"The turkeys reproduced very well last spring," Roth said. "The weather was mild, so the poults that escaped predation are all young adults now. I saw more broods than usual on a ranch we hunt in southern Monterey County, and our main ground in San Luis Obispo County was loaded. Of course, we prefer to take only mature gobblers in the spring, and I think there are plenty of them to go around. In all, we have around 50,000 acres to hunt in this area."

For information on Camp 5 hunts for turkeys, wild pigs and deer, call (805) 238-3634 or (805) 610-0031.

Meanwhile, Eldon Bergman, who has been guiding turkey hunters in San Luis Obispo County for decades, had similar observations.

"There are turkeys scattered all through this country," he said. "The other day I saw a group of 31 hens and poults in a creek bed near my house. Last spring, one of my hunters missed a tom, but everyone else got a bird. I don't see any reason why 2010 can't be just as good."

To contact Bergman, call (805) 238-5504.

Another familiar name in California Game & Fish is Terry Knight, fellow outdoor writer and veteran turkey hunter from Lakeport in Lake County. As usual, Knight was enthusiastic about the hunting potential in the surrounding area.

"I keep saying that the turkeys are expanding their range in Lake County, and I have no doubt they are," Knight said. "Due to ideal nesting conditions last spring, the quail did great and the turkeys did too. The hens I've seen had an average of six or seven poults going into fall, and that's exceptional. We always hear about the effects of predation on young turkeys, but the hens can deal with some of the threats. Last summer, I watched one of them chase a tom cat across a field to protect her brood, which I thought was surprisingly aggressive."

Knight also mentioned sightings of several gobbler groups, indicating that spring music should be abundant.

In 2009, he got good reports from the Cache Creek Natural Area (Lake County), the Knoxville Wildlife Area (Napa County) and the Jackson State Forest near Fort Bragg. Apparently, the Spenceville Wildlife Area (Yuba and Nevada counties) was tough because of hunting pressure, but there are still birds there. Turkeys are also present on the Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area (Yuba County) and the Oroville Wildlife Area. For more info on those three places, contact the CDFG at (916) 358-2839.

The Cache Creek Natural Area is a 70,000-acre mix of state and federal land. For information on this property, contact the Bureau of Land Management at (707) 468-4000 or visit blm.gov/ca/cachecreek.html. Additional info on Cache Creek and the Knoxville Wildlife Area can be obtained by contacting the CDFG at (707) 944-5500.

Meanwhile, across the Sacramento Valley to the east, my pal Aaron Brooks of Mt. Aukum in El Dorado County is always on the lookout for turkeys in his region. Happily, he's seen plenty of them since last spring.

"Nesting conditions around here were really good last spring," Brooks said. "In midsummer I saw a number of hens with six to eight poults apiece and one busy mother with 10. That's incredible. I'm not saying that every hen was as successful, but the overall trend looked real good. I think production in 2009 was better than 2008, which was a little down.