“I’ve been in the woods a lot this year,” said Tehama County guide Bobby Hassel, “and I’ve seen turkeys all over the place. Last fall, we harvested a couple of dozen birds, and this spring we expect to do the same.”

Meanwhile, Aaron Brooks, who represents Mad Calls and hunts turkeys with a passion, raved about the situation in El Dorado, Sacramento, Placer and Amador counties.

“Last year, I was in on 12 hunts when friends got longbeards, and I got three myself,” he said. “There are lots of birds around this year, too. Last summer, I saw three hens with a total of 21 poults. That’s incredible, and most of the other hens I saw had at least five or six young apiece.

“I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but there were scads of jakes in 2006, and they’ll all be adults this coming spring. It should be a heck of a spring for turkey hunting in 2008!”

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Living in this region and being an avid turkey hunter, I naturally keep one eye open for turkeys wherever I go. Last spring, I kept tabs on hens in three different places and noted that all of them successfully raised several poults. Since then, I’ve seen turkeys occasionally here and there, including 10 jakes in one group last fall.

From what I’ve observed, there’s no lack of turkeys in Shasta County and reports I’ve gotten from Trinity and Tehama counties are also upbeat.

For example, Jim Schaafsma, of Arrow Five Outfitters in southern Trinity County, said the mild spring really helped the birds on the ranch where he lives.

“I’ve seen more birds than ever on the place,” Schaafsma said. “And I think the weather had a lot to do with it. Here in the mountains, the spring can be awfully wet and cold. But last year, it was mostly sunny and dry.”

Arrow Five Outfitters can be reached at (707) 923-9633, or online at www.arrowfiveoutfitters.com

Let’s move south a bit to Tehama County’s Red Bank Ranch, where chief turkey guide Bobby Hassel noted that production was off a little last spring. But it was by no means poor.

“I’ve been in the woods a lot this year,” he said, “and I’ve seen turkeys all over the place. Last fall, we harvested a couple of dozen birds, and this spring we expect to do the same.

“Thanks to carryover from 2006, we have scads of feisty two-year-old longbeards on the ranch, and a bunch of older-class toms as well.

“I’m looking forward to another great year around here.”

In addition to turkey hunts, the Red Bank Ranch offers turkey-hog combination hunts. For information, call (530) 529-9435, or check out their site at www.redbankhunting.com

For an overview of the turkey situation throughout northern California, Game & Fish Magazine contacted Ryan Mathis, regional biologist for the National Wild Turkey Federation. “There are pluses and minuses in both wet and dry springs and different affects, depending on where you happen to be,” Mathis said.

“In the places I visited last summer and fall, there seems to be plenty of turkeys, including a lot of nearly grown jakes, which indicates a good early hatch.”

Find more about California fishing and hunting at CaliforniaGameandFish.com