter, it good to remember your hunting destination is in another country if going for a Gould’s. Being prepared and making sure you obey all of the rules and regulations is important.

“The Gould’s is a really exciting bird to hunt,” Salter said. “It might pay to take a lesson in Spanish before you go, since your guide will most likely be from Mexico. I wish I would have remembered that my first trip. It really made for an interesting hunt.”

*Content courtesy of The National Wild Turkey Federation.