Best way to get a Surplus tag..?

[PierBridge]

Just wondering the most efficient way to go about getting a surplus tag....I have a tent and sleeping bag if neccasary ...LOL.

Do I just go to any electronic station that sells them or should a person go right to the DNR office? How much time in advance should a person be there?

I could just go to Dick's Sporting Goods in Richfield but I do not have a lot of faith in the employee's some who are inexperienced at the process. I have had problems at Dick's in the past where they have had to start over on basic license issues. I'm assuming timing is very import and just a few minutes delay could cost a person a tag.

Thanks Pier!

[elevatorguy]

My advice is just go to a reliable station and have them run it right at the time they go on sale. It worked good for me a few years ago but in Duluth there are no real lines to contend with either. So hopefully there will be no one in line when you go to try it. And good luck!

[Scott M]

If I were you I'd go scouting for ELS machines. If you go anywhere large (i.e. Fleet Farm, Cabelas, Gander Mountain, Joe's, well known bait stores) you could be far back in line. People will start lining up a couple hours before the drawing...Some places actually give out numbers so there is an established line. So you might be 25th, but the good old boy friends of the store owners might have dibs too. Last year I was like 10th person there but 25th person to go because all the employees and friends of the owner got first dibs.

Go find a little off the trail gas stations with an ELS, get there early, and you can beat the rush. Find out where your odds are the best, because most places are gone in the first 5 minutes, ones with the most extra permits might go 20-30 minutes.

Good luck.

[PierBridge]

Thanks much!

[Hotspotter]

I've employed two strategies with great success in the past few years to get surplus tags.

• Urban area ELS vendors - here, your greatest risk by far is that the clerk has no idea how to run the machine. Ask them ahead of time, ask them to try and get you a turkey license (knowing full well you can't get all the way in until 5pm ), at least then they have some practice. Either way, describe the situation, and make sure they know if the machine is even working. The problem with sporting goods stores or down-home hardware stores is precisely what Da_Chise mentioned, there's another system in order to get their buddys' tags that you dont' even know about.

• Online - You need a fast connection, and you need knowledge of the page and how to navigate it quickly. This is very fast, but there's always computer glitches to worry about.

For either method, you need to have several permit-area/time-period combinations ready in the waiting in case one doesn't work. I can't tell you how many times I've seen the guy ahead of me penalize the whole line because his first selection didn't go through, and he had to try and analyze what was available and where. One guy even tried to call his buddy in another zone to see if he had land to hunt, while we were waiting! The clerk moved him to the back of the line. He didn't get a surplus tag that year.

Joel

[PierBridge]

Thank you very much guy's!

[Write-Outdoor]

A few years ago I had to go get a surplus license and I went to Joe's about an hour before 5 p.m. I received number two and waited around until the time. If the place gives you a number you don't have to stand around like an one-who-thinks-I-am-silly, you can shop (good for the store) and then head to the register with 10 minutes left.

[PierBridge]

BINGO!!!!!!

Thanks a MILLION guys the with your help our plan worked perfectly.

I contacted the owner of a small Bait shop last week and told him of my plans for the Turkey Surplus he told me I could have first dibs on the License attempt.

I rolled in about 4:30 and we did a sample run for starters and at the stroke of 5 we hit enter and SHIZZAM! Turkey Tag

Big thanks to Bob Moore "Moore's Bait and Tackle" for staying open later than normal to get me my Tag!

Thanks also to Fishing Minnesota and the great sportsmen who frequent the Turkey forum!

[Borch]

Congrats PierBridge!

We scored 3 out of the available 22 surplus tags left for our permit area. Even with a ELS system issue at the place my kids were #1 and #2 in line for that wouldn't accept the surplus tag code. After almost 10 minutes of trying they called me and I was able to get them liscensed through the DNR website.

All's well that ends well.

[Scott M]

Congratulations guys. Bob Moore is a heck of a nice guy with a great business.

I hope a few other people found some luck. Kinda glad I didn't have to deal with the mad rush this year... I'm sure I'll be back in line next year unless I change locations.

[Hotspotter]

Pier:

Good work. You did your homework, and were rewarded well. Glad to hear you'll be out chasing gobblers this spring.

Borch:

I didn't think you'd get all three in! Again, good work, and glad you'll be out there.

Joel

[harvey lee]

Sems I have been so busy that I forgot about the drawing date. Oh well, I guess I will be doing the archery game.