One thing for sure is that there's no lack of turkeys in the Garden State. According to DFW statistics, the state's 10-year average shows more than 21,000 birds available to hunters for this fall season.

This is a real success story when you consider that wild turkeys were reintroduced through a cooperative project between the National Wild Turkey Federation and the New Jersey DFW, which transplanted 22 birds into the state in 1977.

In 1979, biologists and technicians began to live-trap and relocate birds to establish populations throughout New Jersey. In 1985 -- the first year the state started keeping statistical information -- the statewide wild turkey population was estimated to be only 6,287 birds.

By 1981, the population was able to support a spring hunting season, and in December 1997, a limited fall season was initiated.

Turkey hunting in New Jersey is a really diversified situation. Out of the state's three top zones, the first two -- zones 6 and 7 -- are located in the far north-central portion of the state, in Passaic, Sussex, Bergen and Morris counties. The third, Zone 20, is located in the southwestern portion of the state along the Delaware River in Salem County.

In zones 6 and 7, the terrain is mountainous, interlaced with farms and small towns. Zone 20, on the other hand, is flat land with sandy soil, located along the edges of the Pine Barrens and interlaced with farms and small towns.

In fact, turkey hunting in the lower part of the state has really caught on in recent years, as the birds have really taken to the Pine Barrens' scrub pine, swamp oak and sandy soil, as well as to the lower counties' rich farmland.

Zones 20, 21 and 15 are all located on the southwestern side of the state along the Delaware River, and all are in the top five zones for producing wild turkeys.

Another trend that's becoming prevalent in the Garden State is an increase in the number of turkey hunters with bows, especially during the fall season.

Some of the modern ground blinds offer plenty of room for bowhunters, and they're becoming increasingly popular as archers are taking more and more birds each year.