"North of here, turkeys need supplemental feeding during hard winters, but around here there's plenty of food available," Payne said. "They find plenty of cutover crops, acorns and other forage to eat in the cold weather. We've also established scattered openings in the forest and meadowlands where the poults can get a good start with a lot of protein."

The DNR's Al Stewart is an avid gobbler hunter along with being a turkey biologist. He's had the opportunity to sample the turkey hunting in the southeastern part of the state.

"Turkey populations are higher in the southern part of the state, and turkeys are now abundant," Stewart said. "No one has to drive more than an hour and a half to get in on some good hunting. I've hunted all over the state and have had the good fortune of shooting some Grand Slams."

The Port Huron SGA is located in St. Clair County, and the Lapeer SGA is in Lapeer County, so both areas serve metro-area hunters from Detroit and Pontiac.

The Holly State Recreation Area is another southeastern Michigan spot with good hunting, according to Payne. The Holly SRA is in Oakland County between Flint and Pontiac, and an hour's drive from metro Detroit. Hunting pressure can be intense, but the area's nearly 8,000 acres of rolling woodlands and open fields provide some elbowroom. Almost all of the area is open to public hunting.

Payne is a stickler for safety.

"Turkey hunting is one of the times you can be camouflaged, so be positive of your target," he said. "Know and clearly identify the bird. There's no shooting at shadows or a call."

Decoys aren't totally out of the equation, but they should be used sparingly, according to Payne. Local hunters are beginning to use decoys more often to distract the toms when they move in close to try to figure out what's going on.

For more information, call (248) 359-9040.

UPPER PENINSULA
"Much of the primary turkey range in the western U.P. is in Delta and Menominee counties," said DNR wildlife biologist Craig Albright. "Overall, the February 2005 turkey population estimate in Iron County was approximately 1,300 birds, slightly below the winter population of 1,500 birds. The same time frame population estimate was approximately 2,900 turkeys in Dickinson County. That flock is well above our numbers goal. The February 2005 flock in Menominee County was over 2,500 birds, which was right on target."