Leftover fall 2012 wild turkey permits go on sale August 25
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MADISON – Remaining permits for the 2012 fall turkey hunting season will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25 and can be purchased online, in person, or by telephone.
Postcard notifications are going out this week to all customers, including conservation patrons, who were awarded a permit through the drawing process; 37,721 permits are being issued to hunters who applied by the Aug. 1 application deadline. Hunters interested in determining whether or not they drew a permit sooner can check their permit status by going to dnr.wi.us and selecting Online License Center under the Quick Tasks header.
“If you haven’t been out lately during the fall turkey season, 2012 is a great time to get back out there and we’ve got good numbers of leftover permits available for zones 1-5,” says Scott Walter, Department of Natural Resources upland ecologist. “We had a wonderful spring for production – warm and dry through the heart of the nesting and brood rearing period — so those hunters who do get a leftover permit and go out will have a good chance to encounter birds.”
Walter says that the fall turkey hunt is a chance to experience a portion of the turkey lifecycle. “There is something pretty mystical about being out in the fall turkey woods,” he says.
More details on how to buy leftover permits
A total of 96,700 permits were available for the fall 2012 turkey season and there were 37,721 permits issued to hunters who applied by the Aug. 1 application deadline, leaving 58,979 permits available after the drawing for over-the-counter sales.
Hunters interested in picking up leftover turkey permits should check the turkey zone map [PDF] to verify where they want to hunt and then check the leftover permit availability page to see if permits are available for the zone in which they wish to hunt.
Leftover turkey permit sales will continue until all permits are sold or the turkey season comes to an end. Hunters are limited to purchasing one leftover permit per day, although there is no limit on the total number of permits that an individual hunter can purchase.
All of the available leftover permits are for turkey management Zones 1-5; there were no leftover permits available for Zones 6 or 7 after the initial drawing.
The fee for leftover turkey permits is $5 for 10- and 11-year-olds, $10 for residents, and $15 for non-residents. All permit buyers also will be required to purchase a fall turkey license and stamp unless they have previously purchased the license and stamp or are a 2012 Conservation Patron License holder. Residents and non-residents will have equal opportunity to purchase over-the-counter permits. Purchasing these permits will not affect preference point status for future spring or fall turkey permit drawings.
In addition to the Online Licensing Center, remaining fall turkey permits can be purchased through an authorized license agent, at DNR service centers (hours for service centers vary; check the DNR website for service center days and hours of operation), or by calling toll-free 1-877-LICENSE (1-877-945-4236).
Blaze orange required during any open gun deer season
Hunters are reminded of the requirement for blaze orange on ground blinds on DNR lands during any Gun Deer Season (see page 9 of the 2012 Wisconsin Small Game Hunting Regulations for more information). Ground blinds on DNR lands left unattended must also have the owner’s name and address or DNR Customer ID number attached near the door opening. Ground blinds may not be left out overnight on DNR lands. These ground blind rules do not apply to ground blinds being used for waterfowl hunting or to blinds built only out of natural vegetation found on the DNR property.
Turkey hunters should also note that during any gun or muzzleloader deer season, including the October 6-7 youth deer hunt, antlerless hunts, and CWD hunts (see the 2012 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations for season dates), blaze orange clothing is required. A hat, if worn, must be at least 50 percent blaze orange.
For more information, visit the wild turkey page on the DNR website.
Fall Wild Turkey Season Dates & Reminders
* September 15 through November 15
2012 Fall Wild Turkey Extended Season Dates for Zones 1-5 ONLY
* November 26 through December 31