Posted: 5/10/06
Two turkeys for the price of one
Harvest is down slightly
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
Tim Lange of Caledonia and his daughter Sadie, 13, had some good fortune while turkey hunting on the morning of May 2.
They set up their camouflage tent and heard a gobble, so they crawled into the tent and Tim did some turkey calling.
They heard a turkey fly down, and then nothing. After a little wait, Tim saw one jake (sub-adult) turkey, and then another on the other side of the tent. So Tim counted to three and they both shot their turkey at the same time. Sadie was even able to make it to school on time.
They were hunting on the first day of the fifth season or Period E. The last of the eight turkey seasons ends on May 25.
Numbers are down
Sharon Goetz, a turkey biologist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said that 365 birds had been taken in permit area 349 in southern Houston County as of May 3.
That compares with 518 turkeys shot through Period E last year. ìI would still say the harvest would be a little down,î Goetz said. About 5,300 turkeys had been harvested statewide as of May 3.
The decrease in numbers is not alarming, Goetz said. Area managers have reported that there have been two years of poor reproduction due to cold and wet springs. ìThereís a lot of annual variation in wild turkey population,î she said. ìI would think this is natural and weíll just continue to watch how things go.î
More wet, cold springs could result in a pulling back of permit levels, Goetz added, but a great breeding season this year could bring an expansion of population.
She noted that the area had a mild and moderate winter, so the overwinter survival rate was good. With a good spring, the population will be doing well, she said.
The majority of hen nests are established the last two weeks in April. ìThe peak of hatch in Minnesota is usually around the first week in June,î Goetz said.
Dick Kimmell, who worked at the DNRís state turkey biologist from 1981 until about two years ago, was turkey hunting in the Eitzen area for three days last week. He and his hunting partner, Mark Brown of St. James, felt that the numbers were down this year. He noted that the cold, wet weather on May 1 was bad on the poults or chicks. Last yearís breed was average, Kimmell said. ìSo thereís not a lot of young birds in the population,î he said.
And the birds are smart, Kimmell added. He had one bird spreading its tail feathers in front of him. ìHe wouldnít come closer than 100 yards,î Kimmell said.
The men said they thought they would see more birds on May 2, which was a nice day. Thereís usually more activity after a rain, but that wasnít the case last week.
Neither Kimmell nor Brown shot a bird. That broke a string of five straight successful years for Brown.
Houston County has the best turkey habitat and hunting in Minnesota, Kimmel said. It is better the further south you go, he added. ìTheyíre ground feeders and itís important for them to get to food.î
The first turkeys were introduced near Reno, Kimmell added.
There are eight turkey hunting seasons in permit area 349, with 450 permits issued per season.
A short history
Kimmell provided the Argus with the following brief history of the introduction of turkeys in Minnesota.
ï 1920s ñ hundreds of game-farm turkeys released at different locations in southeastern MN. Populations failed to develop. Showed wildlife managers that game-farm (pen-raised turkeys) fail to produce viable populations.
ï Mid-1960s ñ first true wild turkeys released around Whitewater Wildlife Management Area. Releases were live-trapped birds which were mostly the Merriamís subspecies, which adapted to western pine habitats. While the birds produced populations, this subspecies would not withstand hunting and Whitewater was closed to hunting and restocked with the Eastern subspecies in the early 1980s.
ï 1971 and 1973 ñ 29 eastern subspecies turkeys live-trapped in Missouri released near Brownsville. These birds became the basis for todayís population. Birds trapped in Houston County have been moved all across the state. Other releases from states like New York and Illinois were also brought in in the 1980s and 1990s.
ï 1978 ñ first wild turkey hunt - 420 permits issued, 11,000-plus applicants. 94 birds registered. Two zones - called ìNorthî (now Permit Area 344 - around Whitewater Management Area) and ìSouthî (part of Houston Co. around Caledonia).
ï 2006 ñ birds released near Thief River Falls - furthest north release. They are carrying radios and being monitored as part of a study Sharon is doing with University of North Dakota.
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