Turkey season opens this weekend for most of Oklahoma, and while parts of the state are still dealing with drought issues that could slow the onset of spring habitat conditions, other areas of the state have experienced some relief from recent years of record heat and drought. In either case, well-prepared hunters should have better luck finding gobblers to hunt this spring.

Turkey season runs April 6 through May 6, except in the eight-county southeast region where the season runs April 21 through May 6 (Atoka, Choctaw, Coal, Latimer, Le Flore, McCurtain, Pittsburg and Pushmataha counties).

Biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation have weighed in to offer last-minute insights into current spring turkey activity, in hopes hunters can benefit from the their observations.

The following is the biologists' report for the Northeast Region.

NORTHEAST REGION
Reported by Brent Morgan, northeast region wildlife biologist

Current Gobbler Activity
Birds are starting to break up. Gobbling activity is fair on nice mornings. Still no active breeding.

Habitat Conditions
Habitat conditions are in good shape with lots of nesting cover. Invertebrates are in good numbers as well as a grasses. Conditions will only improve with the upcoming warmer conditions.

Reports from Hunters and Landowners in the Region
Reports from landowners are that birds are starting to break up, while gobbling activity is picking up.

Open Wildlife Management Areas in the Region
Cherokee WMA and Tenkiller WMA are open for youth and regular season. Camp Gruber will be open the second Saturday in April and run for nine consecutive days. Each WMA is a one-bird area.

Three Best Tips for Hunting Gobblers in the Region
Hunting turkey on public land can be very challenging since birds get educated even before season starts. Best advice I can give would be to hunt midday once the hens go to nest.
Lonely gobblers are more likely to respond in the middle of the day when they don't have hens.
Don't call to gobblers on the roost and call very little. The more you call, the more likely you will be pin-pointed by the bird.

Three Biggest Gobbler Hunting Mistakes
Getting too close to the roost is one of the biggest mistakes I hear from hunters.
Another mistake hunters make is trying to move in when they think the gobbler has left or has hung up. Sit tight and be patient because a smart bird will try and call the hens to him instead of him coming in.

Decoy placement can also be a problem. You don't want to place a decoy too far from you or directly in between you and the tom. Gobblers sometimes hang up outside of decoys and outside of shotgun range.

Opening Day Expectations
Opening day should be good, with gobbling activity picking up. Breeding activity should be in full swing. Hunters can expect to hear gobbling on the roost but once they hit the ground it may be a different story.