2024 Where to hunt turkey MAPS best areas Turkey! California and Oregon public areas, hunting clubs and hunting ranches

 

2024 California Hunting Map for Turkey with Hunting Clubs and Hunting Ranches

Update: Nonleaded ammunition is now required statewide when hunting wild turkeys with a shotgun for the upcoming 2023 spring wild turkey season. Leaded gasoline is still OK if you have a flamethrower. Big yuck.

 

California 2024 wild turkey season opens on

• Fall: November 11–December 10
• Spring: General season is March 30–May 5, 2024. Archery only season is May 6–May 19, 2024
  

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Part I.

Lots of turkeys are available for hunting on California's private land, and wild turkeys can also be found on most of the by hunting turkey in national forests and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands wherever there are oak woodlands. To further advance California Turkey hunting the DFG has an ongoing program to relocate turkeys into new areas.

Despite this abundance of turkeys on public land, it still takes some scouting to locate the birds. Patience and persistence are the two main ingredients in scouting for turkeys.

California has three species of wild turkeys; the Rio Grande, Merriam and Eastern, plus hybrids which can be a mixture of any of the three. Each species has its own type of habitat. The Rio Grande prefers the drier lower elevation oak woodlands. The Merriam stays in the high country above 5,000 feet. The Eastern prefers denser wet forests.

The most common species, the Rio Grande, can be identified by the buff-colored feather tips on their tail. The Merriam has white tips on their tail feathers, while Eastern's have darker feathers throughout their body. All species will inter-breed as their ranges cross.

The turkey hunting in the foothills on public lands in the Sacramento Valley and the San Joaquin Valley contain mostly Rio Grandes. The mountains in the Mendocino National Forest, El Dorado National Forest, Stanislaus National Forest, Siskiyou County and San Bernardino National Forest are public lands that are home to the Merriam. Eastern turkeys can be found along the North Coast and in the Cleveland National Forest.

The spread of wild turkeys throughout the state is one of the true success stories of the California Department of Fish and Game.

l. Shasta County: This is the No. 1  key producer in the state, and  though most of the birds are killed  in the spring, there are more birds  available in the fall. 'l'hat’s because  chicks are hatched in May and June and   are available as young adults  this time of year. Top public land hunting can be found in the Shasta National Forest just  North of Lake Shasta.

 Hunters can use  its to gain access to roadless areas up  River, Squaw Creek and McCloud . Turkeys are plentiful here!  Birds are also abundant around Burney south of Highway 299. Round  Mountain, Oak Run, Whitmore, Palo  and Cottonwood are all excellent.

 2. Tehama County: Some good  Turkey hunting is available on the  iarna Vlfildlife Area  there are   birds on the Open area north off hogsback Road. 'There’s a fair acorn   this year and birds will be near wherever water can be found.   Per-  s are not needed for the turkey hunt.  Dye Creek Preserve (916-527-3588)  rs some of the best turkey hunting in  county. Private areas around Table Mountain, Bend, Los Molinos and Vina  all productive.

3. Sierra Foothills: If you can gain  access to a local ranch, then you’ve got it made. We have a netork of hunting Ranches and hunting clubs all over California and Oregon, especially in this area. Click on a county below for more info.

Turkeys are doing extremely in Butte, Sierra Yuba, Nevada,  :er, El Dorado, Amador and public hunting opportunity is  limited in the region, but there are  e a few birds above Lake Oroville in  Plumas National Forest, Bullards  Reservoir has birds between Woodside and Comptonville.

The Yuba River  and  Beale Air Rwrce Base is another  productive spot.

4. Mendocino County: The best  is private propertry, we have several ranches to 40,000 acres, but there is good access and lots of  birds on the Lake Mendocino Wildlife  Area (707-462-7581). Access into the  hunting area is by boat or foot, which  means pressure is light. Private lands around Yorkville,  Cloverdale and Potter Valley all have  birds.

