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.

GET MORE INFO

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 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. 

Fill out form for California or Oregon Hunting or fishing on Public Lands, Hunting Clubs and Private Hunting Ranches

 

 

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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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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They have a screened membership and have not had a hunting accident in two decades of operation

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Free 2024 California Turkey hunting info, MAPS, Monterey, San luis obispo, Santa Barbara, Hunting Clubs and Ranches

 Free 2024 Central Coast Turkey  hunting info and MAPS & 500 plus Hunting Clubs and Ranches California and Oregon

 One of our Maps for Central Coast Turkey Hunting is listed here, with inside tips of where to go. We have FREE with zero strings attached hunting maps with over 500 Hunting Clubs and Ranches in California and Oregon. All have Contact info for Turkey Hunting as well as Boar, Pheasants and Fly Fishing. We also list Public Land and BLM areas for Hunting in California and Oregon

 

      Turkeys roam Los Padres forest  and more- there’s some  Merriam turkey hunting available  south of the Bay Area, particularly in Monterey, San Luis Obispo  and San Benito counties.  Turkeys are doing quite well in this  region, where birds have been transplanted by the Department of Fish and  Game.  The emphasis of the program has  been to move birds directly to public  land or to areas of private land where it is reasonably confident the plant can  expand in numbers.

We have 15 Hunting Ranches in the Central Coast region to 8800 acres, click on the information below to get more information. They are affordable and family camping friendly.

Some of the best hunting can  be found on public land in the Los  Padres National Forest, but private  property in the region is worth hunting  too.  Some of the best turkey hunting  -and pig hunting for that matter - can  be found in the Los Padres forest, particularly in the southern one-third of the  area south of Plaskett Ridge.

Prewitt  Ridge is another productive area. Both  are located between Highway l and Fort  Hunter Liggett. Campgrounds are  located at Plaskett Ridge and the gravel  roads and trails that branch out from  these campgrounds are good places to  hunt turkeys

Hunt the border of the Fort Hunter Liggett around Alder Ridge. Look for  birds around Alder Creek and Villa  Creek, or head out of the Willow Creek Campground.  Look for fresh droppings under roost  trees and you can quickly determine if  turkeys are using the area.

 Acorns will  be a key, but water will be even more  important.  Once you spot turkeys, you can bust  them up with the help of a dog. Once  they flush, take a well-camouflaged  stand and try some “peep” calls. Yearling turkeys will be quick to call and  hens will often respond. It will be difficult to fool a big, old gobbler, so shoot  anything bearded that comes within range. 

 

 SUPPORT OUR FREE INFO BY CONSIDERING OUR SPONSOR:
A network of 50+ Hunting clubs and large ranches with family camping. Some fishing farm ponds and trout. Screened membership for safety. Available statewide for $100 to $200 per month when openings available- They have a screened membership and have not had a hunting accident in two decades of operation
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