"When the Army has training going on in the area, you may not be allowed there to hunt," he said. "Unfortunately, you won't know that until you drive up to the entrance before dawn on the day you want to hunt to find signs informing you that the area is closed to all but U.S. Army troops that day. Hit it lucky on a day when signs are not posted and you could have a day to remember."

ATCHAFALAYA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI DELTA REGION
The second-best region for the spring turkey season, according to Savage, is the Atchafalaya and South Mississippi Delta Region. This region in south-central Louisiana encompasses the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Cameron, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, Terrebonne, Vermilion and W. Baton Rouge.

Turkey hunting is expected to be good for the coming season in all of this region except for the coastal parishes, which provide inadequate turkey habitat. The best hunting is in Avoyelles, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. Landry and W. Baton Rouge parishes.

In general, the forest here is cypress and bottomland hardwoods. Of the approximately 2 million acres in these parishes, 128,000 are publicly owned. Several wildlife management areas lie within this region, among them Spring Bayou, Sherburne, and Thistlethwaite. Sherburne, 43,600 acres of mainly hardwood bottomland, is the crown jewel of the region.

According to Savage, one portion of Sherburne is better because of habitat that's not only more attractive to turkeys but easier to hunt as well. "The better habitat there is on the north end and in particular north of I-10 and the Highway 190 corridor," he said. "You'll find more elevated sites here, whereas the portion of Sherburne below the I-10/Highway 190 corridor is too low and swampy. There are turkeys there, but they're harder to hunt because it's so wet, and the undergrowth is so thick."

NORTHWEST LOBLOLLY/SHORTLEAF/ HARDWOOD REGION
Ranking third for the upcoming turkey season, in Savage's view among the five regions of the state, this area of northwest Louisiana takes in the parishes of Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, DeSoto, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Red River, Union and Webster. Of the roughly 4 million acres of land in this region, 270,000 acres are open to the public for hunting. Included are several WMAs: Jackson-Bienville, Union, Loggy Bayou, Bodcau and Bayou Pierre.

One of the young gobblers that had come charging in to my croaky, creaky calling practically ran over me, and I had to blast him in what amounted to self-defense.

"The Jackson-Bienville management area is probably the best in this region," Savage said. "This past season, hunting there was really good, with 50 gobblers taken during the season. The Weyerhaeuser Company owns Jackson-Bienville, and they have a good aggressive timber management program going on there, which includes prescribed burning and management for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. In managing for these woodpeckers, activities that help the birds also work in favor of turkeys.

"In addition, the National Wild Turkey Federation in partnership with our department, Entergy, Anadarko Petroleum and others has several major projects ongoing on Jackson-Bienville, which also provide and enhances habitat for turkeys here."