Minnesota Wildlife

April 13, 2023

Stay informed! Here?s a summary of upcoming wildlife and habitat management activities and ways you can discover, explore and experience Minnesota?s outdoors.

turkey hunter, a young kid, near a blind and she's holding the turkey she harvested

Spring turkey hunting begins

Minnesota turkey hunting began this week, with opportunities available through Wednesday, May 31. The season is divided into six hunt periods, A through F.

A spring turkey license will provide the opportunity to hunt all permit areas in the state, with the exception of three major wildlife management areas. Permits to hunt the popular Carlos Avery and Mille Lacs wildlife management areas in the A-C time periods, and Whitewater WMA in the A-B time periods,?were distributed already by lottery only for firearms hunters 18 and older.

Find all the details you need about turkey hunting season on the DNR website, including lottery application results for the three WMAs. Hunters concerned about avian influenza and wild turkeys can find more information about safe handling practices and the outbreak on the DNR avian influenza webpage.

2023 spring turkey season dates:

A April 12-18
B April 19-25
C April 26-May 2
D May 3-9
E May 10-16
F May 17-31
Youth season April 12-May 31
Archery season April 12-May 31

moose in snow as seen from a low-flying aircraft

Moose survey population estimate available

This year?s population estimate of 3,290 moose marks a decade of Minnesota?s moose population remaining relatively stable, according to the results of the DNR?s 2023 aerial population survey.

Although the estimate dropped from 2022?s estimate of 4,700, the change continues to reflect the population stability observed in previous years. After a decline from a population estimate of approximately 8,000 in 2009, Minnesota?s moose population appears to have stabilized at about 3,700 animals in recent years. Read more in the DNR news release.

How to buy a bear license?

Prospective bear hunters: You have until Friday, May 5, to apply for a bear hunting license in the quota zone. Applications for the 2023 season can be submitted online, at any license agent or by telephone at 888-665-4236.

A total of 4,035 licenses are available in 14 permit areas for the season, which opens Friday, Sept. 1, and closes Sunday, Oct. 15.

The number of permits available each year in the quota zone is based on Minnesota?s bear population, which has stabilized and started to increase during the past 10 years, in part because of recent conservative permit quotas. Populations in most bear permit areas are stable to increasing, and the total number of permits has increased by 430 from last season. The exceptions are in several permit areas in northern Minnesota, which will see permit reductions in efforts to stabilize populations in those areas.

Lottery winners will be notified by Thursday, June 1. The deadline to purchase bear hunting licenses awarded by lottery is Tuesday, Aug. 1. Any remaining unpurchased licenses will be available over the counter starting at noon Friday, Aug. 4.

An unlimited number of bear licenses also will be sold over the counter for the no-quota area that includes east-central and far northwestern Minnesota. No-quota licenses are valid only in the no-quota area.

Complete instructions about how to apply for a license, maps of permit areas and a listing of permit availability for each area are available on the?DNR website.

Photo courtesy of the National Park Service

turkey hunter with the bird she harvested

Check out the turkey and bear hunting webinar recordings

Want to know more about bear biology, where and when to hunt, regulations, how to handle the bear meat and more?

How about turkey hunting tips, especially about turkey calling, and the turkey reintroduction in Minnesota???

Check out our skills webinars! They?re available by searching the archive on the DNR website.

bear coming out of a den with an ear tag on it

Now is the time to remove bear attractants from your property

As temperatures warm, bears are getting the wakeup call. If you live in Minnesota, you live in bear country. Now is a great time make sure there?s nothing that will attract bears to your home or property. A few hours of prevention now can save you a lot of time and trouble later.

Never feed or approach bears
Secure food, garbage and recycling
Remove bird feeders when bears are active (Tax Day until Halloween)
Never leave pet food outdoors
Clean and store grills
Alert neighbors to bear activity (and share information on how to be BearWise)

A bear that finds food on your property in the spring can become a season-long visitor. Bear problems are much easier to avoid than resolve so take these simple steps now to save yourself from a summer of frustration and potential property damage. Find more tips at BearWise.org.

Get hunting information

Find hunting and trapping regulations, harvest registration, how to contact a conservation officer and information about pursuing a variety of species at the DNR hunting webpage. New to hunting? Check out the DNR learn to hunt guides.

Have Minnesota wildlife or deer hunting?photos to share? Upload your photos so we can share them in DNR email updates, social media and our website.

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