Roadside parking and public access are off Whitney Road and Bog Road. From Route 9/202 in Hillsborough, turn north on Hillsborough Center Road. After about one mile, turn right on Whitney Road. Bog Road will be the first left.

To get to the third and smallest section of the forest, continue on Hillsborough Center Road to the fork at Concord End Road. Bear right into the forest. A few dirt roads and paths lead into the forest. Parking areas may be found on Concord End Road and Gould Pond Road. Black Mountain State Forest

New Hampshire’s Connecticut River valley is dairy-farm heaven. Wild turkeys flock to these farms to feed on corn, alfalfa and clover. Black Mountain State Forest is sandwiched between the farmlands and the White Mountain National Forest to provide the birds with forest cover and easy access to the farmlands.

For New Hampshire, this forest is rather small, at only 729 acres. But turkeys don’t need a lot of land, just a mixture of forest and open patches -- and this state forest has both.

The eastern portion is relatively level until it begins its ascent toward Black Mountain. Turkeys prefer the edges between the flats and the mountain slopes. Try to find a good shooting station between the old stonewalls that are scattered around the eastern portion of the forest.

Entry to the forest requires a bit of walking.

Turn east onto Route 116 from Route 10 in North Haverhill. After about two miles, turn right onto Lime Kiln Road toward East Haverhill. Dirt roads and paths lead into the forest about one mile down Lime Kiln Road. Continue on Route 116 for another two miles to another set of access trails. Watch for signs, since the forest is surrounded by private property.

For more information on Granite State turkey hunting seasons and licensing, call the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department at (603) 271-3511, or visit the department’s Web site at NHFishAndWildlife.com.

For tourist information, call 1-800-386-4664.

MAINE
Maine is best known for its ruffed grouse hunting, but the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the National Wild Turkey Federation have transformed the state into a prime turkey-hunting destination.

Two areas to look for birds are:

Vernon S. Walker WMA
Turkey hunters have a good chance at a bird in this 3,900-acre parcel of land. This area has a mixture of marshland, ponds, hardwood forest and managed clear-cut areas. The terrain is generally flat to sloping, providing easy walking. Hunters should focus on the second-growth forest areas that lie close to evergreen stands.

This WMA is about halfway between the towns of Newfield and Shapleigh. From Exit 2 off I-95, take Route 109 north into Sanford. Continue for about seven miles before turning north onto Route 11. Follow Route 11 into North Shapleigh, then turn right on Mann Road. Look for roadside parking areas and walk-in access along Mann Road.

Frye Mountain WMA
Often the better turkey hunting in Maine is near the coast, where farms and open lands are more abundant. The area surrounding Belfast fits that turkey billing. Frye Mountain WMA lies about 12 miles west of Belfast in the towns of Montville, Knox and Morris.