No Spring Turkey Lottery in Most MN Hunting Units for 2020

[notsure]

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/turkey/index.html

[Mossberg90MN]

Yea I'm pretty stoked about this new rule. It's gonna be nice to no longer be stuck in 1 zone/area. Plus if 1 spot is getting hit a bit hard you can easily just go somewhere else.

[Sir-diealot]

Congratulations, I would hate to be restricted like that. Have fun and be careful.

[ddturkeyhunter]

Yea I'm pretty stoked about this new rule. It's gonna be nice to no longer be stuck in 1 zone/area. Plus if 1 spot is getting hit a bit hard you can easily just go somewhere else.

Yes it nice that they made it so you no longer have to apply for a zone or time frame at any time. I used to go for the first season but past half dozen years just been hunting in time frame C, buy over the counter. This simplify things is just the begining of other changes they may have coming in future years. If rumors are right (hope there not) there talk of maybe going to three birds in coming years. And I think that if it goes through there is a chances of seriously hurting the population in certain areas. My area in the Northern part of state is an area I dont think can handle that kind of pressure. So I hope it just stays a rumor, but they would like to increase the number of license sold. And that may entice people to go further north to hunt if more birds were offered.

[Mossberg90MN]

Yea I'm pretty stoked about this new rule. It's gonna be nice to no longer be stuck in 1 zone/area. Plus if 1 spot is getting hit a bit hard you can easily just go somewhere else.

Yes it nice that they made it so you no longer have to apply for a zone or time frame at any time. I used to go for the first season but past half dozen years just been hunting in time frame C, buy over the counter. This simplify things is just the begining of other changes they may have coming in future years. If rumors are right (hope there not) there talk of maybe going to three birds in coming years. And I think that if it goes through there is a chances of seriously hurting the population in certain areas. My area in the Northern part of state is an area I dont think can handle that kind of pressure. So I hope it just stays a rumor, but they would like to increase the number of license sold. And that may entice people to go further north to hunt if more birds were offered.

Your right that we don't have the strongest of populations. Compared to Wisconsin's 350,000 birds last I saw online.

I think zones like our SE section could handle 2 birds.

I'm gonna do Season A and I'm doing Season C in Wisconsin. I'm also gonna try and buy bonus authorizations for the rest of Wisconsin's Season.

It's hard for me to know I can hunt turkeys in my state and not go and do it. So I'm kicking off on A.

[paintbrush]

What I like about this is that I live in zone 508, but I hunt down in zone 505. Now with this new program, I can hunt a few days around my place with out having to travel 150 miles, but I will still hunt in 505 for 3 or 4 days. Also, and to me most importantly, I can hunt around home for the last time period if I am unsuccessful during the time period I picked originally, and not have to go back down to 505. NICE! 

[marshboy]

Yea I'm pretty stoked about this new rule. It's gonna be nice to no longer be stuck in 1 zone/area. Plus if 1 spot is getting hit a bit hard you can easily just go somewhere else.

Yes it nice that they made it so you no longer have to apply for a zone or time frame at any time. I used to go for the first season but past half dozen years just been hunting in time frame C, buy over the counter. This simplify things is just the begining of other changes they may have coming in future years. If rumors are right (hope there not) there talk of maybe going to three birds in coming years. And I think that if it goes through there is a chances of seriously hurting the population in certain areas. My area in the Northern part of state is an area I dont think can handle that kind of pressure. So I hope it just stays a rumor, but they would like to increase the number of license sold. And that may entice people to go further north to hunt if more birds were offered.

Where did you hear the rumor about the increased bag limit? 

[ddturkeyhunter]

Where did you hear the rumor about the increased bag limit?
[/quote]

I heard about the open season from a friend in the DNR three four years ago, and hear we have it. I am on a board of a local chapter of the NWTF. And it was at one of our meeting a person said the information about the open season was going to happen before it was out in print. IT was also said about the maybe possibility in coming years that they were considering three bird limit. And a number of us in our committee said we though the turkey were leveling off in our areas, and two or three birds could wipe out areas. So as of now it is a rumor, I have no hard facts. I would love to shoot more then one bird in our state. But if a move was made like that I think it is made to attract more people for the money, and license sales more then for the good of the ENTIRE state turkey population.

[simpzenith]

I'm glad to see they have finally caught up to the times. A lottery for turkey permits in MN should have been eliminated years ago. As for the increase in permits, the DNR wanted to increase the bag limits several years ago but received too much from uneducated hunters of the state. I was apart of the meetings and it was crazy to hear some of the outlandish comments spouted by most of the hunters. With that said, the MN turkey population is more than healthy enough to allow for an increased bag limit, even if done in a manner like WI whereas leftover tags were sold on a first come, first serve basis in stead of issuing each license holder multiple permits.

[Spurs]

I'm glad to see they have finally caught up to the times. A lottery for turkey permits in MN should have been eliminated years ago. As for the increase in permits, the DNR wanted to increase the bag limits several years ago but received too much from uneducated hunters of the state. I was apart of the meetings and it was crazy to hear some of the outlandish comments spouted by most of the hunters. With that said, the MN turkey population is more than healthy enough to allow for an increased bag limit, even if done in a manner like WI whereas leftover tags were sold on a first come, first serve basis in stead of issuing each license holder multiple permits.

I am always amazed at the amount of die hard hunters that will take the time to go to those meeting, but refuse to do the research before they make demands.  I have heard it all; anti timber management, anti controlled burning, restricting dedicated youth hunts, etc.  It's crazy that wives tales are still a thing in the hunting community.

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

I'm glad to see they have finally caught up to the times. A lottery for turkey permits in MN should have been eliminated years ago. As for the increase in permits, the DNR wanted to increase the bag limits several years ago but received too much from uneducated hunters of the state. I was apart of the meetings and it was crazy to hear some of the outlandish comments spouted by most of the hunters. With that said, the MN turkey population is more than healthy enough to allow for an increased bag limit, even if done in a manner like WI whereas leftover tags were sold on a first come, first serve basis in stead of issuing each license holder multiple permits.

Minnesota has some fine turkey hunting and access isn't an issue with the one bird limit.  It also prevents the state from becoming a destination location for out of state hunters.  People always want to change things out of greed and these places are never as good as they once were.  I was in Minnesota for 4 hours to check it off my list towards the Super Slam.  I'll gladly go back after the experience I had there knowing full well the woods are full of gobbling turkeys and inevitable smiles.  Too many states are becoming has beens after they have become more accommodating of selfish desires.

The wild turkeys' status would be significantly better across the US if more states took the conservative approach Minnesota has employed. Speaking of has beens.... Wisconsin will be one of them within the next 5 years.