Good turkey habitat creates good hunting. The rolling forest and agricultural areas are perfect for spring gobblers. As the hens move into the fields, the longbeards are right behind them, willing to break cover.

Hunters who take advantage of a big tom more intent on showing off for the girls than watching his backside can put a big one in the pot.

The Northern Unit of Kettle Moraine covers nearly 30,000 acres in Washington and Sheboygan counties and the Southern Unit covers almost 20,000 acres in Waukesha and Walworth counties.

According to Ryan, smaller wildlife areas in the southeastern region of the state have many wetlands where hunters wouldn’t expect to find turkeys, but the birds readily utilize them. They’re not the typical pine forest habitat hunters normally think of when looking for a good spot to hunt, but they can produce well.

A few areas to try are the 8,119-acre Sheyboygan Marsh WA in Sheyboygan County northeast of Elkhart Lake on Highway J, the 5,499-acre Theresa Marsh WA in Dodge and Washington counties 30 miles north of Milwaukee on U.S. 41, and the 4,596-acre Vernon WA in Waukesha County a half mile northeast of Mukwonago on Highway 83.

Hunting pressure is fairly heavy because of their close proximity to both Madison and Milwaukee.

For more information, contact the DNR’s Southeast Region office at (414) 263-8500.

Wood County Forests
Wood County is blessed with numerous county forestlands.

“Habitat across the county is variable and there’s a fair amount of oak, aspen and red maples,” said Wood County forest administrator Frederick Schubert.

Calling toms is the way to go here.

Setting up on the edge of an opening or a field is a great way to find feeding hens, and the breeding males won’t be far behind. Jakes will make a showing for callers, but it’s the dominant birds that you’re looking for, so be patient.

Two-year-old birds are generally taken, but occasionally an older bird will be tempted to venture a little too close to a stationary caller. The older birds know their territory better than you can ever hope to and it’s a challenge to find the right combination of roosting area, sign, open fields for strutting and displaying and a source of water. Find the best combination and you’ll probably be onto some nice birds.

Some of the forest’s 37,552 acres are wet in the spring and access is limited. Turkeys will use these areas, especially if hunters are moving around in the woods.

The Wood County forest is the perfect place to try the Hunting Mirror by In-Sight Hunting Products. The little mirror is only a few inches across and snaps onto your hunting cap to give a 360-degree view of your surroundings without having to turn around to look. The Hunting Mirror is a simple little invention and it’s a wonder no one ever thought of it before.

For more information, contact the Wood County forest administrator in Wisconsin Rapids at (715) 421-8549 or the West Central Region in Eau Claire at (715) 839-3700.

Chippewa County Forests
This is another county with plenty of turkey-hunting potential.

The two main hunting areas in Chippewa County are the 33,000-acre Chippewa County Forest in the northern part of the county and the 4,000-acre Tom Lawin WA, consisting of land owned and leased by the state.