It's longbeards like this that Oregon hunters are seeking this spring. Photo by Scott Haugen.

Last spring, during the opening weeks of Oregon's turkey season, many hunters faced rainstorms, cold winds and even snow in some eastern parts of the state. These challenging hunting situations made for even tougher nesting conditions for many wild turkeys.

The turkeys' spring nesting season is the most important time for the perpetuation of future flocks. The wetter and colder the spring, the fewer fledgling fowl will survive.

Hens will re-nest after they've lost a brood or two. But this doesn't always ensure young populations will survive in healthy numbers. Chicks that hatch too late in the summer again face the possibility of wet, cold conditions in the early fall.

Because spring is such a vital time for turkey survival, knowing how birds fared in certain parts of the state will help you better determine where to hunt them. Here's a look at some of the state's top turkey grounds, based on last year's survival rates.

THE EAST
Some parts of eastern Oregon were hit hard with late heavy snows. Harsh conditions claimed birds in some areas and delayed nesting in other regions. Meanwhile, flocks in some protected valleys did just fine.

Many young birds were reported seen in the fall -- a result of late nesting or a loss of broods, likely due to poor weather conditions. But were these young birds hardy enough to make it through the winter? It was hard to tell.

With that in mind, if you're hunting in the east for longbeards, it's a good idea to first call the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's regional office near the area you intend to hunt. Flock dynamics can quickly change, so it's important to do your homework.

Luckily, there are some bright spots in the northeast section of the state.

Mike Hansen, Enterprise Wildlife Technician, reports that a reasonably good hatch was observed in this area last spring.

"We had quite a bit of snow in the area last winter," he said. "But lots of birds drop into the hayfields around here, which helps them get through the winter."

Hansen points out that ODFW feeding programs enlisting the help of local farmers and ranchers have really helped birds survive in this part of the state. Thanks to these feeding programs, birds tend to congregate on private lands -- which offer the best hunting action.

North of town, the Wallowa-Whit-man National Forest holds some public-land hunting opportunities.

There's also land owned by the Forest Capital Partners.

This private timber company offers 130,000 acres of public access, thanks to arrangements with the ODFW on joint projects.

In the northeast corner of the state, the upper and lower Imnaha are also good places to hunt public grounds.

Hansen points north to the Troy area, around the Grande Ronde River, as a place to look for birds: "Around here, birds that winter in the valleys usually move north into the rolling hills." He urged hunters to seek permission before setting foot on any private land.

Jamie Nelson, a wildlife technician in the Baker City Field Office, reports that last winter, the birds also did well in this area to the south.

"Turkey numbers are still increasing here," she said, "and are actually doing very well. Some birds get through the winter by eating oat bales and cattle grain. We don't really want that, but it shows they'll do what they need to do to survive the winter."

She points out that this influx of birds into farmland is one reason fall tag numbers increased last season.