Most of the tracts are situated near the town of Redden Crossing, which is located halfway between Georgetown and Ellendale. The largest parcel of land is just east of U.S. Route 113, and much of the woodlands border on major county highways, thereby providing hunters with relatively good access to the entire area.

Tracts located west of Route 113 are considerably smaller and some are not interconnected. All, however, have good to excellent access via state and country roads. Reynolds said if spring's weather has been somewhat wet, the birds will be concentrated on higher hummocks that are often surrounded by flooded woodlands. Consequently, individuals willing to walk the extra mile into some of the remote, isolated areas will be more likely to bag a big gobbler.

Nanticoke Wildlife Area
Delaware's Nanticoke Wildlife Area, situated along the south shore of the Nanticoke River, is a vast parcel of swampland interspersed with meandering creeks, tidal marshes and fragmented stands of hardwoods and loblolly pine. The nearest town is Laurel, which is located just west of Route 13 a few miles north of Salisbury, Maryland.

I was talking with someone who was in this area and said they saw a flock of nearly 60 turkeys. The birds were walking up a dirt road and picking up seeds when he came upon them. Most of the area can be accessed via Phillips Landing Road, which borders the area's northern edge. The parcel situated north of Broad Creek, however, is more difficult to access. This segment can be accessed via Red House Road, which is northwest of the town of Bethel.

When asked about Delaware's overall turkey population, Reynolds said.

"In certain areas, the population seems to be increasing, particularly in Sussex County where we have better habitat. Generally speaking, the farther south you go, the better the habitat. Kent County's habitat is being lost to urban sprawl and the rate of development is likely greater than New Castle County. Sussex County's development isn't far behind, though. I heard in a recent meeting that since 1999, there have been 1,300 new developments built in the state. That's incredible when you consider the size of the state."

NEW JERSEY
While Garden State hunters did not have a record-breaking year for spring gobblers, the preliminary estimates put the number of birds harvested at 3,264, which makes it the third-best season since 1981. The state's highest harvest recorded took place in 2002, when 3,779 birds were taken. Keep in mind, however, the weather during 2005's spring season was abysmal. Hunters were deluged with torrential rains, bone-chilling temperatures and blustery winds. The amazing thing is that hunters managed to bag as many birds as they did.