Apply now for prairie chicken, fall turkey hunts

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Hunters who wish to apply for one of 186 permits for the 2009 Minnesota prairie chicken season or for one of 9,330 permits for the fall turkey hunt must do so by July 31. Applications are available wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.

Application materials and maps of permit areas for both hunts are available on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Web site. Winners will be notified by mail by mid September after applying at one of 1,800 electronic license agents across Minnesota.

FALL TURKEY SEASON
This year’s 9,330 turkey permits represent a substantial increase in fall hunting opportunities from last year when 5,555 permits were available, said Bill Penning, DNR farmland wildlife program leader.

The increase relates to a major expansion of fall hunting opportunities in southwest and western Minnesota as well as higher permit numbers in hunting areas that opened last year. In 2008, a record 1,187 birds were harvested during the fall hunt with hunter success typically about 25 percent.

“If you’ve never tried fall turkey hunting before, 2009 is a good year to start,” said Penning. “Permit numbers have nearly doubled and areas open to hunting have increased, too.”

The fall turkey hunt application fee is $3. The license costs $23 for residents and $78 for nonresidents. The $5 stamp validation has been incorporated into the license fee; a separate stamp is no longer required. Hunters may apply for one permit from 67 different hunting areas that will be open from Oct. 14-18 and Oct. 21-25.

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