New to Arizona Turkey Hunting

[Mtolliver]

Hey everyone, I just moved to Arizona from Kentucky last august, and I'm hoping next year I will get to chase a Merriam for the first time. Turkeys have always been my favorite game species to chase, this year was the first season since I was 9 (I'm 26 now) that I hadn't chased a Tom around a hillside. Im convinced I could go just about anywhere in Appalachia or the mid-west and be successful on Eastern birds, but iv heard the birds here act a lot different. Does anyone have any advice, such as do they talk as much as eastern birds? Do they have roosting patterns? When the hens go to nest how do the Toms react? And far south can you find them? Any info will be appreciated.

 

[Bigjay73]

They act the same as the birds I hunted in the south (NC). They're all over the state, with groups of Goulds down south. I like 23 and 1 for turkeys, but they're all over. San Carlos rez has a ton as well. It's a good option if you want more than 1 tag and not leave the state. I always found them roosting in tree tops parallel to the tops of ridges. Tom's will be out looking for hend when hens go to nest. That's my favorite time to hunt them.