Spring turkey season opens

The Idaho general season for turkeys opened Monday and continues through May 25.

A current hunting license and turkey tag are required to hunt turkeys.

Panhandle Region turkey hunters have the most generous seasons offered in the state. A hunter may take a total of five turkeys (one per tag) in a calendar year. Of these, no more than two may be taken in the spring. Only one turkey may be taken per hunter per day in the spring season. A tag not used in the spring is valid for fall hunting during the same calendar year.

Idaho's wild turkey hunting is increasing in popularity with each passing year, and wild turkey hunting is one of the fastest growing hunting pursuits in the United States.

Wild turkeys are not native to Idaho. They were first introduced in the state in 1961 near Riggins. Hundreds of transplants have been conducted since then, involving birds from other states and birds trapped from thriving populations in Idaho.

Three wild turkey subspecies have been introduced in Idaho. The Riggins release and most subsequent releases have been Merriam's turkeys which are native to mountainous woodland habitats from the southwest U.S. to central Colorado.

The Rio Grande wild turkey subspecies was released in Idaho in 1982. "Rios" are native to riparian and scrub woodlands from the southern Great Plains southward into northeastern Mexico. They have become established in Idaho along the Payette, Snake and Weiser rivers. The Merriam's subspecies has proven to be adaptable to similar habitats along the Bear River in southeastern Idaho.

The Eastern wild turkey is considered to be the most wary and difficult to harvest. The Eastern wild turkey subspecies was introduced to a few sites near Dworshak Reservoir. They are native to deciduous forests common in the eastern U.S. and generally grow slightly larger than the Merriam's or Rio Grande subspecies.

The first turkey hunt in Idaho was held in the fall of 1966. Both hens and toms could be harvested. Rifles were permitted in addition to the usual turkey hunting firearm, a shotgun. Following a few years of fall hunts, spring hunting with shotguns became the mainstay of turkey hunting in the state.

In 1998, Idaho had its first, modern day large fall turkey hunt. Fall hunting has continued and fall hunts are popular in many areas of the state.

Fall hunts have differed from spring hunts in that any turkey is legal game in the fall. Only bearded turkeys are open for spring harvest. The regulations do not specify "gobblers," because occasionally a hen will have a beard. Beards are comprised of modified feathers protruding from the breast. Bearded hens are distinguished from gobblers by turkey hunters because hens are smaller, have blue/grey heads (gobblers heads are more red in color and when excited actually become white), and hens have less white on their tail feathers than gobblers.

Virtually all quality turkey habitat in Idaho is already stocked with birds. Transplanting birds to marginal habitat can result in poor survival of transplanted birds, so transplants are now few in number.

A hunting license and tag are required and the tag must be validated immediately upon harvesting a turkey. Tags for general hunts are available in unlimited numbers from all license vendors.

Because hunters dress in complete camouflage, make the sound of a turkey, and often conceal themselves in dense vegetation, turkey hunting presents some unique safety concerns. Hunters must always be certain of their target and what is beyond before pulling the trigger.

The National Wild Turkey Federation has turkey hunting safety information and other material on its Website.

Phil Cooper is the wildlife conservation educator at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.