# Pahvant Mountains Turkeys?



## swoleymammoth (Apr 27, 2020)

Hey everyone,


Drew a limited entry southern unit turkey tag. I'm thinking about trying out the Pahvant range, between Fillmore, Scipio, and Richfield as that's where I deer hunted last season and I am somewhat familiar with the area. My question is, for anyone who has been up that way, have you seen any signs of turkey? Are there any decent populations of birds in that area or am I wasting time? Also thinking about trying out eight mile canyon on the other side of I-15, never been up there though. Thank you all in advance for the help and I hope I get my first turkey this year!


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Lots and lots of turkeys...and just as many hunters. The area between Scipio and Aurora has loads.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Maple Canyon. I think is the area??


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

That's as good a plan and area as any. All I can say is, if you can, get out a couple times scouting in the week proceeding the hunt and see if you can locate a flock or two. If you know there are a few birds in the area you'll at least have a chance. Chances are very low that you will find a flock that no one knows about and will not have other hunters setting up on first thing on that opening morning, but all you can do is get out there and try. Be careful with your calling and mindful of calling in general as other hunters will be in the area.

Just a couple of general turkey hunting tips..if you have a bird answer your call, sit down and HOLD STILL. Follow the golden rule of calling...never call from a place that you can not setup and shoot from. The biggest mistake newbie turkey hunters make is not understanding just how alert and reactive turkeys are to movement.

Good luck, be careful, and try and enjoy the outing. I sincerely hope you get that first turkey.


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## swoleymammoth (Apr 27, 2020)

wyoming2utah said:


> Lots and lots of turkeys...and just as many hunters. The area between Scipio and Aurora has loads.


Thanks for the advice! That's sort of the area I was thinking, maybe going to maple grove campground area or up willow creek canyon. I'm hoping there's a bit less pressure on the LE hunt compared to general season but I think that might be wishful thinking.


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## swoleymammoth (Apr 27, 2020)

taxidermist said:


> Maple Canyon. I think is the area??


Yeah Maple Grove! Thank you for the advice! I was planning on trying that area out, might go up willow creek canyon too, or maybe down to fillmore canyon if I don't see or hear any sign of turkeys.


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## swoleymammoth (Apr 27, 2020)

BPturkeys said:


> That's as good a plan and area as any. All I can say is, if you can, get out a couple times scouting in the week proceeding the hunt and see if you can locate a flock or two. If you know there are a few birds in the area you'll at least have a chance. Chances are very low that you will find a flock that no one knows about and will not have other hunters setting up on first thing on that opening morning, but all you can do is get out there and try. Be careful with your calling and mindful of calling in general as other hunters will be in the area.
> 
> Just a couple of general turkey hunting tips..if you have a bird answer your call, sit down and HOLD STILL. Follow the golden rule of calling...never call from a place that you can not setup and shoot from. The biggest mistake newbie turkey hunters make is not understanding just how alert and reactive turkeys are to movement.
> 
> Good luck, be careful, and try and enjoy the outing. I sincerely hope you get that first turkey.


Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it. I'll definitely plan on scouting at least a couple of times before the hunt just to make sure that there's at least some birds up there!


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

Contrary to popular belief, not all flocks of birds move off the mountains every year and winter in the bottoms of canyons, next to the road, where everyone else is hunting them. In fact there’s lots of groups of birds that never get hunted during the spring early and even the general season. With the lack of snow currently, they can be anywhere. I’m seeing birds moving back up the mountain right now into areas that usually have 3’+ of snow in it. They do travel drainages and will follow the snow line. So if you can find a canyon with birds down low, it might be worth looking higher than everyone else. 

I’ve got a spot I see turkeys in during the archery elk hunt, up pretty high. A few years back on a weekend I was bored, I decided to go check a camera I had left out over the winter and do a little shed hunting on some near by ridges that I had found sheds on before. When I got in there, I was surprised to find all kinds of turkeys already in there. Ended up killing a bird there on the general hunt, had the entire place to myself. Wondering if it was a fluke, I checked there again the following year, when our snowpack was above average. This place is 8000’+. Same thing, birds were in there then too. My camera over the winter shows they are there year round, deep snow or no snow. I’ve yet to see any sign of a human in there at all until around the middle of June. I know of several places like this in central utah, that I suspect never get hunted. My point is, if you get out and go look at places you know has birds in the fall up higher away from traffic, and there’s plenty of food and open hillsides snow burns off regularly, you might be able to locate areas that no one else is hunting. There probably isn’t many birds that stay high, but id rather hunt 2 toms in an area and have it to myself than hunt 100 toms down low that everyone else is chasing.


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Maple Grove will have lots of people...in fact, many years the campground has not been opened up yet on that early hunt and people are still packed in there. I would suggest going somewhere else. That area will have a lot of people...even on the LE hunt.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

There will be turkeys in the vicinity of Maple Grove...I saw a few inside the campground during the general hunt last year. It's not a secret. There are turkeys all up and down that mountain range. I've heard tell there are plenty on the south end as well, but I've never hunted that part of the range...for anything.


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## swoleymammoth (Apr 27, 2020)

Thank you all for the info! Has anyone ever hunted or been down eightmile creek on the other side of I-15? Was taking a look at Onx maps and watched a couple of youtube videos on the area and it looks promising.


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