Spring Turkey Season Opens April 14 ? Youth Hunt on April 10-11
MADISON -- With the first period of the 2010 spring wild turkey hunting season opening just around the corner on April 14, the Department of Natural Resources wishes hunters good luck and safe hunting. The DNR urges hunters to consider taking a youth out during the April 10-11 statewide Turkey Youth Hunt.
In total, more than 225,700 permits were made available for this spring?s hunt, a slight increase from 225,414 permits offered for the 2009 season. More than 149,000 permits were issued in the preference drawing for the spring 2010 spring season, leaving 76,636 tags available for sale on a zone-per-day basis beginning March 22.
As of March 31, there were still significant numbers of permits available for the last two hunting periods for zones 1 and 3, with fewer remaining for the last period in zones 4 and 5. All other periods were sold out in all other zones. Any remaining permits can be purchased until they are sold out or the season ends. Visit the DNR Web site to view up-to-date spring turkey permit availability.
This will mark the second spring turkey season under the new seven-zone consolidation, which first started during the 2008 fall turkey season. For the 2010 spring turkey season, a total of seven zones, 15 state parks and Fort McCoy will be open for hunting.
State wildlife biologists say turkey hunters can once again look forward to good year of turkey hunting.
?From the information gathered during annual surveys, the wild turkey population continues to be healthy and in good numbers,? notes Sharon Fandel, DNR Assistant Upland Wildlife Ecologist. ?While the results of the 2009 10-week brood survey indicate a decrease of 11 percent in number of broods observed compared to 2008, brood size remained the same compared to 2008. The number or broods observed in 2009, however, was still well above the statewide long-term mean.?
Hunters harvested 52,581 turkeys in 2009, just 300 shy of the record harvest set in 2008. Spring season success rates over the past few years have been in the 23-25 percent range.
The 2010 spring turkey season starts on April 14 and consists of six, five-day time periods that end on May 23.
Turkey Youth Hunt April 10-11
The 2010 turkey youth hunt occurs April 10-11 statewide. The two-day spring youth hunt, successfully initiated in 2007, occurs each year during the weekend preceding the opening of the regular season. The Youth Hunt allows opportunity for close one-on-one mentoring of future hunters in a relaxed atmosphere without competition for hunting spots from regular season hunters.
Thanks to the new Mentored Hunting Program that took effect last fall, youth hunters aged 10 and 11, as well as youth ages 12 through 15 may now participate in the 2010 youth turkey hunt.
?The enthusiasm and response to this new opportunity has been wonderful so far,? said DNR Secretary Matt Frank. ?Study after study shows it takes a hunter to make a hunter. Introducing kids to hunting in a relaxed atmosphere with close supervision is key to nurturing a love of the natural world, a conservation ethic, and what may turn out to be a lifelong love and passion for the outdoors.?
Under the Mentored Hunting Program, youth ages 10 through 15 may hunt during the two-day youth hunt without first having completed hunter education, so long as they do so with a qualified adult mentor and follow the rules. Youth ages 12-15 who have already completed hunter education may hunt during the youth hunt while accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older. Each youth must have a valid spring 2010 turkey harvest permit, license and stamp.
Youth ages 10 through 15 are allowed to hunt on April 10 and 11 in the Turkey Management Zone their permit is valid for, regardless of the time period their permit is issued for, and may harvest only one male or bearded turkey during the two-day hunt. A youth who does not successfully harvest a turkey during the two day youth hunt may use the unfilled permit during the time period and in the zone for which the permit was issued. There is no special application procedure for the youth hunt, but young hunters must either apply through the drawing for a tag or purchase a left over tag. All other spring turkey hunting regulations apply. More information on the spring turkey youth hunt and the Mentored Hunting Program is available on the DNR Web site.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information contact: Sharon Fandel (608) 261-8458