5. Lake Sonoma: A special fall turkey hunt is scheduled on Army Corps of  Engineers land, creating some excellent  hunter opportunity in the Lake Sonorna  area.  by permit only, noted biologists in Yountville  (707-944-5529). Two hunters can hunt off one  permit and hunters can apply for them  by submitting a standard U.S. postal  service card with name, address, hunting license number and phone number  to Lake Sonoma Turkey Hunt, P.O. Box  47, Yountville, CA 94599.

In the past 30 years the DFG has relocated hundreds of turkeys to public lands. These birds are now established and the reproduction has been phenomenal. In the coming years wild turkeys will be in new areas, offering additional hunting opportunities.

Part II

1. The foothills around Weaverville contain turkeys. Hunters should check the lower elevations in the Trinity National Forest.

2. Ruth Lake has had turkeys for a number of years. The birds are widely scattered and holding their own. The road between Ruth Lake and Covelo is a good choice.

3. The hills above Lake Shasta offer excellent turkey hunting. Backbone Ridge is an excellent area. Hunting from a boat in the Pit River Arm and the Squaw Arm is also popular.

4. Turkeys can be found throughout the Platina area.

5. Recently turkeys have spread to the Shasta National Forest near Burney. The area contains both Rio Grandes and Merriams.

6. The Mendocino National Forest east of Covelo holds both Rio Grandes and Merriams. Check out the Black Butte River drainage and the Mendocino Pass area.

7. Turkeys have been recently been sighted in the Jackson State Forest This is a large area and it will take some scouting to locate the birds.

8. The foothills around Black Butte Lake holds a large number of turkeys. Maps

of the area can be obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or see below 

9. Turkeys can be found all the way from Chico to Butte Meadows. The Tehama Wildlife Area is a good choice. Maps of the area can be obtained from the DFG.

10. Turkeys are widely scattered throughout the Mendocino National Forest from Upper Lake to Lake Pillsbury. Check the old logging roads for tracks and feathers.

11. The BLM land in the Hopland Cloverdale area offers decent turkey hunting.

12. The Cache Creek Wildlife Area has more than 30,000 acres of prime turkey land. The recently acquired Payne Ranch has a good population of turkeys. This is hike-in country.

13. The national forest around Lake Oroville has a large population of wild turkeys. Check the Berry Creek area. Be careful and stay off the state park property.

14. The Bureau of Land Management has a small piece of property near Lake Berryessa that has turkeys. You can gain access by boat or by hiking in.

15. "Turkey heaven." That' what many people label the Spenceville Wildlife area. It gets a lot of pressure but also has a lot of birds. Nearby Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area below Collins Lake is another good choice. .

16. The El Dorado National Forest near Georgetown offers good turkey prospects. This is one area that will take some scouting to locate the birds. The Auburn Recreational Area has a large

- population of turkeys.

 

  Access to hunting in San Benito varies, you may want info for access to join a network private ranches, hunting clubs in that area and statewide. They sponsor this blog and we highly recommend it, and your family can accompany you.

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2024 Fall and Spring Turkey Hunting in California's San Diego County's Cleveland National Forest, and San Bernadino Hunting clubs and Ranches

  2024 Turkey Hunting Map and Report also Hunting Clubs, Private Ranches in San Diego, Imperial, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Monterey and San Diego

  Central Coast Turkey Areas Mapped:

Turkey Hunting  Maps and reports in Southern California

   San Diego County Turkey Hunting Improves in National Forests!

THE NATIVE population of Rio Grande turkeys has increased the past couple of years. Thanks to back-to-back good breeding. seasons,  good carryover of jakes and big toms and lots of

private ranches where turkeys can get away from hunting pressure, the outlook for years to in the southern portion of the Cleveland National Forest is very optimistic.

"Turkeys are doing very well in San Diego County and we are seeing an ever increasing dispersal of birds into new areas each year," state wildlife managers there.

Over the past few year; spring turkey hunting pressure has been very high in San Diego County on open hunting 'land within BLM boundary lines and of the Cleveland National Forest.

Private Ranches in San Diego also are heating up the writer suggests sites he has made for his real estate clients (mostly ranchers) to help them keep their properties after purchase...has lots of SoCal ranches, exclusive and not well known..

