Lake County outdoor writer Terry Knight is one of the most knowledgeable turkey hunters I know. He's been encouraged by what he's been hearing about public-land hunts.

"I was surprised by how many hunters told me they got into turkeys on public land," Knight said. "They all didn't get birds, but they heard them and worked them, and that's half the fun."

Knight said his grandson got a big tom on the Mendocino National Forest near Lake Pillsbury. And a friend got a Merriam's tom somewhere in the Mendocino high country.

Knight said he saw flocks of turkeys in Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties, and it looked like another year of high poult survival.

It wasn't unusual to see individual hens with 7 or 8 half grown poults, which is above average, he said.

Knight spoke about some of his favorite public-land hunting spots, including the 70,000-acre Cache Creek Natural Area in Lake and Colusa counties. This is a primitive area with no motor vehicles allowed, managed jointly by the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of Fish and Game. There's a drawing to hunt the first two days of the season. After that, anyone can hunt it.

For more information, log on to blm.gov/ca/ukiah/cachecreek.html. You can also call the BLM's Ukiah office at (707) 468-4000, or the DFG at (707) 944-5500.

Other places that get the nod are the Knoxville Wildlife Area in Napa County, the Spenceville Wildlife Area in Yuba and Nevada counties, and the Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area in Yuba County. For information on Knoxville, contact the DFG at the number above. For the others, as well as the Oroville Wildlife Area, contact the DFG at (916) 358-2839.

Meanwhile, in Sonoma County, turkey guide and vineyard manager Tony Giorgi said that he saw hens with average broods -- say, three or four poults apiece, which isn't all that bad. Giorgi also said that during the 2006 season, he saw more jakes than ever. The survivors will add to the pool of adult gobblers now. He takes around 20 hunters each spring and expects good hunting all around.

Meanwhile, Aaron Brooks -- who represents Mad Calls and hunts turkeys with a passion -- said that last spring was slow for him due to stormy weather in the mountains of El Dorado County.

Just the same, he got his gobblers and saw several more toms taken by friends.

"Usually I hunt nearly every day, but last spring, I only hunted 12 days," Brooks said. "Too much rain."

But he also said that production was good if not exceptional in El Dorado, Sacramento, Placer and Amador counties.

"I saw lots of hens in my travels, and they seemed to average around four poults apiece. What surprised me was the hen with tiny poults I saw in late August. She must have lost nests at least two times before she made a go of it. Regardless, 2007 should be good -- weather permitting, of course."

Farther south and west in San Luis Obispo County, Doug Roth, of Camp Five Outfitters had a couple of astute observations.