Special Turkey Hunt Results

Ever wonder what happened on those special hunts you didn't get drawn for? Well, here are the results of two special spring wild turkey hunts in California. One hunt was at Millerton Lake in Fresno County and one on Tejon Ranch in Kern County. This is the third consecutive year that wild turkey hunting has been permitted at Millerton Lake State Recreation Area. Hunting of any kind is not normally allowed on this state park. Archery-only was the permitted method of take because of the large nunmber of park visitors and because of the private property inholdings. This hunt could accommodate twelve hunters on six separate hunts (two hunters per hunt). Opening weekend was a two-day hunt on Saturday and Sunday (March 25-26, 2000). The other five hunts were one week only (Monday through Sunday) and extended through the remaining spring turkey season (ending April 30). Hunters were selected by random computerized drawing from an average of 224 applications received per hunt. No turkeys were taken, but most of the hunters saw or heard turkeys; and many favorable comments were received from the return of the mandatory survey forms.

The Tejon Ranch, located south of Bakersfield in the Tehachapi Mountains of Kern County, hosted five, free turkey hunts on Wednesdays and Saturdays (April 15, 19, 22, 26 and 29, 2000). The Merriam's subspecies of wild turkey were translocated on the ranch in 1989, where they adapted well to the habitat, and large flocks now populate the ranch. This hunt was limited to ten adult hunters (two hunters per hunt), who were selected by a random computerized drawing which averaged 751 applications per hunt. Two gobblers were killed by a pair of hunters on the Wednesday, April 19, 2000 hunt.