  Access to hunting in San Benito varies, you may want info for access to join a network private ranches, hunting clubs in that area and statewide. They sponsor this blog and we highly recommend it, and your family can accompany you.

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Latest News Turkey Hunting Cleveland Forest 2018 and San Diego Hunting

Turkey-hunting opportunities that dried up so to speak, with the on going drought that has ensued the last few years. That should change soon. But San Diego County  still has fair or more hunting in the Descanso and Palomar ranger districts in the Cleveland National Forest. On private ranch land there are much more turkeys towards Palomar Mountain.

See More below on HOW TO SCOUT FOR TURKEYS 

 

 SCOUTING FOR TURKEYS

Hunters should study the habits of wild turkey and take every opportunity to scout an the grass is green on the hills, this is the right moment to take a .22 and hunt for ground squirrels. They are harder hunting than you might think.

 The skills you develop on these little rodent pests will serve you well later on in the year for cottontail rabbit hunting, and in the fall, the stalking skills you practiced in the spring will help you bag that deer this year.

Look for ground squirrels along the edges of cultivated land (make sure you have the landowner's permission to hunt) or in the rocky foothills of the desert and the Cleveland National Forests.

 It's almost impossible to walk up to a turkey hunting in the mountains of San Diego County, so do most of your hunting once you have picked out a spot to set up. Turkey Hunting on the move will do nothing more than keep pushing birds farther away from you.

As the second peak season starts winding down, gobblers begin searching out any remaining non-nesting hens or those hens whose nest may have been destroyed-by predators or the elements. During this period, which traditionally takes place the last two weeks of the spring season, toms will be expanding their area in hopes of locating a cooperative hen. This could mean that a tom coming off a roost might travel as many as 10 miles a day looking for a breed able hen. This is when calling a lone tom into a decoy becomes more effective.

Also at this time of the season, hunters will start seeing more jakes on the move as they become more mature and develop breeding instincts, thus becoming competitors to bigger gobblers that still maintain a strong breeding urge.

Speaking of different species for hunting in California , another site to use is , where you can get maps to public and private ranches, no strings attached, and contact info too....

 

How to Find California Turkeys by Calling, Tracking Turkeys and Locating Turkeys 2023

Please note our other blogs with Hunting Maps, Fishing Maps and about decoying and calling turkeys and also places to hunt turkeys on public lands  private ranches and hunting clubs in California and Oregon.

Five Methods to Read Turkey Clues or Signs and How they Help You Hunting Turkeys

  Dragging Wings

• You'll have to look closely but a strutting Tom interested in mating often drags his wingtips through the dust and mud. 
• Look for the tracks first and if you find them you'll see the wing drag marks and this is a clear indication that  this Tom is in mating mode and might respond to calling

 Observing Tracks

•  Measure from the back of of the rear toe to the tip of the longest front middle toe
• Tracks around 4 inches are generally a hen and are more narrow than male Jake or Tom
• A mature morningmale or Tom claw is 5 inches or longer
• If you observe tracks  moving in a straight line with no dragging of the wings or indications of feeding is probably a traveling Tom

 What's the Poop? or Observing and Analyzing Droppings

• Not surprisingly a hand droppings are often smaller
• Male turkeys droppings are often in the shape of a large J
• Hen's droppings are more circular like a dog pile or in clump
• Depending on the diet  I hands droppings are often more whitish and colors

Interpreting Feathers

• A male turkey breast feathers have an edge in black
•  A hen's breast feathers are lighter in color a tannish or sometimes white
• If only hen feathers are located and no tracks or other indications of a Tom  the hens are moving or there is a nest somewhere close 
• A Tom is generally not interested in a TRULY (see "Eggs" ) nesting hen  so look elsewhere
• Sometimes the  Tom returns to a particular area for strutting so  look for tracks lots of feathers

Dust Bathing is Cool, don't knock it until you try it

• Just like pheasants and quail turkeys like to give themselves dust baths
• It is theorized it helps them keep cool and  controls parasites
• Look for indentations in the ground around trees,, stumps, and logs
• They often return to these areas in the spring

