The Gould's turkey: completing your Grand Slam in Sonora
The Gould's is the largest of the five North American subspecies and lives almost exclusively in northern México. What makes the hunt unique, and what it takes to get one.
A North American turkey Grand Slam — Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande, Merriam's and Gould's — is one of the bucket-list achievements in upland hunting. The Gould's is the rarest of the five and the only one most U.S. hunters have to leave the country to take. Sonora's oak-pine high country is its stronghold.
What sets the Gould's apart
- The largest of the five subspecies — toms regularly weigh 22–28 pounds.
- Distinctive snow-white tips on the tail fan and lower back feathers.
- Long beards (10–12 inches) and heavy spurs.
- Lives at 4,500–7,500 feet in oak-pine woodlands, not desert.
Season and timing
Mexican spring season runs April through May. We focus on mid-April through early May, when toms are gobbling hard off the roost and are most responsive to calling. Three to four hunting days is plenty — we have a 95%+ success rate on mature longbeards.
How we hunt them
Roost the night before, set up 100–150 yards from the roost tree before first light, and call them in. We use a mix of soft tree yelps at dawn, a few cuts as they hit the ground, and silence until they commit. Decoys are optional — sometimes they help, sometimes a hot tom hangs up looking. Your guide reads it.
What to bring
- 12 or 20 gauge shotgun with full or extra-full turkey choke and 3-inch turkey loads (#5 or #6).
- Full camo — face mask and gloves matter, gould's have whitetail eyes.
- Layered clothing — mornings in the 40s°F, midday in the 70s°F.
- Comfortable boots for short uphill walks.
Combine it
April and May overlap with the tail end of bass season and the beginning of summer dove. Many hunters tack a turkey hunt onto a fishing trip for a relaxed week-long combo. Ask us about the package.
