New Fall Turkey Regs to come?

[Wanderer]

So as I've been watching a couple other threads dealing with rule changes the DNR is considering, I ask, why aren't the turkey guys talking about the changes that may effect them?

As I took this survey http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/sminput.html I figured some of you who may not know this would want to:

The DNR is asking if you would support a single 30 day turkey season in the month of October vs. the current 2 - 5 day seasons.

Also, they are asking if you would support the use of dogs for turkey hunting.

I'm curious to see how this plays out in your eyes. AND I am encouraging everyone to take the survey as there are other questions I'm sure everyone has a stake in.

Fire away!

[Wanderer]

The sound of the crickets is deafening.

I'm surprised there isn't any commentary. Borch said you were stable lot.

So the thought of 30 day turkey hunt in October with dogs doesn't make one even bat an eye one way or the other. Interesting.

I've been turkey hunting for about 18 years in MN and these are the most significant rule changes proposed in MN's modern turkey season. It caught my attention.

Maybe the way the original post was written it was dismissed as a troll.

[Dave S]

I guess the use of dogs would be nice in the fall to scatter a flock and then to attempt to call them back.

I've watched hunting shows where they do this. Looked interesting with the dog in their own blind. I've had similar instances where a train or some other factor has scattered a flock and I was able to call them back in.

[woodspliter]

I like the idea of a 30 day season. It would spread out the presure and give people more oppurtunities to get out. I think the idea behind using dogs was for the people out pheasant/grouse hunting that had their dogs with them. They would still be able to shoot a turkey if they had a license while out with their dogs.

[rbs]

I like the idea of the longer season. I have not applied for a fall permit yet but I think I will this time. As far as dogs I am on the fence. Do we want a bunch of pheasant hunters with dogs shooting the bird as its flying and then wounding it? I am a pheasant hunter and I will say I have had my chances to shoot one but it was always in the air, never on the ground. If you are using a dog to scatter and call them back I would say that sounds good but how can you govern this?

[DonBo]

rbs hit this one on the head. Dog hunting is so you can effectively scatter a flock, then the dog either lays quietly in a blind or under some camo or brought back to the truck so the hunter can then call the scattered birds back. There needs to be some way to keep pheasant and grouse hunters from blazing away at a turkey that may accidentally happen to be in their path. Most field loads just are not enough to routinely take a wild turkey. Other than that, I have no problem in either of these new laws. Fact is, there are not enough fall turkey hunters out there now that this will have any effect one way or another.

As for the 30 day season, my opinion is (and always has been) that a 5 day fall season is ridiculous. Again, not enough people doing it to get in each others way, plus fall hunting (IMO) is so much more difficult that a 30 day season will give those few hunters out there a better chance at actually coming across a fall flock.

[Wanderer]

I agree, Fall hunting for turkeys is kinda tough. I hunt a couple farms down in SE and have drawn permits for several seasons but haven't taken a bird in the fall yet. We partner the hunt with archery deer anyway.

The dog proposal is the one I have the toughest time with. I've already heard several spring hunters tell about the birds they flush and shoot but don't kill. These with turkey loads. I know you can kill a flying bird with the right hit but the odds are low. I can see dogs working great for breaking up the flock but I would suspect most people will just start hunting fall turkeys like pheasants.

Since the Fall season has been tough, especially out of a deer stand, I quit getting a tag - save the $. But if we get a 30 day season I suppose I'll be one to go back to buying a tag in case I get the drop on a bird.

ONE time while in my archery stand I was able to mouth call a flock of seven toms to my tree. It was the one year I didn't draw a Fall tag.

[engfish]

Wanderer, thanks for the heads up on the proposed changes. I took the time last night to listen to the information and then filled out the survey. I definitely agree with the 30 day season. Unless you're living on property where you can pattern a fall flock, it tends to be like finding a needle in a haystack! Of course, I always see them in the fields when I head over to the Cannon Falls area to bow hunt deer, and I hear them occasionally in the morning on a field near one of my stands, but they are elusive in the fall. I was always amazed how many grouse I would see sitting in my deer stand during my years in Bemidji. Of course I had a small game license, but they were tough to hit with the sling shot! As others have said, I don't think a lot more turkeys will get harvested, but a few more bow hunters will buy a turkey license "just in case."