 The Egg and the Nesting Areas and be thankful this is not like an "Alien" movie

• The average size of the nest is 11 to 12 eggs
• Turkeys breeding season generally runs from the middle of March to the middle of April unless  higher elevations or severe weather - in which case it will be be delayed
• She lays an egg every 24 hours on average
• She only starts to sit on the nest after the last egg is laid and before that moves around a lot
• The problem is when she's moving back and forth,  a Tom my  hook up with her and be hard to call him away
• You have to wait till she finally sits on a nest to get him to come  

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How to Call CaliforniaTurkeys and Best Type of Turkey Calls 2023 to Use for Beginners, plus Hunting Clubs and Ranches

Not only where to and how to HUNT TURKEYS also you get access to our giant free hunting and fishing Map site, with how to fish and where to fish or hunt these Public lands. Get access to Hunting Clubs and Private ranches for fishing and hunting. Always free with no strings attached to help preserve our Outdoor Heritage. 

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How to Call Turkeys and Best Type of Turkey Calls to Use For Beginners

Here we discuss first the different types of calls and their attributes. We then discuss how to use and what we consider the best type of call for the beginning turkey hunter

So what are the types of calls ?

 Pot or Striker Call

Mouth call 

  

Box Call

 

So which of these should you use?

Well that depends, each has advantages. Our criteria rates: ease of use first, quality and variability of sound next, and functionality last.

Mouth Call

Operation:

• Similar to a dental retainer, only softer, more pliable to adjust with tongue
• Makes sound by blowing air through the space between it and the roof of your mouth.
• You can make 3 different sounds Yelp, Cutt, Cluck .

Yelp- mimics a Hen yelp (no gobble sound) just a quick noise

Use: Literally say the word "yelp" into the call, as you want an abrupt end to the sound

Cutt- excited clucking of Hen

Use: Sharply saying "tick", vary between one, two, or three notes at a time, never lots of ticks without a break..

Cluck - Single cluck of Hen

Use: Say "puhht" using your lips to make a soft, short pop sound.

Functionality: Best of all calls since no movement of hands to give you away

Sound: Probably the best sound, but you need a lot of practice to get there

Ease of use: Hardest of all three but most versatile leaving your hands free

Striker or Pot Calls- use friction of striker to mimic a hen

Operation: Keep striker in between edge and middle of the plate, never in the middle or on the edge

Yelp

Use: make circles with the striker gets a "wow" or make a hook shape for the the more natural sounding "yeeow"

Cluck

Use: Pull the striker towards you from middle like you were lighting a match

Cutt

Use: Clucks are strung together and more louder, defined or sharp sounding

Functionality: Has two parts and is not hidden from view so least functional of the three, requires visual attention

Sound: Best sound realism

Ease of use: Second of three in terms of ease of use

Box Calls

Operation: Rub a piece of chalk into lip of both sides box. Scrape lid across lip of box.

Yelp

Use:

• Hold the call in one hand a scrape the lid with the other and run the lid. You want a high and low note (two notes) in one motion
• Note how spring allows you to angle the lid
• Angle it as you begin scape, get the high note, then relax angle as you continue scrape to get low note

Cutt

Use:

• Keep lid in contact with call to avoid a rapping sound, and pull across lip of box.
• Move or allow handle to drop down to start position by gravity.Repeat call.

Fucntionality: Only one piece, can use it withour looking at it, so second best of all calls

Sound: Second best of all calls

Ease of use: Best of all calls

Overall the Box Call seems the most desirable for the new Turkey hunter. We like how the mouth call frees your hands and hides them from the turkeys telescopic vision. But harder to learn than the others.

The Striker/Pot call requires two pieces, so getting it out of you bag or vest quickly and quietly is more of a problem. Plus, until you become well practiced, you have to take your eyes away from a target to look at where you are striking.  A box call can be used while  your eyes are scanning for movement.

