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 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.
Wild turkey near East Canyon Reservoir by Al Hartmann for use with the Bird Sighting feature on Nov. 22, 2007 Morgan and Summit county lines on Highway 65 City: Henefer, then the lek Description: We need to meet bird guru Bill Fenimore in Henefer by 6:45 a.m., so that we can be at the lek (the strutting grounds) before sunrise. That means a 5:30 a.m. or so departure. We will be witnessing the annual mating dance and strut of the sage grouse
Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune 4/7/2010 Tom turkey fans his tail feathers while minding a flock of females in Huntsville.