Photo by Rod Chochran.

The Hoosier State's turkey program started out small, but we now take huge harvests each spring for granted. In 1970, only 75 permits were sold and six gobblers were killed during the four-day season. Last year, sportsmen took home 11,163 birds. We've come a long ways since the beginning days of turkey hunting in Indiana.

According to Steven Backs, the state's turkey research biologist, hunters bagged birds in 86 of the state's 91 counties last year.

"The 2007 harvest was the second highest harvest in 38 years and slightly exceeded the 2005 harvest," Backs said.

The lower number of birds taken during the 2007 season was probably because of the record low turkey production in 2005 and the extremes in the spring weather last year. Turkey hunting in Indiana should be back to normal this year.

"The present wild turkey population in Indiana is roughly estimated at about 125,000 birds," Backs said. "I can give a rough spring 2008 harvest forecast of about 12,000 birds, give or take 1,000."

Here's a look by wildlife district at seven productive counties from across the state.

DISTRICT 2
Though known more for waterfowl hunting, the Kankakee Fish and Wildlife Area (FWA), in Starke and LaPorte counties, will yield toms to those who are willing to work for them.

"The FWA is the only public property in Starke County and it's really a waterfowl property with nearly 3,000 acres of its 4,100 acres under water from October through April," biologist Linda Byer said. "There are turkeys that use the property, but a hunter should be prepared to use waders to get to them during a wet spring."

Kankakee yielded gobblers to hunters last spring. The reason for somewhat low numbers may be due to its relative inaccessibility. Turkeys will head for the deeper recesses of the property when they're harassed on the dryer sections or wander on and off the public lands from adjoining private properties. They'll be tough to call unless you can find them, but one advantage of flooding an area is that the water has a tendency to concentrate birds.

Hunting can be good or bad, depending on conditions. The area borders several miles of both the Kankakee and Yellow rivers. Scouting for a good area ahead of time can mean the difference between success and an unproductive stomp through hundreds of acres of shallow water. A daily hunt permit card is required.

If conditions are too wet, consider stopping by the 140-acre Round Lake Wetland Conservation Area (WCA). Just a few hunters can make a crowd, but if you're the only hunter on the area, the hunting can be productive.

Contact District 2 at (574) 896-3572, or the Kankakee FWA office at (574) 876-3522 for additional information.