Big News for Minnesota Turkey Hunters and Wanna-be hunters

[Scott M]

Spring 2010: a turkey license for all hunters

by Joe Albert, Associate Editor

Minnesota Outdoor News

Madelia, Minn. - With the exception of two years in the mid-1980s, the number of permits available for the spring turkey season has increased each year since the first season was held in 1978.

Yet the increases have been relatively gradual. Until now.

DNR officials have upped the number of turkey permits for the 2010 spring season by 35 percent - from about 43,300 to about 57,000. And that's just one of the changes that will make next year's spring season the most accessible turkey season yet.

"Essentially, anybody who wants to turkey hunt should have the ability to turkey hunt next spring," said Eric Dunton, DNR wild turkey research biologist. "Historically, we have taken a conservative approach with the turkey program and allowed it to build at a consistent pace. We felt like we're at a point now where we can be slightly more liberal. This is a first step to getting more participation."

The DNR instituted three main changes for next spring's season:

� Hunters age 17 and under will be able to buy permits over the counter for any season and any permit area.

� When they apply for a permit, hunters will not have to provide a second choice of time period and permit area. The application deadline is Jan. 8, 2010.

(Per the current system, unsuccessful lottery applicants will have the first shot at buying permits for other time periods in under-subscribed permit areas, on a first-come, first-served basis in mid-March. Any permits that remain after that may be purchased by any eligible hunter.)

� During the final two seasons - G (May 14-20) and H (May 21-27) - permits will be available to all hunters on an essentially over-the-counter basis. While the permit numbers are capped, they're capped at levels that never have been reached in previous years.

In general, there have been surplus licenses available for the last two time periods in previous years, and many of the permit areas are under-subscribed at the end of each season.

"There's always going to be people who want to hunt time period A and are willing to wait two or three years (to get drawn) - those people won't see much added benefit," Dunton said. "But there have been people who have put in for their first and second choices and have not gotten drawn. This essentially guarantees they will be able to hunt.

The idea behind allowing youth to buy a license for any time period they want is to recruit new hunters into turkey hunting, he said. Officials tabbed turkey hunting as one kind of hunting with high potential for recruiting new hunters.

The calling keeps them involved in the hunt, and there's excitement when a bird gobbles, Dunton said. In addition, the weather is generally good during the spring season.

"It's a great way to introduce youth to hunting," he said.

Changes reflect numbers

The state's turkey program continues to evolve as turkey numbers grow stronger, Dunton said.

Trapping birds in one area and releasing them in another has been one of the primary ways by which the DNR has built turkey populations, but the agency is winding that down. Last winter, Minnesota took 25 turkeys from Wisconsin and released them in Polk County in the northwest.

It was the first winter in years that no birds were trapped in Minnesota.

"This year will be the first winter that no birds have been accepted from another state and that there's been no trapping in Minnesota for quite some time," Dunton said.

The DNR will conduct a fall turkey population survey during the 2010 deer season.

"Once we get that analyzed and written, we are going to look at the long-term outlook for the (trap and transplant) program," he said.

Regardless of the survey, the DNR will not be identifying any new turkey release sites. If officials believe some areas with recent releases need a boost, "we'll look at it at that time," Dunton said. Even without new releases, he expects the turkey population in the state to continue to rise.

"We are several years away from realizing what our full turkey population potential is in Minnesota," Dunton said.

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Very awesome news! It came in the perfect cycle for me as I was expecting not to be drawn and to be looking for a surplus. I will also for sure be taking my cousin out for his first hunt at his convenience.

[brittman]

The open issue of licenses to youth is a great idea, but I remained very concerned over the large increase in the number of licenses in many zones.

What makes the spring turkey season work in MN is the minimal conflict between hunters. The conflict can occur in person, example two separate groups of hunters working the same birds at the same time OR the conflict can be indirect such as in several groups attempting to secure access to the same property.

[riverrat56]

There will be very minimal if any issues with this new system. The only real change is the youth licensing option. Like it said in the article, almost every year in the past there were surplus permits that never were bought for the last two seasons.

To me this is more a "feel good" thing for the DNR than a change that really effects people. In the old system if people wanted to go every year (like myself) we just applied for a later season that always had surplus permits anways.

I'll give the DNR credit for trying to get more youth involved though and giving everyone the option of hunting, that said, I see this causing very little real change.

[skee0025]

Glad to see the changes, turkeys have been multipling like rabbits. I saw one running down a South Minneapolis street last week. When you see them running down inner city streets its a good bet its time to loosen up the tags a bit. Maybe start a Metro Turkey Bow hunt

[brittman]

There will be very minimal if any issues with this new system. The only real change is the youth licensing option. Like it said in the article, almost every year in the past there were surplus permits that never were bought for the last two seasons.

To me this is more a "feel good" thing for the DNR than a change that really effects people. In the old system if people wanted to go every year (like myself) we just applied for a later season that always had surplus permits anways.

Did you read this above?

I'll give the DNR credit for trying to get more youth involved though and giving everyone the option of hunting, that said, I see this causing very little real change.

DNR officials have upped the number of turkey permits for the 2010 spring season by 35 percent - from about 43,300 to about 57,000.

I already noted the youth license idea was good. But The "feel good" approach by the DNR could kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Too many hunters has the potential to ruin the hunt. Even on the private land you have access to.

Metro permits are a good idea, just like deer and goose you either have access or you do not.

[paintbrush]

� Hunters age 17 and under will be able to buy permits over the counter for any season and any permit area.

This one has me a little baffled. Do these count agaisnt the total tags allowed for the zone and time period or are they above and beyond the numbers of permits available for the zone and time period as listed by the DNR in the applications for those of us who are over 17?

[riverrat56]

They are above and beyond, thats why the youth will be rejected from the lottery and cannot buy the license till a later date.

[Gordie]

I think its great for the youth and overall really good news for turkey hunters