HUNTING -- While growing up in Central Montana, I shot my first wild turkey as an elementary school kid about 10 years after they were introduced to the state.

My dad and I knew virtually nothing about turkey hunting going into our first hunt. A farmer invited us out to try our luck, and he assured us the best tactic was to bring my trusty .22 mag. rifle (illegal for turkey hunting in Washington) and shoot one in the head.

That's what we did.  I remember both of us thinking it was kind of strange and not particularly fulfilling.

We got the bug later, after turkey hunting aficionados helped spread knowledge and excitement about the SPORT of spring gobbler seasons, using calls and a shotgun to ramp up the challenge and the thrill.

Following is a bit of history on wild turkeys in Montana from a story by Brett French of the Billings Gazette:

Merriams turkeys, the most common species found in Montana, aren’t native to the state. They were first introduced in 1954 to the Judith Mountains near Lewistown by what was then the Department of Fish and Game, now named Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The birds had been shipped in from Colorado.

In the following two years they were released in the Long Pines and Ashland National Forest, both in southeastern Montana. About the same time the Eastern species of wild turkeys were illegally released in the Flathead Valley.

It took a long time, and many other transplants coordinated in part by groups like the National Wild Turkey Federation, for the birds to grow to the robust populations that have allowed them to populate much of the eastern two-thirds of the state. One estimate put the statewide population at 120,000 turkeys.

Although not a popular hunting target in Montana compared to big game species like deer and elk, FWP annually sells about 25,000 turkey tags. The spring turkey hunting season began on Saturday, April 8, in Montana and runs through May 21. No hens can be shot in the spring. In the fall, all turkeys are fair game and they can be hunted from Sept. 1 through Jan. 1. A rifle or handgun can be used to shoot a turkey in the fall season, where allowed, but only a shotgun or bow can be used in the spring.