Jackson-Washington State Forest, at 16,500 acres, has its headquarters on SR 39 south of Brownstown. Roughly, 10,000 acres of this facility lie in Washington County off Indiana Highway 135 south of the Muscatatuck River. Jackson County holdings and Starve Hollow State Recreation are north of the Muscatatuck River. Eric Johnson, property manager, will provide additional information by telephone at (812) 358-2160. Jackson County hunters recorded harvest figures of 209 birds in 2003 and 218 birds in 2004. Washington County yielded 319 birds in 2003, 288 birds last year.

Greene-Sullivan State Forest, 7,964 acres of reclaimed strip-mined land, is situated on the Greene-Sullivan county line south of the town of Dugger on SR 159. Property manager Steve Siscoe, a successful turkey hunter, can be reached for additional hunting details or a map of the area at (812) 648-2810. Although birds are well scattered at this property, as they are at most state forests, prime hunting areas seem to be in the section southeast of the forest office around Goodman Lake and Reservoir 26. Hunters in Green County reported taking 316 birds in 2003 and 359 in 2004. Sullivan County hunters reported harvests of 239 birds in 2003 and 284 in 2004.

Although it is not a state forest, the Hoosier National Forest has played -- and is playing -- an important role in the success of the DFW's turkey restoration program.

The Hoosier National spans some 193,000 acres in all or parts of nine counties, a very high percentage of this public land being situated in southern Indiana, where Indiana's wild turkey restoration program was launched.

Jason Engle, wildlife biologist for the Hoosier National, sees the forest holdings in Jackson, Brown and Monroe counties as the hub of this massive turkey-hunting mecca. But holdings in all of the other six counties offer good turkey hunting as well. Turkey-harvest figures for these counties the last two seasons were: Brown, 194 (2003) and 232 (2004); Jackson, 209-218 and Monroe, 187-230.

Turkey-harvest figures for seasons of the last two years support the importance of the other six counties of the Hoosier National to the total turkey-hunting picture in Indiana.

Orange County hunters bagged totals of 322 (2003) and 317 (2004). The figures for those two years in the other five counties are: Johnson, 19-35; Lawrence, 284-293; Crawford, 320-306; Martin, 250-217 and Perry, 373-401.

Here are thumbnail sketches of the other state forests, each of which offers good turkey hunting, along with the Hoosier National Forest, including telephone numbers and other helpful information for those who would like to plan hunts in specific areas of the various public holdings.

Clark State Forest, at 23,900 acres, is 10 miles south of Scottsburg off U.S. Route 31 at Henryville. Walt Zak is manager, and he can be reached by telephone at (812) 294-4306. Clark County posted turkey harvest figures of 292 birds in 2003 and 277 birds in 2004. Sandy Derringer, assistant property manager, said suggesting a best spot would be difficult. "I see turkeys everywhere," she said.