Asked about whether there is any concern we may reach a point where there are “too many” turkey hunters in Minnesota’s springtime woods, Glines said, “We’ve got eight seasons. When you divide the total number of tags into eight periods, that gives you about 4,000 hunters spread across almost two-thirds of the state during any season. Compare that to Missouri (where all turkey hunters are given the option of being in the woods any day during a three-week season), or even Minnesota deer hunters, where you might have 300,000 people out there at the same time, and you see how spread out we are.

“Even when you factor in additional (spring turkey) permits in the future, you gain much of the growth by opening up new zones,” Glines continued. “Landowners who control access, and the hunters themselves, control the density of turkey hunters. Most of our turkey hunting (about 80 to 90 percent) takes place on private land.”

KEYS TO LANDING A PERMIT

What has compounded the complexity is that the state appears to have cast-off computers from whoever invented computers, because applicants wait until February to find out if they are drawn. That has always made it difficult to plan complimentary outings in surrounding states, or plan for such trips in the event you are not drawn. Even after the advent of the Electronic Licensing System, which computerizes the entire process, it still takes far longer than it should to find out if you got a Minnesota tag.

The time lag will hopefully one day be dramatically shortened. On other fronts, there is already good news to report.

One great idea started several years ago allows hunters who applied for a turkey tag but were unsuccessful to purchase any tags that were not allotted. In select cases, there are fewer applicants than available licenses in specific zones and time periods. Those are sold on a first-come, first-served basis at a time and date announced in the media.

Beginning in spring 2005, those who want to hunt turkeys in Minnesota are now given the option of indicating on their initial application a second choice of time period. Your second choice must be during one of the final three time periods, but it can also be in a zone other than the one you selected for your first choice. Neighboring Wisconsin has had such a system for years, and Minnesotans have learned to request late time periods to consistently snag a tag.

Penning, who has analyzed the data, stressed that Minnesota turkey hunters who insist on applying for the first three time periods, “might have to continue to wait three years to get a license. But if we could redistribute hunter demand more equally (across the time periods), we could meet the demand better.”

ARCHERY OPTION

Turkey chasers willing to use archery equipment have the option of purchasing one of the new archery-only permits.

“You can get them even if you did not apply in the regular lottery,” explained Penning, “or if you applied but were not drawn. Either way, you can buy one over the counter.”

You can buy these tags right up until the final day of the last time period, and they allow you to hunt in any turkey zone where more than 50 permits are issued per time period. This is a late-season hunt, though. Archery tags are only valid during the last two seasons.

EXPANDING YOUTH HUNTS

The DNR has put increasing energy into recruiting young hunters, with special youth waterfowl, deer and turkey hunts. Last spring, limited youth-only hunts were held at Minnesota Valley State Park and Wildlife Science Center near Forest Lake, and their success is being built upon with an expanding youth turkey program.