When do they open applications for MN spring turkey?

When can you start to apply? I logged in to the license site tonight and there didn’t appear to be any way to apply for the spring hunt yet.

IIRC, it has always been sometime in December that the applications process started?

I’ve read the rules and besides zeroing out my preference points by drawing last year, I don’t find where there’s an additional “penalty” for actually tagging a bird that puts me further back in line.

Grouse

Use that new bow of yours and you won’t have to apply. You can hunt all season if you need to.

Should be soon , I have e-mailed the DNR also trying to get all my days set for this spring. Just waiting on MN

dbright wrote:

Use that new bow of yours and you won’t have to apply. You can hunt all season if you need to.

Not sure if I’ll be ready for that by next spring, although I’ve been doing a fair amount of practice. I will say that I don’t find it particularly easy, but I think progress is being made.

Shotgunning them is still terrific fun for me anyway.

Grouse

Just received this email from the MN DNR.

Applications open for spring wild turkey A and B seasons
The deadline for firearms wild turkey hunters to apply for early season spring hunting permits is Friday, Jan. 27.
The spring season, which runs from Wednesday, April 12, to Wednesday, May 31, is divided into six time periods. Only people age 18 and older who want to hunt using a firearm during the first two time periods (A or B) need to apply for a spring turkey permit. Permits for the remaining time periods (C-F) can be purchased over-the-counter. Archery and youth turkey hunters can hunt the entire season without applying for the lottery.
Permits for the last three time periods and youth licenses are sold starting March 1. Surplus adult licenses from the first two time periods, if available, are sold starting around mid-March.
Persons applying for permit area 511, the Carlos Avery State Wildlife Management Area, are advised that the sanctuary portion of the WMA will be closed to turkey hunting except for the special hunt for hunters with disabilities.

Edit: The email contained misleading info. In the email they also say this: Hunting dates to remember
• Friday, Jan. 13: Deadline for firearms turkey hunters to apply for A or B season permits
• Wednesday, April 12: Spring wild turkey hunting begins

Good info, but still would like to see confirmation of 2017 season dates.

Last year’s dates (2016) were:

A Season – April 13-19
B Season – April 20-26

Assuming they are keeping the same Wednesday to Tuesday format for 2017 the dates would be:

A Season would be April 12 to 18
B Season would be April 19 to 25.

Then the other seasons go on accordingly.

But are they keeping the same weeks for A/B season? I can find no dates online yet that verify this.

Grouse

Thanks for the info I’ve been waiting for the same e-mail. Looks like I apply for Season A. Should get drawn this year.

Here you go Grouse.

2017 Spring Season
Date
Season A (lottery/surplus)
April 12-18
Season B (lottery/surplus)
April 19-25
Season C (hunter selected)
April 26-May 2
Season D (hunter selected)
May 3-9
Season E (hunter selected)
May 10-16
Season F* (any license)
May 17-30
*All unfilled licenses valid, regardless of season. Archery licenses valid full season, statewide.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Good info, but still would like to see confirmation of 2017 season dates.

Last year’s dates (2016) were:

A Season – April 13-19
B Season – April 20-26

Assuming they are keeping the same Wednesday to Tuesday format for 2017 the dates would be:

A Season would be April 12 to 18
B Season would be April 19 to 25.

Then the other seasons go on accordingly.

But are they keeping the same weeks for A/B season? I can find no dates online yet that verify this.

Grouse

Come on Sally, use the bow, then all this is a mute point!

sticker wrote:

Come on Sally, use the bow, then all this is a mute point!

Yeah, but so is hunting them. Believe me, I have enough trouble getting a bird dead with a shotgun. Let’s not over-complicate this.

I’m still absolutely stunned that dad and I managed to pull off the Gobbler Double Down last spring without one of us–and by “one of us” I mean “me”–missing. I mean, the number of things that can go wrong with me both doing the calling and then trying to shoot are astronomically large. And you don’t need to draw a shotgun.

Plus, you haven’t heard me call. I’m not sure if the turkey that I have called in were actually coming in because they thought I was a turkey or if they were coming in to find out WTF is making that awful noise that sounds like a turkey getting strangled by an outlaw motorcycle gang.

Grouse

Looks like the DNR caught their mistake and sent out a new email. Here’s the corrected date for the deadline.

Correction: Application dates
Woops – we had a couple dates wrong in the Hunting Newsletter. The deadline to apply for the R3 grant is Thursday, Jan. 19. And the deadline for firearms wild turkey hunters to apply for A or B season spring hunting permits is Friday, Jan. 27.

Funny I just received an e-mail this morning saying

The deadline to apply for one of the first two time periods is January 13, 2017.

Maybe they will get this corrected soon. Weird to never get a clear answer.