DNR NEWS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Spring turkey hunting applications accepted through Jan. 10
Applications for the 2014 spring season will be accepted wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold and online atwww.mndnr.gov/buyalicense from Wednesday, Nov. 27 through Friday, Jan. 10, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The 2014 spring hunt will consist of six five-day and two seven-day seasons. A regulation change in 2014 means hunters need to apply for only the first three time periods, seasons A through C. All licenses for the last five time periods, seasons D through H, are unlimited and available over-the-counter.
A second regulation change closes the portion of Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area (permit area 511) surrounding the wildlife office headquarters to hunting. The remainder of Carlos Avery will remain open to wild turkey hunting.
Wild turkey hunters interested in hunting this spring must apply at a DNR license agent, online atwww.mndnr.gov/buyalicense or toll-free, 888-665-4236. A nonrefundable $4 application fee must be paid at the time of application. There will be an additional fee for Internet or telephone transactions.
Hunters who are successful in the drawing and choose not to buy a tag will lose the current year’s preference point for future drawings but not accumulated preference points from past years. Hunters who are not successful in the drawing will be eligible to purchase surplus turkey permits, which are sold on a first-come, first-served basis in mid-March.
Archery spring turkey licenses are good for the last five time periods in their entirety.
Hunters younger than 18 must purchase their licenses over-the-counter and need not apply for any season. All youth licenses are valid for all eight time periods of the spring hunt.
Prospective hunters may obtain an application information sheet at DNR license agents or view online atwww.mndnr.gov/hunting/turkey beginning Wednesday, Nov. 27. Hunt information materials include a map of wild turkey permit areas, permit quotas, dates and information on changes.
For more information, contact the DNR Information Center at 651-296-6157, toll-free, 888-646-6367 orinfo.dnr@state.mn.us. For questions about the changes to the Carlos Avery (permit area 511) call the Carlos Avery office at 651-296- 5290.
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DNR NEWS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov. 25, 2013
Get a sense of wild places in new issue of Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine
Bison, biologists, beetles, and more turn up in the November–December Minnesota Conservation Volunteer, the magazine of our state’s woods, waters, prairies and wildlife. This annual “Sense of Place” issue presents literary and photographic essays that connect readers to natural resources and outdoor life in Minnesota.
“Bona Fide Bison” tells the story of the genetic purity of the bison herd at Blue Mounds State Park. Essays by botanists and ecologists with the Minnesota Biological Survey bring readers along as they recall memorable days afield. “A Careful Walk in the Woods” offers an up-close look at the Southeast Asian tradition of squirrel hunting. And “Beetlemania” displays the astonishing variety of Minnesota insects in the group Coleoptera.
Eye-catching photos by top photographers, including Jim Brandenburg, Layne Kennedy and Richard Hamilton Smith, showcase every story.
“The Sense of Place issue is a kind of a holiday gift to our readers,” said Editor-in-Chief Kathleen Weflen. “Start with the cover photo of bison on the prairie by Jim Brandenburg. He shoots for National Geographic and for Minnesota Conservation Volunteer. Then find great stories that highlight the work of conservation professionals and inspire Minnesotans to explore wild places.”
The Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine recently won five editorial and design awards, including one for overall excellence, at the Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association’s annual awards ceremony.
The bimonthly publication of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is uniquely funded by contributions from readers.
See MCV online and subscribe at www.mndnr.gov/volunteer.
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DNR NEWS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov. 25, 2013
DNR reminds parents of ice danger to children
With Thanksgiving this week, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is warning parents to keep an eye on their children as they visit friends and family who live near a pond or other body of water where only a thin coating of ice may have formed.
Last winter season (November to April), six people died after falling through the ice.
“Kids are adventurous and want to go out and play while mom and dad are cooking or visiting with friends,” said Kara Owens, DNR boating and water safety specialist. “Right now, a thin coating of ice has formed on many lakes and ponds. An inch or two of ice is not safe.”
Children should not go out on the ice without adult supervision, even when conditions improve, she added.
“Parents should also tell their children to stay away from any frozen water bodies around the home and that no ice is ever 100 percent safe,” Owens said.
The DNR recommends anyone heading out on the ice should: carry a set of ice picks, check with a local bait shop or resort – ask about ice conditions – and measure the ice.
DNR clear ice thickness recommendations are:
- 4 inches for walking.
- 5 inches for a snowmobile or ATV.
- 8-12 inches for a car.
- 12-15 inches for a medium-sized truck.
For more information, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html.
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DNR QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Q: I am planning on going deer hunting in South Dakota. Are there any regulations about transporting my deer back into Minnesota?
A: Restrictions for importing carcasses into Minnesota are in place for counties in eight states where chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been identified in wild deer and/or elk. These states include Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Hunters bringing animals back from those areas must comply with import regulations. They include meat that is cut and wrapped, quartered animals with no part of the spinal column or head attached, properly cleaned skull plates that are attached to antlers, and finished taxidermy mounts. As the restrictions only apply to certain areas of the affected states, hunters are urged to contact officials in the state they’re hunting prior to making the trip.
For a map and list of counties in each state affected by CWD regulations, go to: http://mn.gov/bah/board/rules/import-regulations.html#cervidae.
-Rich Sprouse, information officer, DNR Enforcement Division