According to Gardner, complaints about wild turkeys are stacked on his desk. It’s unfortunate, but some homeowners in outlying areas do not appreciate wild turkeys in their yards. The big birds are messy, and some folks in the agriculture industry view them as a threat to certain crops, such as grapes. However, that view has been proved false by NWTF research but not before the California Legislature moved into action.

Unfortunately, rather than open their gates to sport hunters, some private landowners want to deal with troublesome wild turkeys as they do with problem deer, by obtaining temporary depredation permits and killing them. Such permits were recently approved by the California Legislature and went into effect in January. A permit will be issued only when certain conditions are met and verified by the DFG.

Bear in mind, however, that everything said above involves perhaps 1 percent to 3 percent of the overall population of wild turkeys in the state. So the good news is that things will be status quo for a long time with regard to hunting opportunities.

How are things shaping up for the spring season in 2005? To find out, California Game & Fish contacted turkey hunting guides, expert turkey hunters and DFG regional biologists to ask for their opinions. Here’s what we found out.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Since this is my home region, let me quote from a friend who observed wild turkeys on his property in eastern Shasta County last summer. At the local restaurant one morning, he said, “You should have been there, Higley. I saw 28 turkeys in the meadow below my cabin yesterday, and I’ve never seen that many before. A lot of them were young ones, too.”

Although those birds were on private land, they were at an elevation of 4,000 feet, and the private stuff is surrounded by timberland that’s open for hunting.

Meanwhile, Tom Stone, a retired senior wildlife biologist for the DFG, took the long way home one day from a fishing trip in Shasta County and spied four groups of turkeys along a back road. Stone reports a fine mix of adult hens and young. “My impression is that things are looking better than they have in three or four years,” he said.

Personally, I spotted wild hens in three locations, and while one of them appeared to have only three poults, another hen had at least six young with her. I lost count at eight when yet another hen led her half-grown brood into tall grass.

Meanwhile, Jim Schaafsma of Arrow Five Outfitters in southern Trinity County reports that turkeys in his area seem to be spreading out more than in the past, and he’s seen hens with as many as six half-grown poults. The situation there looks promising.

To sum it all up, if we have decent spring weather for a change in this region, I think we’ll certainly enjoy better success this year than last. I’ve talked a lot about poor production in this report, but according to my diary there have been years of scarcity in the past and years of comparative abundance. In other words, turkey numbers are never static long.

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

For our purposes here, this region includes everything roughly from the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Range to the coastal mountains. Beginning with the central coast, Doug Roth of Paso Robles-based Camp Five Outfitters said that turkey hunting has been very good in San Luis Obispo and southern Monterey counties, where he also guides for deer and wild pigs.

“We went 26-for-26 last spring,” Roth said, “and nine of the hunters were kids just starting out. Their hunts require a little more work, but it’s real rewarding when they’re actually successful.”

Roth noted that he was seeing lots of hens with five or six half-grown poults apiece, and based on his observations he expects another very good season in 2005.

Longtime guide Eldon Bergman echoes Roth’s sentiments. Bergman says he’s seen lots of turkeys in San Luis Obispo County this year, including a hen that walked through his yard with 10 nearly grown young in tow. Except for one hunter who missed a gobbler, all of Bergman’s clients were successful last spring.

Looking farther north, outdoor writer and avid turkey hunter Terry Knight, who lives in Lake County, says he’s seen plenty of young turkeys around, which should mean another good spring season in his area in 2005.