As many of you already know, a fall turkey lottery exists, just like the spring one here in MN. If you wish to hunt turkeys during either season, you need to be successful in this drawing. As expected, there are a myriad of factors which influence when/where people apply, but who needs to know that when the hard data is out there!?!?:
2008 Fall Wild Turkey Harvest Report
Simply determine which zone/area you’d like to hunt, and which time period, then flip to “Table 3. Number of permits available and issued by permit type, time period, and permit
area for the 2008 fall turkey season, Minnesota.”
This table helps you to at least determine what supply/demand there was for a tag in your zone/time-period, so as to more effectively predict what chances you may have this year. I used to have to send away for this information (spring and fall), and for years got it in a hard-copy printed off sheet from some DNR database. It’s awfully nice of them to put this information in our hands. More importantly, if you look at the trends in permit availability and hunter selection of time-period in your area over time, you’ll have a much better understanding of what time periods you’re most likely to obtain a permit.
This exercise is useful in the fall, but somewhat essential for me in the spring. With numerous hunts to plan with friends and family, as well as my tag, this is the surest way I know of to help “plan” your hunts before you know whether or not you’ve been drawn.
Joel
