At the time, the fire seemed to be a tragedy, its path marked by ugly black trees jutting up from bare dirt in a swath several miles long. Adding to the problem, a prolonged drought prevented the area from rebounding as quickly as hoped, even though reseeding efforts were carried out with diligence.

Things began changing for the better during the winter of 2004-05, with its record-breaking storms. The area was blanketed with heavy wet snow, followed by a cold, wet spring that allowed the moisture to replenish parched ground.

It all came together to form a virtual turkey incubator. With new growth sprouting in their high-country nesting grounds, the poults of 2005 enjoyed an easy summer, growing fat on berries and insects. Then they found their wintering ground blessed with an abundance of mast crops like acorns and piñon nuts.

Spring 2006 saw the flock heading up into the nesting areas under warm, dry conditions that ensured good survival rates for the first-time-nesting hens.

The early summer was painfully dry, and may have had a slight negative impact on the growing chicks. But by July, the wettest monsoon in recent memory was in full swing. The result, going into winter, was lush forests and excellent forage for animals of all kinds.

Predator populations are now about average. Hunting pressure is relatively low. In this part of Northern New Mexico, the stage is set for turkey numbers to go through the roof!

GETTING THERE
I chose to feature Borrego Mesa because of its excellent hunting opportunity and its proximity to Santa Fe. But before telling you how to get there, I should mention a few things.

First, all of Northern New Mexico -- not just the Sangres -- has benefited from recent weather patterns and conditions.

The nearby Jemez Mountains offer almost identical conditions, after the devastating Cerro Grande fire destroyed hundreds of homes in Los Alamos. Turkey numbers are up in that area as well, although not at the same rate as across the valley at Borrego.

Go to the Web site of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish -- wildlife.state.nm.us -- and pull up the game management boundaries map. Among my choices for over-the-counter tags are units 44 and 45, which include Borrego Mesa; Unit 6, the Jemez Mountains; and Unit 51, Carson National Forest.

If you feel lucky, don't hesitate to apply for some of the draw hunts. My first choice would be Unit 2, followed by the legendary Valle Vidal in unit 55. In 2006, while hunting elk in Valle Vidal, I ran into a flock of jumbo-sized birds. It was a large group, and every bird appeared to be over 20 pounds!

The second point to bring up is license requirements. At press time, both spring and fall tags were still available. Residents pay $28, and nonresidents shell out $110.