Oklahoma turkey hunting season dates generally occur from the first week of April through the first week of May.  Due to excellent harvest management practices, hunting is consistently productive throughout the entire season.

2011 Oklahoma Turkey Hunting rates are as follows:

$975 for 2-day Oklahoma turkey hunts to include 2 gobblers per hunter.  $150 trophy fee for 3rd gobbler.

$1,100 for 3-day Oklahoma turkey hunts to include 3 gobblers per hunter.

Oklahoma Turkey Hunting packages include:

• Lodging
• Meals (breakfast & dinner)
• Guides (if desired)
• Daily transportation to turkey hunting area
• 2 or 3 rio grand gobblers per hunter limit (2-day and 3-day packages, respectively)

Oklahoma Turkey Hunts do not include airport transfers or car rentals, discretionary gratuities, bird processing, or hunting licenses.

GetDucks.com Senior Field Advisor, Pat Pitt, has accomplished the World Slam several times and considers this Rio Grande Wild Turkey hunt to be the surest thing in wild turkey hunting.

"If I only had one final day for the remainder of my life to shoot a turkey," Pat says, "this is definitely the place I'd want to hunt!"

For expert testimony about Rio Grande Wild Turkey hunts or other GetDucks.com wild turkey hunting packages, give Pat Pitt a shout at 662-893-4844 or contact Ramsey Russell toll free at 866-438-3897.

"He came in on a string, but strutted for over 400 of the 600 yards we worked him. At about 50 yards, over the sound of the rain, I could hear him spit and drum. He was putting on a show for us in the middle of a downpour. Joel was breathing like a high school kid in the backseat of a limo on Prom night, and having trouble holding up his gun. He was shaking like a kid staring at his first bicycle. His excitement was contagious, my heart was beating out of my chest. I am not sure if the rain and cold had him or the nerves did, but it was pure adrenaline on my part. When the Gobbler got to about 25 yards I putted, trying to get him out of strut. No luck, the best he would do is half strut looking right at me. Then I said "shoot him" but there was no response, so I said shoot, and heard nothing, finally I said shoot him now and I hear click, BOOM.  The bird was head down on the dirt and my buddy was relieved and thrilled. He had 1" hooks and 9 ½" beard, a nice bird. My buddy and I had taken our first Rios, 3 beautiful gobblers, on the first day of the Oklahoma turkey hunt!!! I thought to myself, and this is just day one!" ~ Gordon Shaw

Arrive to hunting camp the afternoon prior to your first hunt.  Arriving from Oklahoma City by commercial airline requires car rental and about 2 hours drive time.  Depart following your last day's hunt or, pending lodge availability, the following morning.

The following are suggested for Oklahoma turkey hunts:

• Valid Oklahoma turkey hunting license (available locally)
• Shotgun
• Shotgun shells
• Camo clothing and raingear
• Preferred turkey decoys and other gear
• Hunting boots for the field
• Camera
• Coolers to transport your trophies

Patiently waiting and sparingly calling are the most succesful strategy for turkey hunting in Oklahoma.  The habitat is generally far too open for run-and-gun techniques common to big woods eastern wild turkey hunting. Blinds are usually lightly contructed brush blinds. 

Rio Grande Wild Turkey

The Rio Grande wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) is native to the central plains states and got its common name from the area in which it is found - the life giving water supply which borders the brushy scrub, arid country of the southern Great Plains, western Texas and northeastern Mexico. This subspecies was first described by George B. Sennett in 1879 who said it was intermediate in appearance between the eastern and western subspecies, hence its scientific name.

It is similar in general appearance to the other subspecies of the wild turkey and similar in body size to the Florida Turkey, about four feet tall, but with disproportionately long legs. The Rio Grande turkeys are comparatively pale and copper colored. They are distinguished from the eastern and Florida subspecies by having tail feathers and tail/rump coverts tipped with yellowish-buff or tan color rather than medium or dark brown. Although there has been more variation in the shade of buff/brown in the tail feathers among Rio specimens, the color is consistently lighter than in the eastern or Florida birds and darker than the same feathers in the Merriam's or Gould's subspecies.

Adult females, called hens, are smaller in size compared to the males, called gobblers, and similar in color but duller. Hens average 8 to 12 pounds while gobblers may weigh around 20 pounds at maturity. Feathers of the breast, sides and flanks are tipped with pale pinkish buff.

The Rio inhabits brush areas near streams and rivers or mesquite, pine and scrub oak forests. It may be found up to 6,000 feet elevation and generally favors country that is more open than the wooded habitat favored by its eastern cousins. The Rio Grande is considered gregarious and, nomadic in some areas, having distinct summer and winter ranges. They may form large flocks of several hundred birds during the winter period. It has been known to travel distances of 10 or more miles from traditional winter roost sites to its nesting areas.

*Content courtesy of The National Wild Turkey Federation.

License Requirements - Oklahoma Turkey Hunting (Rio Grande Turkey Hunts)

To turkey hunt in Oklahoma requires the following:

1.  NR Hunting license. A yearly small game hunting license for nonresidents 14 years of age or older. A turkey license also required.  Total $142.00

2.  Turkey Hunting (spring) Permit. Required of all persons, resident and nonresident, who hunt during Oklahoma's spring turkey season. Annual hunting license is also required for residents. Nonresident annual hunting license is also required for all nonresidents age 14 or older. Valid for one bird only during the spring turkey hunting season. $10.00 each. 

All turkey hunters must possess a turkey permit for each bird to be hunted; Multiple bird hunts require purchase of multiple turkey permits.  Oklahoma turkey hunting permits and licenses may be purchased online in advance of the hunt or over the counter after your arrival.

General Regulations - Oklahoma Turkey Hunts (Rio Grande Turkey Hunting)

Tom Turkey Definition: Any bearded turkey, regardless of sex.

Identification: Evidence of sex [one (1) leg with foot] must remain on the bird until it has reached its final destination.

Beards on hens must remain intact and not removed from the turkey until the bird has reached its final destination.

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before official sunrise to official sunset.

Roost Shooting: Roost shooting is prohibited.

Decoys & Recorded Calls: Artificial decoys are permitted. Live decoys and recorded calls are prohibited.

Field Tagging: Upon harvesting a turkey, all hunters, including lifetime license holders, must immediately attach their name and hunting license number securely to the carcass. The attached item can be anything, as long as it contains the hunter's name and license number. This information must remain attached to the carcass until it is checked (where required) or reaches its final destination.

Contact us for more information about Oklahoma turkey hunting!