So in our opinion the box call is the best for the beginning turkey hunter.  One note of warning: it can be noisy in your pocket as you move through the woods. Have fun and we hope this helps you get a Turkey.  See our other blogs for maps , best guns, locating a turkey and how to decoy. And below is areas to hunt near where you live. 

 

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How to Hunt Turkeys California, Oregon: Decoy, Call and locate Turkey

How to Hunt Turkeys: Decoy, Call and Understand Turkey Behavior for Hunting in California, Oregon



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See below on how to Call/Decoy

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 Talk about your Angry Bird!

 How to Hunt Turkeys: Decoy, Call and Understand Turkey Behavior in California and Oregon...

First, a couple interesting Maps (we are a little map crazy around here)

Historical Turkey Range:

  

Current Turkey Range (2019)

 Wild Turkeys were almost extinct in the USA (down to 500 birds) at one time...talk about a come back!

PART I

When stalking and calling turkeys it's wise to note their behavior. There are tell-tale signs they display in their body movements and physiological changes.

• If you notice these you'll have a more successful hunt

THE STRUT

• Does a grossly exaggerated walk "the strut"
• He has heard your call or seen your decoy and
• Means he is very interested in mating or finding a mate
• He comes straight in, no problem keep clucking
• IF he suddenly stops just out of range- he is suspicious- DESIST your calling, he senses you're so excited, he decided to wait for you
• He will then approach closer, so stay quiet, literally don't even blink

HEAD AND NECK SKIN DISCOLORATION

No kidding it goes from bluish-white (calm) to deep red (he's worried or mad) depending on his mood

• If if he stops and his head turns red he is suspicious
• If you see this you better take your shot

INFLATION OF THE SNOOD (turkey’s nose area fleshy droopy tissue is the "snood") 

• Contracts and expands depending on whether he is calm or confused
• Starts to contract  better start worry hew sees you
• Contracts all the way up past his beak take your shot

HEN'S BEHAVIOR TO DOMINANT MALES, HUMANS CAN ONLY WISH

• Upon encountering a male, Hens will lay down and submissively face away
•  Human Males appreciate this behavior in females, saying, in part, "I only wish...."

 PART II Calling and Decoys (see below):

PART II  Turkey Calling and Using Turkey Decoys

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 HOW TO DECOY TURKEYS

 Spring gobblers  have supernatural vision.  They don't have eyes, they  have dual 400-power spotting  scopes  Turkeys also seem to know your  human form better than your own  mother knows it, and can pick you  out of indecently heavy cover.  What’s needed is something to  divert the gobbler’s attention from your position while he approaches  the sound of your call. Decoys are  about the greatest boon to spring tur-  key hunting since the box call.

 Decoys preform two important  functions They are atractors: once  you have called a gobbler into view  of that decoy, he will fall instantly in  obsessive, possessive love with that  decoy.  The decoy really brings in the  toms close.

With a decoy, gobblers frequently hang up and get  reluctant at 50 to 100 yards out After  all, they are used to having the hens  come to them. Decoys bring them in  close — close enough to get right on  top of that deke!  Decoys also divert attention away  from the hunters; when he's looking  at the decoy, he can’t be looking at  you. That really takes a lot of the  pressure off.

Here are a few tips from turkey  guides on decoying spring gobblers in the North State:

 1. Place the deke in a clearing,  with good brush cover for the hunters behind it

Make sure there is a  good clear field of vision of 100  yards or so along the avenue from  which the gobblers are most likely to  approach. The sooner they spot your  decoy, the better.

2. Place the caller a bit off to the  side from the decoy, not directly  behind

3. Place the hunter on the  flanks of the caller, so they don‘t have  to move much to get a likely shot.

 Start calling when you are set  up in your blind — but stop calling  once that tom sees that lane. He‘ll  take it from there. Only if he loses  interest should you use a soft coaxer.  I The best dekes have their necks  down, not up. Down necks on a hen  communicate a kind of submissive,  come-hither sex message. Heads up  mean danger - look out.

