By 1940, turkeys were still primarily found in near Trinidad, Pagosa Springs, so the Division launched an extensive research project to determine the best strategy for expanding the number of populations. This effort was so successful that by the early 1950 s the Division began allowing turkey hunting, but only during the fall of the year. With the exception of some experimental spring hunts in the mid-1960 s, the first official spring season was launched on April 14, 1973. That first season ran for just under a month. A total of 628 hunters bagged 64 birds.
Today is a different story.
Last year, the Division issued 9,865 licenses for the spring season. Colorado is home to two subspecies of wild turkeys. The Rio Grande wild turkey, native to the central plains states and introduced into eastern Colorado in 1980, inhabits cottonwood stands and river bottoms adjacent to agricultural lands. Each year the National Wild Turkey Federation in conjunction with the Colorado Division of Wildlife provides wheat, corn, sorghum and alfalfa seed to private landowners who wish to enhance wildlife habitat on their property. Extensive habitat improvement projects also take place on some of Colorado s State Wildlife areas.