Colorado Turkey Hunting 101 Series Equips New Hunters for Success
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — For many new hunters, stepping into the woods in pursuit of a spring gobbler can feel overwhelming — especially in the rugged terrain of the West. To bridge the gap between curiosity and confidence, the NWTF Colorado Front Range Chapter, in partnership with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, launched its first-ever Turkey Hunting 101 series in 2024. With the second annual series, which started in January 2025 and will conclude this April, we’re taking a look back at how this program helped shape new hunters and prepare them for their first gobbler pursuit.
Designed to equip aspiring turkey hunters with the knowledge and skills needed for a successful season, the four-part series combined classroom learning with hands-on field experience. Approximately 70 participants took part in the program, which featured three interactive seminars at CPW headquarters and a field day at Cherry Creek State Park. By the time opening day arrived, these hunters weren’t just prepared, they were ready to step into the woods with the confidence and know-how to chase their first gobble.
“We had several zoom calls, some with CPW, to coordinate and organize ahead of the first seminar last year,” said Cliff Beasley, Colorado NWTF State Board member. “Joseph Bryan, NWTF Front Range Chapter member, Connor Blaxton, Colorado State Board member and I drafted materials for the classroom and field sessions.”
Understanding the challenges of turkey hunting, especially in the unique landscapes of the West, organizers designed the course to break down key aspects of the hunt into digestible, engaging sessions.
“We hope to accelerate the learning curve for our participants and get new hunters into the woods,” Beasley said. “In addition to spreading awareness about the NWTF and our mission, we wanted to provide novice sportsmen and women with community and networking opportunities to connect with other hunters.”
- Session one introduced participants to turkey biology and behavior, essential hunting gear, calling techniques and an overview of Colorado’s hunting regulations, including the draw system.
- Session two took a deeper dive into turkey ecology, focusing on Colorado’s turkey populations, scouting strategies and digital tools, like onX, to plan a hunt effectively. David Nikonow, NWTF district biologist, provided expert insights during this session.
- Session three covered real-world hunting tactics, with an NWTF panel sharing strategies for handling common scenarios in the field. The session concluded with a hands-on demonstration of field dressing and preparation techniques, helping hunters bring their harvest from field to table.
- The field day was all about preparation, allowing participants to pattern their shotguns, familiarize themselves with their gear, and gain confidence before opening day.
Recognizing a gap in hunter education for Colorado’s unique terrain and hunting conditions, NWTF Front Range Chapter members saw an opportunity to give back to the community.
“We wanted to improve our chapters community engagement and saw a need for better hunter outreach in the Front Range,” Beasley said. “Educating new hunters was a great approach to getting more involved in our community. Hunting out West is such a different animal in many regards from other parts of the country. Joseph, Connor and I, while lifelong turkey hunters, are all relatively recent Colorado residents. We all group up across the South. After more experience hunting Colorado, it was clear to us that learning to hunt in Colorado could be intimidating to brand new hunters. The learning curve to hunting out West can be steep, pun intended. We wanted to help jump start the lifelong learning process for interested, new hunters by sharing our lessons learned from hunting turkeys across the country and here at home in Colorado.”
With overwhelmingly positive feedback and every session sold out, the Turkey Hunting 101 series returned in 2025. The next round of seminars will conclude on March 19, with the field day taking place in April, just in time for Colorado’s spring turkey season, which runs from April 12 to May 31.
“The goal of our series is to provide both new hunters and experienced hunters new to turkey hunting out West with the tools and knowledge needed to successfully harvest a Colorado turkey,” Beasley said. “We’ve continued to refine our sessions with each iteration to provide more effective education and engagement with new hunters.”
For those interested in learning more about Colorado’s spring turkey rules and regulations, visit the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.