Almost every hunter that I know dreams of hunting out West. Most Midwestern and Eastern hunters who dream of hunting the West want to go on an elk or mule deer hunt. The problem with hunting big game out West is that it can be extremely expensive — especially if you hire an outfitter and guide.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love hunting elk and mule deer. But when I don’t have much extra cash in my bank account and want to go on a Western hunt, I go turkey hunting. Some of you may be wondering why would I spend my hard-earned money on a turkey hunt in Colorado, Arizona or New Mexico? Because it’s affordable. In many Western states, a spring turkey tag can be purchased over the counter, and doing a backcountry turkey hunt can be almost as much fun as elk hunting.
MOUNTAINTOP BIRDS
The first time that I turkey hunted in Colorado I came home with a beautiful Merriam’s gobbler. I harvested the longbeard on the side of a mountain at almost 10,000 feet elevation on a sunny afternoon, and the memory of that bird strutting in the sun in a mountaintop meadow is something that I will never forget.
Another plus is that, unlike elk hunting, the success rate for turkey hunting is extremely high. So if you go west to chase gobblers, chances are that you are going to go home with a bird if you work hard and put your time in — even if you hunt without an outfitter.
GO CAMPING
One of the main reasons that most hunters want to hunt out West is to experience the backcountry firsthand. I love camping in tents, cooking freeze-dried food in a Jetboil stove, and listening to gobblers sound off at first light miles from the nearest road. If you hunt turkeys in the backcountry the same way that many hunters pursue elk or mule deer, you will have the woods to yourself. Not many hunters chase turkeys in the backcountry, so if you are dreaming of getting away from hunting pressure, hunting gobblers out West is a great option.

Turkey hunting in the Black Hills and other scenic areas out West can give anyone a deeper appreciation for the challenge and nature’s gifts. Photo credit: Gordy J. Krahn
A LOW-BUDGET HUNT
The cost of hunting turkeys in the West is extremely reasonable if you stick to a low-budget, unguided hunt. I am confident that a hunter on a budget will spend less than $1,000 on a five-day hunt. I have been able to keep most of my unguided turkey hunts well under $1,000. When I go on a do-it-yourself hunt out West, I only stay in a hotel on the way out and the way back home. While I am hunting, I always stay in a small tent and bring my own food.
A BUCKET LIST TURKEY HUNT
Chris Denham, the host of “Western Hunter TV,” thinks everyone should hunt the West at least once. “Every hunter should have a Western hunting trip on their bucket list. A turkey hunt is an inexpensive way to experience the West without breaking the bank,” Denham said.
Jeff Budz also enjoys hunting turkeys out West. Budz is a turkey hunting guide in Florida and the name of his outfitting business is Tag It WorldWide. He has more turkey grand slams than any other hunter. “I have killed longbeards in 49 states. Some of my most cherished turkey hunting memories happened in the Western states,” Budz said. “I killed most of my birds and traveled for about $750 apiece, so it is safe to say that almost anyone can afford to go west and kill a Merriam’s or Gould’s turkey.”

A Gould’s tom in full strut.
ADDITIONAL SUBSPECIES OF TURKEYS
Most Eastern hunters have only killed Eastern gobblers. If you go west, you can kill a Merriam’s and mark one more subspecies off your list. “I think that if hunters hunt Merriam’s and tag out, they realize how much fun hunting turkeys all over can be, and sooner or later they will head west again in search of other subspecies like the Rio Grande,” Budz said.
MUST-HAVE GEAR
When going on an unguided backcountry hunt, there are a few things you can’t leave home without. A top-notch tent is a must. When backpacking in, it’s important that you pack a lightweight tent because everything you are packing in must go on your back. In addition to food, a tent is often the heaviest thing in your backpack. A lightweight tent can be expensive, but it is a one-time investment that will last a long time when cared for properly.
One obvious thing that you need on a backcountry turkey hunt is a good backpack. I use an Outdoorsmans pack. They are made in the U.S.A., lightweight and versatile. One aspect that I have learned about backpacks over the years is that a good backpack will make 75 pounds feel like 50 pounds on your back. A poorly designed backpack will make 50 pounds feel like 75 pounds. Always make sure that you spend as much as you can on a quality backpack.

Western turkey hunting offers affordable adventures for traveling hunters. Photo credit: Gordy J. Krahn
I typically bring a lightweight MSR stove and Mountain House freeze-dried food. When hunting at high altitudes, I also never leave home without Altitude Advantage, which is a supplement from Wilderness Athlete that helps us flat-landers deal with the thin air.
Other important gadgets that I take along include a Garmin GPS and a Garmin inReach satellite communication device. With a Garmin inReach, I can text my family at home while I’m off the grid, and call for help if I get hurt when way out off the beaten path.
CALL A BIOLOGIST
After all of your gear is purchased and your tag is secured, I would suggest doing one more thing: call a biologist in the area that you plan on hunting. Jeff Budz agrees.
“Turkey hunting isn’t as popular as elk and deer hunting. A game biologist can be a big help and will likely answer most, if not all, of your questions about a certain area because he likely won’t be competing with you for the best hunting spots, and neither will many other hunters. Most states have regional biologists that can point hunters in the right direction. Some will even put an X on a map for turkey hunters if they are polite on the phone,” Budz explained.
Turkey hunting out West and killing a Merriam’s longbeard deep in the backcountry is an experience every hardcore hunter should try before they can no longer hike long distances. The view of the mountains as the sun comes up is breathtaking. Once you realize how fun and affordable a do-it-yourself Western turkey hunt can be, you will likely plan a trip every year!