This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday is not only a good time to eat turkey but is an excellent time to view wild turkeys around Utah.
"Right around the Thanksgiving holiday, turkeys start congregating at lower elevations," said Jason Robinson, upland game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. "Agricultural fields, and areas near rivers and streams, are some of the best places to find them. Slopes that are on the south side of hills and mountains are also good places to look."
Utah has a large population of wild turkeys which biologists estimate to be around 25,000.
Turkeys usually stay in lower elevation areas until March, traveling to higher elevations to breed and nest when the snow begins to melt.
One good place to see the wild birds is on a winter hike on the Riverwalk Trail in Zion National Park. I've seen turkeys there nearly every time I've visited the park during the winter months.
Though Utah's turkey population is doing well, biologists are trying to find new places where the birds can be established. They moved 1,627 turkeys from areas in Utah where the birds are doing well to places that have room for more birds.
The birds can also be hunted. Applications for the wild turkey hunt next spring will be accepted at http://www.wildlife.utah.gove starting November 30. There are 4,190 limited-entry permits available.
For more information about hunting or viewing turkeys in Utah, call the nearest DWR offices or the Salt Lake City headquarters at 801-538-4700.