Changes to MN turkey hunting 2012

[Scott M]

see item #3

Tom time: Wild for gobblers

by Doug Smith, Star Tribune

4/12/2011

Minnesota's wild turkey season opens Wednesday -- and this spring as many as 50,000 hunters might try to bag a gobbler.

That's more than twice as many turkey hunters as 10 years ago, and more than eight times the number of hunters who went afield 20 years ago.

The reintroduction of wild turkeys to the state beginning in the 1960s -- along with their proliferation and the accompanying growth in turkey hunter numbers -- is one of Minnesota's great wildlife success stories. Here are five things to know:

1. Happy to be hunting

The odds say just 30 percent -- 15,000 of those estimated 50,000 hunters -- will eat turkey this season. The other 35,000 will go home empty-handed, but mostly content.

"Hunters keep telling us that opportunity is more important than bagging a bird,'' said Bill Penning of the Department of Natural Resources. "They want to hear gobbling, they want to see a bird, but actually putting one in the bag isn't on the top of their list.''

That's what a random survey of 2,400 southeastern Minnesota turkey hunters in 2010 confirmed. The opportunity to kill a turkey was an important factor in determining the quality of their hunt, but killing a bird was cited only about 5 percent of the time as the most important factor.

2. Another record harvest?

Because the turkey population, now estimated at about 75,000, has grown along with the number of hunters, the turkey harvest has grown, too. Hunters set harvest records in 16 of the past 20 years. They topped 10,000 birds in 2008 and hit 13,467 last year. That's more than twice the harvest of just 10 years ago.

The DNR has suspended efforts to trap birds and transplant them to new areas around the state, saying turkeys have been reintroduced in all places they are likely to thrive. That range, which now extends as far north as Thief River Falls, Walker and Duluth, is far larger than ever thought possible. Can hunters continue to set harvest records? "I expect the turkey population will still continue to grow in the northern portions of the range for some time,'' Penning said. "And turkeys might continue to expand on their own. If that occurs, we could open more areas to hunting. But at some point we'll hit our carrying capacity.'' For 2011, though, Penning expects another record harvest.

3. Big change a'coming

The biggest change in years for turkey hunters occurred this year: Hunters now can buy licenses over-the-counter for the last two time periods, meaning anyone who wants to hunt turkeys now can. But a bigger change could come next year.

"We are looking at consolidating permit areas,'' said Penning. The state's turkey range now is divided into 81 hunting zones, and hunters are restricted to one. "We're looking at having far, far fewer,'' perhaps just a dozen, Penning said. That would allow hunters to hunt in far larger areas. "We can reduce the administrative burden for both hunters and the DNR, and not have a negative population effect,'' Penning said.

4. Over-the-counter licenses

Could the DNR one day sell all turkey licenses over-the-counter, without the lottery system that has been used?

Don't hold your breath. "It will be a very long time before we can do that,'' Penning said. "The sport is very popular, and in the early part of the season, demand greatly exceeds supply [of turkey permits].'' And the DNR doesn't want to diminish high-quality turkey hunting by lifting those restrictions. In last year's hunter survey, the average quality-of-hunt score was 3.3 on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being excellent.

5. Turkey, nation's bird?

Yes, it's true that Benjamin Franklin apparently preferred the turkey instead of the bald eagle as the nation's emblem. Here's what he wrote to his daughter 1 1/2 years after Congress selected the bald eagle for the nation's Great Seal:

"For my own part I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his living honestly. For in truth the turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America. ... He is besides, though a little vain and silly, a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat on.''

[goblueM]

i've always thought i ironic that we associate the eagle with fierceness and being top dog... when mostly it just scavenges dead fish

very interesting on the turkey zone changes. I'd be curious to see what that does to the effort, if it would concentrate in several areas, such as some SE counties for example

[Cheetah]

I would be all for bigger zones so I could check out some other public lands I have always wanted to, but never wanted to commit to giving up my traditional area I know well.

