St. Paul The Minnesota DNR held its first youth-only wild turkey hunts, April 17-18. There will be more youth wild turkey hunts in future years according to agency officials.

Twenty first-time turkey hunters and their parents went afield
before sunrise in pre-assigned hunting areas throughout the lower
Minnesota River Valley.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered with the DNR, in
opening portions of the federally managed Minnesota Valley National
Wildlife Refuge and the state-owned Minnesota Valley State
Recreation Area to the youth hunters.

The National Wild Turkey Federation also partnered on the hunt.
The Southwest Metro Chapter of NWTF put on a picnic lunch in Chaska
during the hunt. Volunteers from NWTF served as mentors for several
hunt participants. Additionally, NWTF volunteers put on a pre-hunt
turkey clinic to emphasize safe and effective turkey hunting
techniques for the beginning hunters.