Spring 2009 wild turkey harvest permit drawing completed
Season to run April 15 – May 24; Youth turkey hunt set for April 11-12
MADISON – The permit drawing process for 2009 spring turkey hunting permits has been completed. Postcard notifications will be mailed to successful applicants during the last week of January. More than 154,500 permits will be awarded from the initial drawing. The spring 2009 turkey hunting season will run from April 15-May 24 in six 5-day periods. A total of 7 zones, 15 state parks and Fort McCoy will be open for hunting.
Hunters who do not receive a postcard by mid February can check their permit status online through the Department of Natural Resources Online Licensing Center or call the DNR call center at 1-888-WDNRINFo (1-888-936-7463).
In total, 225,709 permits are available for the spring 2009 turkey season compared to 212,985 in 2008.
Hunters harvested 52,880 turkeys during the 2008 spring season and preliminary harvest numbers from the 2008 fall season stand at 10,644. Final harvest numbers for the 2008 fall season will be published in the 2008 Wisconsin Big Game Hunting Summary in spring of 2009.
New zone structure in effect
Similar to the 2008 fall turkey hunting season, the number of turkey hunting zones (pdf; 453 kb) has been reduced to seven large zones instead of the previous 46-zone structure. The same amount of total turkey hunting area is the same. Each of the new zones combine a number of the smaller zones to give hunters more flexibility to move about in search of wild turkeys. Hunters should refer to the online map or request a map from a DNR Service Center.
Hunters are reminded that Fort McCoy runs a separate spring turkey hunting season, different from the State of Wisconsin spring turkey hunt. Hunters who did not apply for or didn’t receive a turkey permit through the state drawing in a Wisconsin turkey hunting zone for the 2009 spring season are eligible to apply for a spring permit at Fort McCoy. Applications can be obtained from Fort McCoy by visiting their Web site
www.mccoy.army.mil (exit DNR) or by calling 608-388-3337.
Youth Turkey Hunt Set for April 11-12
Youth hunters, aged 12 - 15 who have successfully completed a hunter education program, may participate in the 2009 youth turkey hunt. Each youth must also have a valid spring 2009 turkey harvest permit.
Youth are allowed to hunt on April 11 and 12 in the Turkey Management Zone their permit was issued for regardless of what the time period their permit is issued for, and may harvest one turkey total, during this two-day hunt. Hunters must be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older. For more information on the Youth Turkey Hunt visit
www.dnr.wi.gov The youth hunt was created in 2007 to provide youth with an opportunity to hunt turkeys and gain valuable hunting experience by working closely with an experienced mentor before the regular season opens.
Outlook for winter survival
Winter survival should be good this year according to biologists. Wild turkeys in Wisconsin have proven themselves to be tough birds. Like any wildlife species, wild turkeys need food, shelter and cover in order to survive. As long as there is access to ample food and snow depth does not hinder their ability to navigate their surroundings for an extended period of time, wild turkeys can handle nearly any Wisconsin winter. In fact, wild turkeys can remain in roosting areas for up to two weeks during especially severe weather and can lose up to 40 percent of their body weight before dying of starvation.
Artificial feeding is not the best approach to helping wild turkeys from a biological viewpoint. Feeding turkeys can actually be more of a risk to the birds because the practice can cause many birds to routinely flock to the same place,increasing the risk of disease transmission and making the birds more vulnerable to predators which also are attracted to feeding areas. Ultimately, long term habitat management directed toward increasing year-round habitat suitability for turkeys is the best investment.
For updated information on leftover spring permit availability and other information regarding the 2009 spring turkey hunting season, please visit the spring turkey season page of the DNR Web site.
Free Turkey Hunter Education Clinics offered statewide
Free Turkey Hunter Education Clinics will be offered again this year around the state. These free clinics are presented by volunteer instructors and are sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Clinics typically last 2 to 3 hours and are designed to cover wild turkey biology and behavior, hunting methods, regulations, safety precautions, and landowner/hunter ethics, as well as tips for scoring trophy birds and a few ideas on preparing turkeys at home.
The Turkey Hunter Education Clinics are intended to address and inform all ages and experience levels from a beginning turkey hunter interested in learning wild turkey hunting techniques to experienced wild turkey hunters looking to brush-up on skills and learn new techniques.
These clinics will be held February through early April. Information and a listing on where and when clinics are being held is available at any DNR Service Center and on the DNR Web site or by calling (608) 261-8458. For the latest additions or changes in the schedule please refer to the DNR Web site.
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/turkey/education.htmorFOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Hull (608) 267-7861 or Sharon Fandel (608) 261-8458