My big hope though is that the DNR still keep the permit numbers in check so that we aren't all running into each other in the woods or decimating the bird population. The numbers they mention in the article about there being 2x and 8x more hunters than past years makes me nervous.

[sticknstring]

A larger zone would certainly be nice. I could hunt my traditional spots as well as out behind the house if birds are around. Judging by the amount of surplus tags available in the SE part of the state every spring, I don't think there will be any overcrowding. I like the new proposed change. Now we just need an early archery season!

[ac777]

I agree with larger zones, and an early archery season would be much better than a late one, even just a 5 day period right before season A starts.

[AndersonOutdoors]

I think most Hunters will be in favor of this,I talked to a guy from Wisconsin and they did it a couple of years ago and it works well.Now we need to pass a bill to Guide for Turkeys.

[DonBo]

Now we need to pass a bill to Guide for Turkeys.

The problem with guiding for turkeys is outfitters leasing land, thus keeping your average hunter off high quality, high density areas. I don't believe the DNR wants to go anywhere near there.

[AndersonOutdoors]

They might go there if the state starts to make revenue, i dont think it should be any different from deer or bear.you dont like the idea Donbo, just curious?

[DonBo]

They might go there if the state starts to make revenue, i dont think it should be any different from deer or bear.you dont like the idea Donbo, just curious?

Nothing personal. I know you are a guide and outfitter, but the DNR and most hunters alike place such a premium on the quality of the hunt. I believe having large tracks of land removed from the average hunter, due to leases would seriously affect that quality. No, I do not like that idea. Again, nothing personal, this is from a guy who just returned from an out of state hunt, with an outfitter, on leased land.

The difference from turkeys to deer or bear is, the vast majority of the best turkey habitat is on private land, whereas there is much prime public land available for deer and bear hunting.

[AndersonOutdoors]

this is from a guy who just returned from an out of state hunt, with an outfitter, on leased land.

Right on,thanks for being honest and your input

[Sgt. Schlitz]

While this was not covered in the article one thing I would like to see is the Periods (A-F) change so each one covers a full weekend. Currently most of the periods split a weekend. I believe other states do this and there are even gaps between the periods to give the birds a break from hunters in the woods.

[SandPoint]

+ 1 on what DonBo said. I also think it would be cool if instead of going over the counter for all seasons you could apply for a chance at a second tag in a seperate drawing, when and if the turkey population ever gets high enough for that option.

[KMR85]

While this was not covered in the article one thing I would like to see is the Periods (A-F) change so each one covers a full weekend. Currently most of the periods split a weekend. I believe other states do this and there are even gaps between the periods to give the birds a break from hunters in the woods.

+1

[bigbucks]

+1 on the full weekends thing too

[walterman]

How about a continuous season from april till may like a lot of states?

[DHost21]

I was listening to KFAN lastnight and a DNR officer came on and talked about this. The one point he made was there are too many people who want to hunt the first couple seasons that he doesnt see those ever be anything but a lottery but what i was wondering is why cant they have A-D lottery and then the last 4 over the counter and have it just one longer season. I think that would disperse the hunters still in a good way cause a lot of people would still apply to hunt early but a lot of people would wait to hunt a longer time at the end too. They kinda started that this year making the last 2 seasons over the counter so its getting there I just hope maybe someday soon they would give us longer seasons too cause 4 or 5 days of turkey hunting isnt enough for me its just too fun lol

[Wanderer]

The thing with the draw seasons is that it makes it easier for landowners to keep track of who's coming and who's going; and the different groups who have permission for the same land from bumping into each other.

We have private land to hunt but we're not the only ones who hunt it. It's nice to work it out with everyone involved to schedule it so everyone gets to enjoy the same ground without feeling too crowded.

Right now there is a group on the land we get to hunt but we know we're the next up for season D. Nobody else should be in there until after we're done.

I feel really bad for the guys hunting down there now in this weather.

BTW, + another for what Don said.