California's spring general wild turkey hunting season opener is slated for March 31, and runs through May 6. "We are looking forward to a better season opener than last year", observed Dave Ebright at Chico Sportsmans Den. "The 2011 opener and a lot of the season was spoiled by bad weather. The cold weather we are getting now may actually help the overall season, by slowing down the nesting progression a little. There are a lot of birds in the area, and we are hearing a lot of positive results from hunters who are doing their early scouting."

Ebright added, "Hunters should carefully check the regulations for the area they are hunting; many of the state refuges now require the use of non-toxic shot like a steel/tungsten blend."

Licensed Junior Hunters have additional legal days on March 24-25, and May 7-20. Archery hunters are also allowed to hunt the additional days from May 7-20. The fall season runs from November 12-27. A valid current California hunting license with Upland Bird Validation is required. The bag limit is one bearded turkey per day, and three per season.

NWTF banquet
The Chico Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will hold its annual fundraising banquet at 5:00 PM on April 6, at The Palms, 2947 Nord Ave. in Chico. A great assortment of raffle and auction prizes will be available, including wildlife-themed art, hunting gear, commemorative guns, and more. Tickets are $65 single, $100 couple, and $35 for Jakes. Early bird packages are available. Call 343-5969 for tickets.