"The WMAs in the northern part of the district are actually the better turkey areas," Claybrook added.

Hollins WMA is a scenic area with good numbers of birds, but Coosa WMA is probably the better producer.

"Coosa is made up of pine plantations of different ages, and it can be tough to hunt," Claybrook said. "It can be hard to get to a gobbling bird."

The central-western portion of the state is composed of Pickens, Sumter, Greene, Marengo, Tuscaloosa, Hale, Jefferson, Bibb, Perry, Shelby, Dallas and Chilton counties. Historically, Oakmulgee WMA has been a good public ground in this area.

South
The southeastern corner of the state -- made up of the counties of Butler, Covington, Crenshaw, Pike, Coffee, Geneva, Barbour, Dale, Henry and Houston -- continues to be an excellent region for turkeys and turkey hunting.

"We've got a very bright situation," said biologist Bill Gray. "We only have three WMAs down here -- Covington, Blue Spring and Barbour -- and all three provide good turkey hunting."

He also said the best-kept secret for turkey hunters in his part of the state is Fort Rucker, a Department of Defense installation covering about 50,000 acres. It's open to public hunting, although hunters have to follow special rules on the area.

"All hunters on Fort Rucker, regardless of age, must have a hunter safety card," Gray noted.

The counties in the southwestern region are Choctaw, Washington, Mobile, Clarke, Baldwin, Wilcox, Monroe, Conecuh and Escambia. Upper Delta WMA is an area that's coming on strong as a good turkey producer.

Biologist Steve Barnett said the WMA is prone to spring flooding, however, and hunters should talk with his staff in the district office to get an idea of conditions before planning a trip to Upper Delta.