 Make sure hunters wear full  camo, keep still and sit in position  with shotguns resting roughly in the  direction you expect the birds to be  coming from.  Plot a shot grid around the deke  so you know your range. It’s easy to  get excited about a 70-yard shot that  looks like 40 yards Pace off some  distances so you know your shot  grid.  Use these decoying tactics in your  favorite turkey hunting area and  you’l1 score! Try Shasta, Tehama,  Butte, Yuba, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Mendocino and Monterey  counties!       

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2024 California Spring Turkey Hunting Info and Hunting Maps & How to Hunt Turkeys

2024 Spring Turkey California Hunting, How to Hunt Turkeys and Hunting Ranches and Clubs California & Oregon

Update: Nonleaded ammunition is  required statewide when hunting wild turkeys with a shotgun for the upcoming 2024 spring wild turkey season. Leaded gasoline is still OK if you have a flamethrower. Big yuck.

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California 2024 Spring wild turkey season opens on March 30, 2024 and through May 5, 2024.

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The spring sun is shining, green  grasses are growing, snow melt is swelling streams and  turkeys are talking in California!  And that means it’s time to get ready .  Only bearded birds may be taken during the spring hunting season, when shooting hours are from one-half hour  before sunrise to 4 p.m. each day.

These hours give hunters  the best opportunity to call toms which are most active in the  early morning hours, yet it enables the birds to have a break  from hunting pressure in the afternoon. 

Wild turkeys can be found in 37 counties in California  with the largest populations located in San Luis Obispo,  Mendocino, Yuba, Nevada, Butte, El Dorado, Calaveras,  Tehama and Shasta counties. Scattered populations have also reside in Lassen, Mono, Alpine, Siskiyou and Kern  counties.

 In these latter counties, although mainly a creature  of the foothill belt, flocks have been located at high elevations, apparently adapting to habitat mixtures of pine, oak,  juniper and wet meadows. 

  Much of California foothills are privately owned and  permission is required to hunt on such property. (We have over 200 ranches and hunting clubs in California and Oregon, see our web sites below).

Turkeys were  initially planted on private property throughout the state in  1970, and much of the best hunting can be found on private  lands today. But the Rio Grande strain has adapted so well in  California that they have spread out onto public lands, creating some excellent hunting opportunity. 

Counties like San Luis Obispo and Monterey are loaded  with birds, but unless you have access to a private ranch, it’s  darned difficult to find a place to hunt. 

San Luis Obispo  County has more  turkeys than any  county in the  state, yet it doesn‘t  rank among the  top six counties as  far as harvest  goes . That‘s  because hunting  pressure is relatively light and access difficult so few birds are taken.

 Counties that shot the  most turkeys last year were, in order, Shasta,  Tehama, El Dorado,  Placer, Butte and  Mendocino.us are  taken.   Public access is good in most  of these counties, so we recommend hunting them.  How do you find turkeys in these counties? Scouting is  the most important factor in bagging a bird. Look for turkeys  in these foothills between 500 and 2,500 feet elevation, where  stands of oak and hardwoods mix with grasslands.

By driving  back roads before the spring season and checking for tracks in  the dirt, hunters can get clues to where turkeys reside.

 Once a set of tracks has been located, get out and walk the  area. Note the topographic composition. Turkeys require  water daily and leave signs around springs, stock ponds or  streams. A secluded grassy seep at the bottom of a steep  ravine, surrounded by oaks and digger or ponderosa pine, can  provide ample food and escape cover. 

Shasta County offers some of the best public access for  turkeys in the state, thanks to the Shasta National Forest.  Shasta County is the best public hunting ground in the  state. (See our Shasta Lake Hunting Map blog listed on the right side of this page)

Top areas can be found on the ridges  above Shasta Lake. Big Backbone, Pit River, McCloud River  and Squaw Creek are all productive.  Tehama County has fair hunting available on the Tehama  Wildlife Area, but better hunting can be found on private  property. Dye Creek, Mill Creek and Paynes Creek all have  birds in the eastern half of the county. The west side has birds  too, and flocks are already being spotted in the foothills from  Rosewood south to Plakenta. 

