Deadline for WI 2007 Spring Turkey Hunt Approaching!!! - Dec. 11th

[Hotspotter]

Folks:

Make sure you all get out there and get your apps. in. I know ice fishing looms, and hunting is just wrapping up, but make sure to get it done!

Joel

[bmc]

Joel,

I'm applying for a non-resident turkey tag for the first time this year. Is it easier for a non-resident to get a tag if you put in for a later season? My brother lives in Hudson, so I'm going to put in for that area and then he has a friend by Baldwin that said I could hunt his place too. So I have 2 different zones to apply for. Just wondering if you have any advice as far as what season to apply for?

Thanks,

Brian

[Hotspotter]

Brian:

I'm no expert on the WI non-res thing.....so I made a few calls to people that are.

I would recommend you contact Upland Ecologist Andrea Mezerra:

(608) 261-8458

[email protected]

She was very knowledgeable regarding seasons/applications and their system. When she didn't know an answer to a question, she referred me to the proper sources as well.

To answer your initial questions, it's much easier to pull for a later season as a non-res than an earlier one. Preference in WI is different than in MN, with no "set" number of tags per season. Instead, priority is given, in this order:

1. Resident Landowners

2. Residents who did not receive a tag the previous year

3. Residents - All others

4. Non-resident landowners

5. Non-resident - All others

That said, most pick a traditionally favorable season (the early ones). I would look towards seasons E & F as "E" is typically the earliest a non-res will get a tag for, except for those zones with the highest numbers of permits available. Keep in mind, these zones can be ones with intense hunting pressure, and fewer workable birds come late May.

Also, if you apply with a freind, just make sure you both apply under the same license number so you'll get selected or denied as a group.

Last thing, you can select several seasons, in terms of priority, so feel free to shoot for an earlier season, then give several other options for later ones.

Word on the street is that WI might soon be revamping its system, though these are just rumors. Grass is always greener on the other side of the river, that is, unless you're standing on the west-bank Kidding!

Joel

[Cooter]

Hey bmc,

To up your odds make sure you put down both zones you're interested in hunting. Then pick your prefered times but also put in ALL the times you would accept(doing it this way you cover all 6 seasons). For your prefered or 1st and 2nd choices as they say on the app - if you have a private chunk to hunt that won't get pounded before you hunt I love the 4th and 5th seasons, which are typically the end of April, beginning of May. If the area might get hunted, go for the earliest times.

What I do is go for season 4 then 5 or 3 then 4(depends on the weather which no one can predict). Then just list the rest. Or if I might be on public land, I go for season 1 and then 2. Again, list all possible zones you might hunt and all time periods. I've hunted 10+years here and have always gotten a tag, last year I got two for the first time. Good luck, later.

[fishtrapgirl]

BMC,

Here is a bit of what WI has to offer. This was taken on the first weekend, about 1/2 hr. south of Rice Lake....

It is an experiance you will never forget!

Ryan

[bmc]

Thanks for the info. guys. Hey Ryan, that was me and the Darton rep talking WI turkey at my dad's open house last weekend. Small world huh? LOL Were you bowhunting or shotgunning when you got the bird in the pic? I'm pumped to see if I get drawn. C'mon January 31st!

Brian

[fishtrapgirl]

It is a small world. Now at least I can put a face to the name.

I was using a shotgun for that hunt. I wanted to get a bird before I went out with my bow. '07 will be the first year I will try and get one with the bow. Should have used it this year, turkey was at about 10 yards!!!

Good luck getting your name drawn, my wife gets landowner prefrence from her father so we always have at least one tag. Let me know what season you get when you find out.

If you do hunt the baldwin area let me know, maybe we will meet up one of the days. We will be about 45minutes from there.

Ryan

[bmc]

Ryan,

Being it's my first time applying as a non-resident, any clue as to my chances of drawing? I put zone 19 as my first and second choice, putting the last 2 seasons as my preference. I'm hoping I get drawn. My brother lives in Hudson, WI and has a friend who has a 40 just SE of Baldwin and it sounds like there's tons of turkeys in that area. I'll give you a post here when Jan. 31st comes around.

Brian

[fishtrapgirl]

Hi Brian,

This is Ryan's wife Brenda. He is at work so I thought I would reply. Ryan has applied for three years in a row now and gotten a tag every year. However, he has never gotten the season that he wanted any of the years. Most people prefer the earlier seasons. If you go to the Wisconsin DNR HSOforum you can check the status of your application. It tells if you got a permit and what season. I did this on Tuesday and found out that we both got tags, mine is the first season and I think Ryan's was the last. Hopefully on your application you put that you would accept any season in that zone. That will give you the best chance of getting a tag. Anyway, check out the HSOforum, otherwise you will go crazy waiting for something in the mail. I sold my bow on Tuesday to a guy who wants to bowhunt turkeys. Now I gotta go see your dad and order a new Hoyt!! I will be working LOTS of overtime! Thats my goal this coming spring, to get one with a bow. Good luck, if you have any questions about the DNR HSOforum just let us know.

fishtrapgirl

[bmc]

Brenda,

I went to the "Permit" area of the WI DNR site and it says results will be available 01-31-07. Am I doing something wrong?

Brian

[fishtrapgirl]

Brian,

Go to the Wisconsin DNR homepage. Under Online Services click on the Hunting Permit Applications option. Then you will get a page with three different options next to yellow circles. Select the top one that says you want to check your winner status/preference points. After that you will have to check that you are not a WI resident. Then enter either your WI DNR customer # or your SS # and DOB. This will bring up a page with all of your customer information. On the top right hand side select the option View/Apply for Permits. On that page select Spring Turkey Application. There you should be able to see if your application was recieved, if a permit was awarded, and the zone and season you get. On the top it says Drawing Results available 1-31-07. I'm not sure what this means, possibly that this is when they are mailed out? Anyway, I hope this helps.

fishtrapgirl

[paintbrush]

I believe what you are looking at on the WI permit results are the results from last year. Look at the year for the draw results. They are dated for 2006 on the permit dates.

[fishtrapgirl]

My bad, I didn't even notice the year. There I go getting everyone excited about turkeys...guess we do have to wait but only another month.

fishtrapgirl