Minnesota Wildlife

Use the winter to prepare for spring turkey hunting

Imagine sitting in the woods on a spring morning with wildflowers in bloom, trees budding bright green and birds overhead migrating back to Minnesota. Then a turkey gobbles in the distance, responding to a turkey call.??

Minnesota?s transformation from the deep snow and sub-zero temperatures of winter to leafy green spring scenes will be here before you know it. If you?re hoping to hunt wild turkeys this spring, the cold winter months are actually a great time to prepare for the upcoming season. Here are a few starter tips.

• Practice shooting. By practicing at a shooting range with the gun and ammo you?ll be using, you can figure out how close the turkey needs to be before you shoot. The specific gun and ammo combination will dictate the distance at which enough shotgun pellets are clustered in the head and neck area of a turkey to effectively harvest the bird.
• Scout for turkeys. Take a walk in the woods or a drive through the countryside to see where to hunt in the spring. Turkey tracks are easier to see in the snow. If you see turkeys in a field, you can use that as a starting place to locate public land or seek permission from landowners to hunt private land.
• Get gear ahead of time. Consider investing in a quality pair of cold-weather boots and something to sit on to stay warm and dry. Go for camouflage or Earth-toned clothing and avoid colors that turkeys and other hunters identify with turkeys, such as red, white and blue. When considering turkey calls, beginners would do well with box calls or push-button calls, which are simple to use.

Spring turkey hunting begins in Minnesota on Wednesday, April 12. For more turkey hunting tips, check out the DNR learn to hunt turkey page.

Apply for turkey permits in Mille Lacs, Carlos Avery or Whitewater WMAs

Turkey hunters have through Friday, Feb. 17, to apply for turkey hunting permits for the A-C spring hunting seasons in Mille Lacs and Carlos Avery wildlife management areas and the A-B seasons in Whitewater Wildlife Management Area.

In addition to a turkey license, a permit is required for hunters 18 and older hoping to bag a tom turkey with a firearm in one of these WMAs during early seasons. Turkey firearm permits for these WMAs are distributed via a lottery system. In a change this year, there is no permit required to hunt Whitewater WMA during the C season.

Turkey licenses will go on sale March 1 for several hunting seasons from mid-April to the end of May. Turkey hunting season dates and details for 2023 are available on the?DNR turkey hunting page.

Please share your thoughts about deer populations

The DNR is asking for public input on deer population goals in 23 deer permit areas in eastern and south-central Minnesota. To provide input, people can share their thoughts through Monday, Feb. 13, using an online questionnaire, or by mailing or emailing comments.?

The targeted DPAs this year are:

• DPAs 152, 155, 156, 157, 159, 172, 183, 221, 222, 225, 248, 249, 604 in the East Central Uplands goal block.
• DPAs 219, 223, 224, 227, 229, 235, 236, 285, 338, 605 in the Sand Plain/Big Woods goal block.

A recorded webinar about the goal setting process and complete details about how to contribute input via online questionnaire, email or mail are available on the?DNR website.

Please do not feed pheasants

Let wildlife stay wild. Some well-meaning Minnesotans could actually be putting ringneck pheasants in harm?s way. Feeding wildlife can be harmful because it can make them vulnerable to predators and create a common vector to spread disease. Worse yet, some people are spreading corn along roadsides, creating a safety hazard for animals and motorists.?????
We know it?s been a tough winter, but pheasants are extremely adaptable and resilient. In fact:?

• They can go up to two weeks without food.
• A hen can lose up to half of her weight during winter, but can quickly regain it in the spring.
• Pheasants conserve energy by remaining completely still for up to 24 hours at a time.

Photo courtesy of?Carrol Henderson

Moose survey underway

Have you seen or heard low-flying helicopters over northeastern Minnesota?s arrowhead and been curious why? They?re surveying moose!

DNR pilots and wildlife staff, along with biologists from the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the 1854 Treaty Authority, are flying the 2023 aerial moose survey.

Two DNR helicopter pilots fly pairs of experienced observers over 53 designated plots to record the numbers and types of moose. Sometimes, additional plots are added to assess how moose use land after natural disturbances, like wildfires, or after forest management and logging activity. Overcast days with fewer shadows and ample snow cover helps observers better see moose among the conifers, rocks and stumps of the forested landscape.

After the survey, they crunch the data and typically release population estimates in March. Minnesota?s moose population has been generally stable over the last 10 years but remains lower than historic highs. The 2022 aerial moose survey report is available on the DNR moose page.?

Photo: Four bull moose observed in a group during the 2023 aerial moose survey in northeastern Minnesota

Hooray for 10 years of the popular DNR EagleCam!

The DNR is celebrating 10 years of the EagleCam, a popular annual livestream of a bald eagle nest in Minnesota.

The first season of the DNR EagleCam began in January 2013, after the Nongame Wildlife Program installed a webcam in a tree next to an active bald eagle nest. The livestream has grown in popularity since then and now has thousands of followers watching from homes, workplaces, classrooms, waiting rooms and care facilities in all 50 states and at least 150 countries.

Fifteen chicks have successfully fledged from this nest in the last decade. Even before the camera was installed, DNR staff working in the area had discovered the nest and biologists have monitored the mating pairs in it since 2003. Tune in to learn about eagles and the Nongame Wildlife Program, and to celebrate 10 years of the DNR EagleCam. We also have a webinar all about the EagleCam coming up at noon Wednesday, Feb. 15. Registration is required and free.