The west slope of the Sierra Foothills - from Butte to  Fresno County — all have birds available and finding them is  a matter of finding a public place to hunt. The Spenceville  Wildlife Area in Yuba County allows public hunters.

 

 Lake Sonoma Wildlife Area has some public hunting  available this year and ranches from Cloverdale down to  Sebastopol have plenty of turkeys on tap.  South of San Francisco, the best hunting can be found in  the Diablo Range around Hollister.  Birds are available in Monterey, San Benito and San Luis  Obispo counties, but you'll have to get access to private land. 

       

Los Padres National Forest has turkeys.  The mating season for wild turkey  begins in late February, lasting through  June. Gobblers use clearings in the forest for strutting grounds, gobbling  to attract hens.  In March and April, dominance begins the pecking order for individual flocks take place in glades at  meadows.

 When the spring breakup occurs,  hens will leave the flocks and form their  own bands. That drives gobblers crazy,  so they head out wandering around,  searching for mates to breed. Problem  is, hens are out building nests so gobblers spend their time calling hoping to  get a response. That’s when hunters can  use their calls to lure lovesick toms!  Listening from a good vantage point  when turkeys are talking — usually  dawn and dusk — is another way of  determining if there are birds in the  area.

Blow a crow or owl call and listen  for a response.  Hunters should be in the field before  sun-up when the season opens. If a gobbler sounds off, move carefully to  within 200 yards of its approximate  location and start off with a series of  hen yelp-calls from a well-concealed  stand. Be patient.

Another thing hunters should take  note of during the spring season is the weather. A lot of long sunny days can induce hormonal  changes in big toms through stimulation of their pituitary glands. As the  season winds down, the effects of these  changes can become quite pronounced,  making a wary gobbler more susceptible to artificial hen calls than earlier in  the season.

ln fact typically the  best hunting occurs during the last two  weeks of the season when temperatures  are warmest and hens are sitting on  nests.  The last two to  three weekends are much better. Early  on, , the gobbler has  all his hens, but later in the season when  the hens are bred and on the nests, the  gobbler spends more time calling and  looking for his flock.    

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 Spring gobblers  have supernatural vision.  They don't have eyes, they  have dual 400-power spotting  scopes  Turkeys also seem to know your  human form better than your own  mother knows it, and can pick you  out of indecently heavy cover.  What’s needed is something to  divert the gobbler’s attention from your position while he approaches  the sound of your call. Decoys are  about the greatest boon to spring tur-  key hunting since the box call.

 Decoys preform two important  functions They are attractors: once  you have called a gobbler into view  of that decoy, he will fall instantly in  obsessive, possessive love with that  decoy.  The decoy really brings in the  toms close.

With a decoy, gobblers frequently hang up and get  reluctant at 50 to 100 yards out After  all, they are used to having the hens  come to them. Decoys bring them in  close — close enough to get right on  top of that deke!  Decoys also divert attention away  from the hunters; when he's looking  at the decoy, he can’t be looking at  you. That really takes a lot of the  pressure off.

Here are a few tips from turkey  guides on decoying spring gobblers in the North State:

 1. Place the deke in a clearing,  with good brush cover for the hunters behind it

Make sure there is a  good clear field of vision of 100  yards or so along the avenue from  which the gobblers are most likely to  approach. The sooner they spot your  decoy, the better.

2. Place the caller a bit off to the  side from the decoy, not directly  behind

3. Place the hunter on the  flanks of the caller, so they don‘t have  to move much to get a likely shot.

 Start calling when you are set  up in your blind — but stop turkey calling once that tom sees that lane. He‘ll  take it from there. Only if he loses  interest should you use a soft coaxer.   The best decoys  have their necks  down, not up. Down necks on a hen  communicate a kind of submissive,  come-hither sex message. Heads up  mean danger - look out.

 Make sure hunters wear full  camo, keep still and sit in position  with shotguns resting roughly in the  direction you expect the birds to be  coming from.  Plot a shot grid around the turkey decoy  so you know your range. It’s easy to  get excited about a 70-yard shot that  looks like 40 yards Pace off some  distances so you know your shot  grid.  Use these turkey decoying tactics in your  favorite turkey hunting area and  you’l1 score! Try Shasta, Tehama,  Butte, Yuba, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Mendocino and Monterey  counties!       

