Hunt_News
10-17-05, 14:01
More wild turkey permits approved for 2006
SALT LAKE CITY — More wild turkey hunting permits will be available in Utah in 2006 after the Utah Wildlife Board approved a 19 percent increase in the number of permits available for hunts this spring.
Board members approved the increase at their Oct. 6 meeting in Salt Lake City.
A total of 2,034 Rio Grande turkey permits will be available for the 2006 hunt compared to 1,612 this past spring. The number of Merriam's wild turkey permits also increased, from 624 available in spring 2005 to 638 for the 2006 hunt. The 2,672 total permits include limited entry permits (which are the permits most hunters obtain) as well as landowner, conservation and Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit permits.
And hunters will have some additional areas to use those permits next spring after the board approved a Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit program for wild turkeys. A new Walk-In Access program also will be available to hunters in northern Utah.
Applications for 2006 Utah wild turkey permits will be available by Nov. 29. Applications must be received no later than Dec. 27 to be included in the draw for permits. Draw results will be available by Feb. 1, 2006.
Turkey numbers continue climb
"For the most part, wild turkey populations are doing well across Utah," says Dean Mitchell, upland game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.
While populations in some of Utah's lower elevation areas haven't reached the number biologists are aiming for, populations in mid and higher elevation areas continue to grow. Part of the reason for the recent increase in turkey numbers is wet weather this past spring and early summer.
"Wet weather in the spring and early summer is important to turkey chicks, which are known as poults," Mitchell said. "The rain provides lots of grasses and forbs that provide excellent nesting cover for hens and plenty of places for the poults to hide from predators. The rain also provides lots of insects, which are an essential food source for poults."
Mitchell says Utah's turkey populations should be in great shape heading into the winter. "If we don't have a severe winter, hunters should see plenty of turkeys when the spring hunts get underway in April," he said.
Turkey transplants
Another reason for the climb in turkey numbers is the DWR's aggressive turkey transplant program, which will continue this winter. This past winter, 957 turkeys were moved within Utah to start new populations or help existing ones.
"We have enough turkeys in Utah now that we don't need to bring turkeys in from outside the state to help our populations," Mitchell said. "There are plenty of turkeys in Utah to move around."
More areas to hunt
Utah's wild turkey hunters will have more areas to hunt this spring after board members approved a Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit (CWMU) program for wild turkeys. A new Walk-In Access program also will be available to hunters in the northern part of the state. Here's how each program works:
Walk-In Access
The Walk-In Access program is a new program the DWR is starting on a three-year trial basis in northern Utah. During the spring 2006 wild turkey hunt, hunters in the northern part of the state will have access to several private property areas that have been closed in the past.
"The Walk-In Access program is a big deal in many of the mid-Western states," Mitchell said. "It's opened thousands of acres of private land to hunters and anglers. We hope it will do the same thing here."
Private lands that have good wild turkey populations and provide wild turkeys with good habitat are eligible for the program. Property becomes enrolled in the program two ways: by DWR biologists approaching landowners to see if they are willing to open their property to public hunters and by landowners approaching the DWR about enrolling their property in the program.
In return for enrollment, the DWR agrees to pay the landowner to allow hunters on his property. After an agreement is reached between the landowner and the DWR, signs are placed on the landowner's property indicating that the property is enrolled in the Walk-In Access program.
Maps showing lands enrolled in the program will be available from DWR offices by the end of March 2006. The maps will indicate whether hunters can hunt the property without contacting the landowner, or whether they need to call the landowner in advance to let him know when they plan on hunting.
Hunters using the property also must take good care of the property while hunting on it.
CWMU program
The CWMU program the board approved has been in place for several years in Utah for big game and has opened thousands of acres of private land to public big game hunters.
Five CWMUs will be in operation for the 2006 wild turkey hunt.
Private lands are designated as a CWMU if the landowner works with the DWR to manage the land for wildlife. Private landowners who own land that qualifies as a CWMU are given permits they can sell to hunters. In return, the landowner agrees to allow an equal number of public hunters, who obtain a permit for his property through Utah's wild turkey permit draw, onto his CWMU to hunt.
Mitchell says a CWMU program for wild turkeys is a win-win situation for everyone: public hunters gain access to private lands that were once closed to them and landowners receive a financial incentive to manage their lands for wild turkeys.
Two ways are available to obtain a CWMU permit. Hunters can apply for one in the wild turkey drawing or they can contact a CWMU operator directly to inquire about purchasing a permit from the operator.
CWMUs open for the 2006 wild turkey hunt will be listed in the 2006 Utah Wild Turkey Hunting Guide. The guide will be available by late November.
