Hunters register 11,925 birds in fall wild turkey hunt
MADISON – Wisconsin wild turkey hunters registered a preliminary count of 11,925 birds from the 2007 fall turkey hunting season. This is slightly fewer birds than the previous 2006 fall harvest when 12,033 birds were registered. The 2007 count may still increase, say wildlife officials, as registration stubs are still arriving.
“The fall 2007 turkey hunt marked a couple of new beginnings,” said Scott Hull, upland game ecologist for the Department of Natural Resources. “Turkey hunting with dogs was available on a trial basis to hunters in a nine-county area in the southwest. We don’t have specific harvest statistics to compare yet for those counties but anecdotal reports suggest that the trial season went well.
“Also new this year was a longer fall season. The fall season was extended by 21 days over previous years giving hunters more flexibility and opportunity,” Hull added. The season ran from Sept. 15 through Nov. 15.
Turkey managers set a permit level of 94,800 permits available for the 2007 fall season. The DNR issued 80,262 permits in a lottery drawing and sold another 13,071 remaining permits over-the-counter after the drawing had been completed. The 11,827 registered birds compute to a success rate of 14.7 percent compared to 15.4 percent in 2006
Remaining spring 2008 turkey hunting permits on sale March 28; regulations now on-line
The application period for spring season permits closed Dec. 10. The drawing for permits will be held in late January. There are just under 213,000 permits available for the spring season. Any spring permits remaining after the drawing will go on sale over-the-counter at 10 a.m. March 28, 2008. The spring 2008 season runs April 16 through May 25. Wisconsin’s second annual statewide youth turkey hunting season will he held April 12 and 13 in 2008.
Another change in fall 2008 turkey hunting season will be implemented as the state moves to consolidate the current 40-plus turkey management zones into seven larger zones (pdf). The move will give hunters more hunting opportunity over a wider area than the current system, which uses smaller zones, can provide.
Hunters wishing to get an early look at the 2008 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations can do so now on the Hunting and Trapping Regulations page of the DNR Web site. The first of the six 5-day spring turkey hunting periods starts April 16, 2008.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Hull - (608) 267-7861
