Minnesota is a rising star in the wild turkey world. Despite a rainy spring nesting season that appears to have impacted this year’s hatch, another record harvest is expected in 2005.

Our state’s modern wild turkey hunting history is brief. The first season was held in 1978, when just 420 permits were issued and 94 gobblers were killed. But in the seasons since then, we have seen a success story that continues to unfold, and that meshes with an age of enlightened understanding about where turkeys can survive and thrive.

We believe now that a mixture of agricultural lands and hardwoods may actually be the ultimate turkey habitat, and that these big birds can make it through cold winter temperatures and piles of snow, as long as they have good roosting trees close to a reliable food source.

On the modern landscape that man has made, wild turkeys may prove to be the most adaptable and resilient game bird of all. Today’s hunting has become all about providing opportunities and access, and the Minnesota spring turkey season in 2005 is shaping up to be a bright spot on both fronts.

Again, despite the fact that it looks like we had a below average turkey hatch, populations are stable or increasing in virtually all areas where turkeys now exist.

A record number of permits, 31,864, were made available through the lottery system in 2005. In ‘04, 27,600 were issued.

A new archery permit option has been created that will allow bowhunters to buy a tag over the counter. You do not even have to apply for a firearms license to get an archery permit, and you can get them right up until the final day of the last time period. You are restricted to archery hunting during the last two seasons, though, and have to hunt in zones where more than 50 permits are available for each time period.

There will be a greatly expanded series of special youth turkey hunts in 2005, with a separate application process. These hunts will largely take place on lands where turkey hunting is not otherwise allowed.

New zones will be opened or expanded in 2005. The current range of wild turkeys in Minnesota is fluid, thanks to a continuing trap-and-transplant effort jointly conducted by the Department of Natural Resources and state chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). The turkey hunting zones basically are the same as the firearms deer zones, clearly shown on the application when you apply for a permit. New or expanded zones for ‘05 include 222, 413, 424, 447, 456 and 458.

FINDING A PRODUCTIVE ZONE

In Minnesota, if you’re not sure where you want to hunt turkeys, you are in trouble during the application process because you have to declare a zone and time period. But it’s easy to see where the highest harvest numbers come from, because those zones offer the highest number of permits.

Consider, though, that some permit areas are larger than others, which can skew the numbers. Many hunters pick a zone because they have “connections” to it, such as relationships with landowners. Truthfully, there are no “bad zones” in Minnesota. If you get a permit and can secure permission on land that holds turkeys, your chances for success are then controlled by the vagaries of weather, the stage of the breeding season and your abilities as a hunter.

One myth that persists is that your odds of bagging a gobbler are better during the early time periods. Your odds of getting a permit are definitely lower if you insist on applying for the first three seasons, but statistics compiled by DNR show that hunter success is quite similar throughout the season. Especially when you factor in better odds of getting drawn during the later time periods, a mid- or late-May hunt remains an underappreciated opportunity.

NEW RECORD EVERY YEAR

In states with stabilized turkey populations, it’s no doubt a bigger deal to set a harvest record. In Minnesota, a new record has been set every spring for 10 years in a row.

The raw increase during that time period has been impressive. When you consider that as recently as 1994, state hunters shot less than 2,000 turkeys during the entire spring season and nearly 8,500 in 2004, that puts the growth into perspective.

In spring 2005, state hunters may flirt with the milestone of 10,000 turkeys killed. Gary Nelson, veteran turkey manager with DNR, feels comfortable predicting Minnesota hunters will hit that mark by 2006 at the latest.