SALT LAKE CITY — More wild turkey hunting permits will be available in Utah in 2006 after the Utah Wildlife Board approved a 19 percent increase in the number of permits available for hunts this spring.
Board members approved the increase at their Oct. 6 meeting in Salt Lake City.
A total of 2,034 Rio Grande turkey permits will be available for the 2006 hunt compared to 1,612 this past spring. The number of Merriam's wild turkey permits also increased, from 624 available in spring 2005 to 638 for the 2006 hunt. The 2,672 total permits include limited entry permits (which are the permits most hunters obtain) as well as landowner, conservation and Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit permits.
And hunters will have some additional areas to use those permits next spring after the board approved a Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit program for wild turkeys. A new Walk-In Access program also will be available to hunters in northern Utah.
Applications for 2006 Utah wild turkey permits will be available by Nov. 29. Applications must be received no later than Dec. 27 to be included in the draw for permits. Draw results will be available by Feb. 1, 2006.
Turkey numbers continue climb
"For the most part, wild turkey populations are doing well across Utah," says Dean Mitchell, upland game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.
While populations in some of Utah's lower elevation areas haven't reached the number biologists are aiming for, populations in mid and higher elevation areas continue to grow. Part of the reason for the recent increase in turkey numbers is wet weather this past spring and early summer.
"Wet weather in the spring and early summer is important to turkey chicks, which are known as poults," Mitchell said. "The rain provides lots of grasses and forbs that provide excellent nesting cover for hens and plenty of places for the poults to hide from predators. The rain also provides lots of insects, which are an essential food source for poults."
Mitchell says Utah's turkey populations should be in great shape heading into the winter. "If we don't have a severe winter, hunters should see plenty of turkeys when the spring hunts get underway in April," he said.
Turkey transplants
Another reason for the climb in turkey numbers is the DWR's aggressive turkey transplant program, which will continue this winter. This past winter, 957 turkeys were moved within Utah to start new populations or help existing ones.
"We have enough turkeys in Utah now that we don't need to bring turkeys in from outside the state to help our populations," Mitchell said. "There are plenty of turkeys in Utah to move around."
More areas to hunt
Utah's wild turkey hunters will have more areas to hunt this spring after board members approved a Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit (CWMU) program for wild turkeys. A new Walk-In Access program also will be available to hunters in the northern part of the state. Here's how each program works:
Walk-In Access
The Walk-In Access program is a new program the DWR is starting on a three-year trial basis in northern Utah. During the spring 2006 wild turkey hunt, hunters in the northern part of the state will have access to several private property areas that have been closed in the past.
"The Walk-In Access program is a big deal in many of the mid-Western states," Mitchell said. "It's opened thousands of acres of private land to hunters and anglers. We hope it will do the same thing here."
Private lands that have good wild turkey populations and provide wild turkeys with good habitat are eligible for the program. Property becomes enrolled in the program two ways: by DWR biologists approaching landowners to see if they are willing to open their property to public hunters and by landowners approaching the DWR about enrolling their property in the program.
In return for enrollment, the DWR agrees to pay the landowner to allow hunters on his property. After an agreement is reached between the landowner and the DWR, signs are placed on the landowner's property indicating that the property is enrolled in the Walk-In Access program.
Maps showing lands enrolled in the program will be available from DWR offices by the end of March 2006. The maps will indicate whether hunters can hunt the property without contacting the landowner, or whether they need to call the landowner in advance to let him know when they plan on hunting.
Hunters using the property also must take good care of the property while hunting on it.
CWMU program
The CWMU program the board approved has been in place for several years in Utah for big game and has opened thousands of acres of private land to public big game hunters.
Five CWMUs will be in operation for the 2006 wild turkey hunt.
Private lands are designated as a CWMU if the landowner works with the DWR to manage the land for wildlife. Private landowners who own land that qualifies as a CWMU are given permits they can sell to hunters. In return, the landowner agrees to allow an equal number of public hunters, who obtain a permit for his property through Utah's wild turkey permit draw, onto his CWMU to hunt.
Mitchell says a CWMU program for wild turkeys is a win-win situation for everyone: public hunters gain access to private lands that were once closed to them and landowners receive a financial incentive to manage their lands for wild turkeys.
Two ways are available to obtain a CWMU permit. Hunters can apply for one in the wild turkey drawing or they can contact a CWMU operator directly to inquire about purchasing a permit from the operator.
CWMUs open for the 2006 wild turkey hunt will be listed in the 2006 Utah Wild Turkey Hunting Guide. The guide will be available by late November.