Western Turkey Tour: Second
stop....Colorado
By
Brenda Valentine
First Lady of Hunting®
May 20, 2009
We rolled in to the
Keyah Grande Ranch near Pagosa Springs,
Colorado on May 3. None of our crew was really
expecting such an elegant place to hunt turkeys.
The guest house at the Keyah
Grande is 5-star all the way.
The view from this lookout deck
near the pool allowed us to
glass for deer, elk and turkey
in the river bottom.
Keyah Grande offers horseback
riding in addition to a long
list of other outdoorsy
activities. Ranch Manager, Paul
Griffith, and I discuss the
ranch while enjoying our
favorite mode of transportation.
This old miners camp is now a
favorite picnic area. L-R:
Barney and Brenda Valentine,
Toni and Paul Griffith.
ATVing and snowmobiling are two
more fun ways to see the awesome
mountain scenery on the ranch
and the large numbers of
wildlife there.
Guide, Michael Iguchi (Goose),
Travis (NWTF cameraman) and
Barney Valentine (hunter) are
set-up along a foodplot where
turkeys frequent regularly.
Sometimes a wild turkey gobbler
can be the most difficult
critter to bag and this was one
of those times. However,
patience and persistence put
this bird on the dining table
(literally) and also on Turkey
Call television.
Chef prepared my turkey breast
for dinner in a fashion
unfamiliar to me but it was
delicious. There was enough of
this delectable dish to share
with everyone at the guest house
that evening.
I can't adequately describe the
amenities offered at Keyah
Grande so visit
their web site or better yet, visit them in
person. I am simply grateful for
the opportunity to spend time
there and thankful for their
support of the National Wild
Turkey Federation.
Some of the gear I've depended
on for such a successful season
includes:
-
Winchester Extended Range Turkey
Ammo
-
My old faithful Winchester 12
ga.pump shotgun.
-
Redhead leafy wear in Mossy Oak
Break-Up.
-
RedHead Turkey Lounger Vest.
-
An assortment of calls including
those made by RedHead, Commando,
Knight & Hale, Dale Rohm, and
others.
-
One brand new addition to my
turkey arsenal is a custom made
Severen & Severen Turkey Yelper.
This collector's item is a true
work of fine art but tough
enough to handle the rigors of
mountain hunting in style. I'm
sure the yelper is capable of
delivering notes beyond my
calling abilities but somehow I
manage to fool my fair share of
wild turkeys.
Next Stop:
Western Gateway Outfitters in
Hulett, Wy for the Western Jakes
Hunt of a Lifetime.
Second Stop:
Keyah Grande Ranch, Pagosa
Springs, Colorado
First Stop:
Tulloch
Creek Ranch near Big Horn,
Montana
Read all of Brenda's Field Notes
