Bield:Hunt
Spring turkey calendar

Colorado turkey season.

Merriam's subspeciesRio Grande subspecies

Colorado has both Merriam's (western and southern mountains) and Rio Grande (eastern plains river drainages). The state's elevation range produces real timing variation — eastern plains breed first, western mountains last, with high-country birds not peaking until mid-May.

Breeding phases by zone

Phases are calendar approximations driven by photoperiod — year-to-year variation is small. Peak Breeding is the toughest phase for call-response hunting; Gobbling and Post-breed are the best.

Western & Southern CO Merriam's

Merriam's
Mountain West / Merriam's
Gobbling / Pre-breed
Apr 5 – Apr 25
Peak Breeding
Apr 26 – May 18
Post-breed / Nesting
May 19 – Jun 7
Late Season
Jun 8 – Jun 25
Merriam's · Western & Southern CO Merriam's

Colorado's spring turkey season typically opens mid-April, with the long season lasting into late May to span elevation-driven breeding variation.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Eastern Plains Rio Grande

Rio Grande
Southern Plains / Rio Grande
Gobbling / Pre-breed
Mar 5 – Mar 28
Peak Breeding
Mar 29 – Apr 18
Post-breed / Nesting
Apr 19 – May 8
Late Season
May 9 – May 31
Rio Grande · Eastern Plains Rio Grande

Eastern Colorado Rio Grande hunts open with the rest of the state in mid-April but breed earlier — gobbling activity is well underway by early April in the river-bottom cottonwood country.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

What drives turkey timing here

Merriam's country runs across a wide latitude range, but elevation is the dominant variable. Lower-elevation valleys peak first in late April, with high-elevation timber not peaking until mid-to-late May. Plan zones for elevation, not just latitude.

Spring turkey breeding is triggered by photoperiod — increasing day length — which makes it remarkably consistent year to year within a given latitude band. Weather can shift gobbling intensity by a few days, but biological breeding timing barely moves. That's why a calendar built from photoperiod data is genuinely actionable for planning.

Source

Data sourced from Colorado Parks and Wildlife wild turkey program reports.

Always verify season dates and licensing requirements with the official agency before hunting. Season structures change year to year.

Get daily gobbling forecasts for your exact location.

Statewide phases are a starting point. Bield: Hunt logs your own observations — toms heard, hens seen, locations, conditions — and turns multi-season data into patterns no generic calendar can match.

Download Bield: Hunt
Related
Whitetail rut dates in Colorado
See rut dates →
Other state turkey calendars
Browse all states →