Turkey hunting season structure

Wisconsin Outdoor News reader Wes Kraemer, of Spring Green, e-mailed in with a good suggestion. Wes has been following the efforts of Scott Walter, the DNR's turkey ecologist, to update the state's turkey management plan. The DNR is trying to get as much input as possible on some questions related to turkeys and the state's turkey hunting format. Wes included a link to the DNR's survey – it can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/s/RDFF2S5 .  The survey must be completed by May 31.

Wes said, "If you enjoy the current season structure which spreads out hunting pressure and provides plenty of opportunity yet allows for a high quality and safe hunt, then you will surely want to complete the survey.  Imagine what it would be like if every turkey hunter in the state was out hunting on the same day.  Well, that could happen if one of the options they are considering gets put into place.  One of their options would make the turkey season a wide open six week long season where anyone with a permit could hunt any day of the season.  Imagine having a bunch of hunters all show up on the first few days of the season to hunt the same area when normally all the hunters would be spread out through the six separate weeks like we have now." 

I agree with Wes. I don't think the DNR should merge all of the turkey hunting into one wide-open season. I wouldn't have a problem with the DNR starting the season a week earlier than it does now, and I don't think it would be a problem if the DNR combined the fifth and sixth season into one two-week season, giving us five seasons overall. One option that I did not see on the survey would be this – create a seventh one-week season and allow anyone who has a valid tag from the earlier seasons to use that tag in the seventh week, if they wished.