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Panhandle turkey hunts should be good |
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April 11, 2017 |
By Roger Phillips
IDFG Public Information Specialist
General turkey season opens Saturday, April 15,
and you can see units that have general hunts in
our turkey hunting rules , as well as details
about the seasons.
Hunters will find most
general hunting opportunity in the Panhandle,
Clearwater and Southwest Regions, and beyond
that most areas are limited to controlled hunts.
Higher-than-normal snowfall in much of the state
likely decreased turkey populations in some
areas, but hunters should still find
fair-to-good turkey populations depending on the
region.
"In Southwest and Eastern Idaho we anticipate
populations to be down based on field reports,
turkey populations remain good in the Clearwater
and Panhandle regions," said Jeff Knetter,
upland and migratory bird coordinator.
Knetter explained turkeys typically cope with
winter differently than big game. They typically
seek out feed from agriculture operations, such
as feed lots and feed lines for livestock.
In areas where that's not an option, they can
have difficulty surviving winter if they're
unable to get natural food off the ground. Fish
and Game in cooperation with the National Wild
Turkey Federation fed some birds during winter
the Cambridge, Council and Garden Valley areas
to help them get through winter.
Hunters are also warned that many areas have
experienced flooding during late winter and
early spring, so they should double check access
to their favorite hunting spots. They might also
encounter lingering snowdrifts that block them
from their hunting spot.
Here are overviews from each Idaho region by
regional wildlife managers:
Panhandle Region
Turkey season in the Panhandle is looking quite
good despite the snow that accumulated in the
lower elevations this winter. Wintering turkeys
are typically associated with agricultural land,
often around livestock feeding operations, so
food is usually available.
Although the region had at near-normal winter
snowpack, the winter did not begin in earnest
until mid-January and snowfall in December and
early January was below normal, so turkeys were
not stressed for a long period. Things are now
opening up and we’re seeing a very nice spring
greenup due to the abundant moisture.
A challenge for turkey hunters this year might
be access due to poor road conditions due to
flooding, but there should be abundant turkeys.
During the spring season, hunters may purchase
and use up to two turkey tags; only toms may be
harvested in spring. As always, remember to
respect private property, and ask first before
you hunt there.
Wayne Wakkinen, Panhandle Region Wildlife
Manager
Clearwater Region
Last fall was warm and wet and early winter and
snow pack was below average. This winter has
seen what would be historically more normal
snowpack, but valley snow levels were above
normal. Despite this, turkeys in the Clearwater
appear to be doing well. Snow at lower
elevations came off relatively early and turkeys
have had the advantage of spring green up.
The largest challenge to Clearwater turkey
hunters this year will also be access. Warm
weather and rain on snow events have caused
flooding, road washouts and slides.
Additionally, snow is gone at lower elevations,
but some hunters will find it difficult
accessing some valley hunting spots because of
snow drifts on roads at higher elevations.
Clay Hickey, Clearwater Region Wildlife
Manager
Southwest Region
Turkey populations have been increasing steadily
the last several years. However, this past
winter was hard on turkeys in places
experiencing prolonged deep snows. Turkeys along
the lower Boise River appear to be doing well.
Unit 38 and a portion of Unit 32 are controlled
hunts and hunting in low country along waterways
often requires landowner permission. The Fort
Boise Wildlife Management Area in Unit 38 is
open to turkey hunting for controlled-hunt tag
holders.
Units 33 and 39 are general hunts with small
turkey populations scattered throughout.
In the northern part of the region, the National
Wild Turkey Federation provided feed to private
landowners in several areas, which helped
turkeys come through the harsh winter pretty
well. Access will be limited at higher
elevations until sometime in May.
There are turkey populations at Cecil D. Andrus
Wildlife Management Area near Brownlee
Reservoir. Motorized travel is restricted on the
Andrus WMA until May 1, but walk-in hunting is
open.
Hunters can also find Access Yes! properties
with turkey hunting opportunities near Indian
Valley, and north of New Meadows.
Rick Ward and Regan Berkely, Southwest
Region Wildlife Managers
Magic Valley Region
The region has a limited number of turkeys in
Unit 54, with most residing on the west side of
the unit. Turkeys are limited to controlled
hunts only in the region, and normal survival is
anticipated after the winter.
Daryl Meints, Magic Valley Region Wildlife
Manager
Upper Snake Region
In general, the Upper Snake has small
populations, and the bulk of these turkeys are
associated with the South Fork of the Snake
River and Snake River riparian areas. Those
areas likely had some winter mortality to
further depress these limited populations. I
would anticipate turkey densities to be slightly
below what we have experienced over the last
number of years. Hunting is limited to
controlled hunts across the region.
Curtis Hendricks, Upper Snake Region
Wildlife Manager
Southeast Region
The region has severe winter conditions from
late December through March, and anecdotal
reports indicate that some winter mortality on
turkeys occurred in isolated areas. We
anticipate turkey densities to be lower than in
previous years. However, turkey numbers were
extremely high this past year, and despite some
winter mortality, there should still be robust
turkey populations for hunters to enjoy. During
the early period of the spring season, hunters
might find turkey distributions to be slightly
different due to lingering snow at higher
elevations.
Zach Lockyer, Southeast Region Wildlife
Manager
Salmon Region
The region has low turkey densities, about 400
in Custer County and about 125 in Lemhi County.
There are very limited controlled hunts for
those birds. The region likely had some winter
mortality to further depress these limited
populations and hunt success. Where the turkeys
occupy lower elevations in the region, access
will not be a problem due to snow.
Greg Painter, Salmon Region Wildlife Manager |
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