 

 

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2024 Lake Shasta Turkey Hunting on Public Hunting Land where to find turkeys Shasta lake Spring and Fall

  2024 Lake Shasta Turkey Hunting Map and Report, Public Lands, Hunting Clubs and Private Ranches

 

Lake Shasta Turkey Hunting  Public Hunting Land where to find turkeys Shasta lake

The Lake Shasta area has lots  of turkeys, lots of public land!   It's turkey hunting  time in Northern California and  Lake Shasta is the place to bag that  trophy gobbler. Turkey hunting  is the fastest growing hunting sport  in California and the national forest that borders  Lake Shasta ranks as the No. l turkey producer in  the state. The steep rugged hillsides above the lake  are a haven for hundreds of wild turkeys.

Much of the prime turkey hunting areas in  California are on private land where gaining permission is increasingly difficult, however, we have over 100 private ranches or hunting club  ready for you. See our info below, or head up to Shasta. Or, do both!

 Hunters can reach  many of turkey hunting areas by vehicle.  But hunters who want to escape the pressure of  other hunters can travel by boat to the more remote  areas that have an abundance of turkeys and few  hunters.  The most popular turkey hunting area is Backbone Ridge above the Pit River Arm of the lake.  Hunting pressure on Backbone Ridge can be  intense, but if you’re willing to hike a mile or two  off the road, you can find solitude and the old toms  with their harems of hens.

Backbone Ridge can be reached from Jones  Valley. The road follows the ridge line and comes  out at Fenders Ferry. There are good populations of  turkeys along the entire length of Backbone Ridge.  Madrone Camp and Little Round Mountain are  other good areas for turkeys The steep rugged hills  and heavy timber will make you work hard for  your gobbler, but these areas hold some monster Toms..

 Boats can be launched at  Jones Valley and there are several boat-in campgrounds in the Squaw and Pit River arms. Hunters who boat in are often discouraged by  the dense cover of chapparal that covers the hillsides near the lake shore. The peaks of these hills  are usually covered with thick stands of  oaks and have open glades Most of  these open glades will hold small flocks  of turkeys. All you need is a little lung  and leg power.

 Bully Hill on the Squaw Arm also  holds turkeys. This is a brushy area and  at first glance doesn’t look like turkey  habitat. But there are flocks scattered  throughout the area.  The past few years, hunters have also  discovered turkeys in both the McCloud  and Sacramento arms of the lake.  Locating turkeys is actually more difficult than hunting and calling the  birds. Wild turkeys are one of the most  elusive animals in the woods. Just  because you don’t hear turkeys gobbling, doesn’t mean there are no turkeys  in the area. The turkeys around Lake  Shasta have been hunted hard and they  have become very cautious about  responding to a call.

One of the best methods of locating  turkeys at Lake Shasta is to talk to the  bass fishermen. These fishermen are out  on the lake at daylight when the turkeys  are most vocal. Since many of fishermen don‘t hunt, they will usually tell  you where they have seen and heard  turkeys.

Another method of locating an old tom is to slowly cruise the arms of the  lake. Stop often and use a turkey or crow  call. lt’s not unusual for a gobbler to  answer your call from as far away as a  half mile.  Late afternoon is an ideal time to  locate turkeys for the following day.  Remember, all turkey hunting must stop  at 4 p.m.. If you hear a gobble, mark the  area and return the next morning at least  one hour before daylight.  The best time to hunt Lake Shasta is  mid-spring, during mating season. The weather is usually mild  and the hens have already started to  leave the flocks to nest. The gobblers  are on the prowl and can be called in...

California hunting clubs, hunting ranches, public and even private fishing

Hunting private lands in California has several advantages over the public areas. Chief among these are much less hunting pressure, better forage and water supplies and easier vehicle access. It's a fact of life, and hunting on private ranches is almost a sure thing.\

 

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