April and May are the months for turkey hunting in Tooele County, but the TC Strutters will get ready for the hunts by holding their annual banquet on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Deseret Peak Complex arena.

In addition to the dinner, the Strutters will hold a free turkey calling seminar Saturday at 1 p.m. at the arena for those who would like to find out more about calling turkeys.

The TC Strutters are the largest group of turkey hunters in the state of Utah and each year they host a dinner to raise money through ticket sales, silent auctions, live auctions and raffles. The money is combined with donations from corporate sponsors and individuals concerned about wildlife conservation. Some of the money is used to help transplant turkeys to Tooele County.

Turkey hunting is becoming more popular in the county and throughout the state, according to Ty Anderson of TC Strutters. He said turkey hunting permits in Utah will increase this year from 3,020 to 7,701. Up to 15 percent of turkey permits will be reserved for youth ages 18 and under.

Turkey hunters in North America have been able to coordinate their resources and become experts in preserving the wild birds by joining together and creating the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). When it was founded in 1973, there were only 1.3 million wild turkeys throughout North America. Since then, the number of wild turkeys has increased to more than 7 million birds thanks to the efforts of state and federal wildlife agencies and the NWTF.

Anderson mentioned that the TC Strutters will also hold a JAKES Day in May. JAKES stands for juniors acquiring knowledge, ethics and sportsmanship. The program is for youth 17 years and younger. It is dedicated to informing, educating and involving youth in wildlife conservation and the wise stewardship of natural resources.

Juniors are able to learn turkey hunting skills at these events.

Mark Watson: mwatson@tooeletranscript.com