Thorough scouting often spells the difference between success and failure in the turkey woods. Photo by Ralph Hensley.

The truck climbed slowly up the forest service road and coasted to a stop along the edge of the ridge. The hunters emerged quietly, gathered their gear, and then gently eased the doors closed. They made their way along the ridgeline without speaking, taking great care not to make any more sound than necessary.

Upon reaching the pre-chosen vantage point, the hunters prepared for their first stab at finding an early-morning gobbler. The sun was just beginning to give the slightest hint of color on the horizon. It was destined to be a glorious morning.

The chosen starting point was a high ridge point that intersected three other ridgelines and overlooked choice hardwood bottoms and two large green fields. A short blast on an owl hooter was answered by three very distinct gobbles from birds spaced alongside the nearest green field and another possible gobble some distance away at the far end of the woods. The hunters whispered strategy and then quickly headed off in pursuit of an opening day tom.

Scenarios like this are what we all strive for as turkey hunters. Unfortunately, far too many days don't resemble our vision in the least. Several factors have to come together in order to make those perfect mornings a possibility.

There is a commonly heard phrase that reiterates the importance of "location, location, location." While the phrase was originally meant in a different context, it is highly applicable to turkey hunting. The main key to success is knowing where to hunt. Knowing how to call and being a good shot doesn't play a part at all if there are no birds present. This is true whether hunting on private or public land. However, location is even more important on public land because other hunters and their movement patterns must be factored in to develop a hunting strategy.

Finding birds in Illinois has not been difficult based on harvest results from the last several years. Although there has been some fluctuation, spring hunters have typically bagged increasing numbers of birds each year. However, the harvest figures have fallen slightly since a record number of birds were taken in 2006.

The numbers of spring birds taken by adult hunters in the last 10 years had steadily climbed from 10,061 in 1999 to 15,066 in 2004. The special youth spring season commenced in 2001 with 75 birds taken, a number that rose to 498 by 2004.

All harvest numbers fell slightly in 2005, but hunters set a new record high of 15,628 birds in 2006, only the second time harvest numbers exceeded 15,000.

Since then, the number of birds taken by youths climbed from 570 in 2007 to 633 in 2008, but regular season numbers dropped to 14,197 birds, the lowest harvest total in six years. That figure rebounded last year as hunters bagged an impressive 15,159 birds or about one turkey bagged for every five hunters.

The DNR was seemingly pleased with the 2008 preliminary results. The total harvest, 15,792 birds, was the second-largest spring turkey harvest ever, according to Tom Micetich of the DNR.

"We are very pleased with this year's spring turkey harvest," Paul Shelton, forest wildlife program manager said, "The South Zone started out slowly in cool, rainy weather, but improved over the course of the seasons and finished with the fifth-largest harvest ever. In the North Zone, conditions were generally favorable for turkey hunting, although cool weather and heavy rain on the final Sunday of the fifth season dampened results slightly."