Turkey Hunts Open April 15

General turkey hunts in most of Idaho begin this Saturday, April 15. Turkey hunters who buy a tag before May 1 will be buying them at the old price, $7.50. After May 1, the new fee schedule will take turkey tags to $18. General hunts in the Panhandle Region begin May 1. All general seasons run through May 25. Controlled hunts are also run in the spring in a few areas of the state but hunters were required to apply for those controlled hunts by February 15. Wild turkey populations have done well in recent years in Idaho with an aggressive transplanting program. Participation has grown to match, from a few hundred hunters in the 1980s to around 17,000 in Idaho last year. A mild winter assured little or no winterkill in turkey populations while brood conditions were excellent across most areas of Idaho last year. Good numbers of birds are expected wherever wild turkeys are found in Idaho.