Reflecting on Wisconsin’s turkey hunting history
The DNR reintroduced wild turkeys into the state back in 1976. Wisconsin traded raffed grouse for turkeys with Missouri and released 29 wild turkeys in Vernon County that first year. Multiple attempts to reestablish a wild turkey population in Wisconsin previously failed, all using pen raised birds.
This time science prevailed and seven years later the state created our first “modem era” turkey season. That hunt evolved into our modem day spring turkey season, that starts today.
For that first hunt in the spring of 1983, the DNR issued 1,200 turkey tags for the four turkey zones in the southwestern Wisconsin. 182 birds were registered and you needed to register the bird at a registration station. Last year around 140,000 people hunted turkey in Wisconsin and hunters registered over 50,000 birds.
I didn't start hunting turkeys for another ten years. Despite finding it hard to drive through agricultural country in Wisconsin without spotting a wild turkey today, I didn’t see one until 1985. I spent a fair amount of time down in the driftless area of the state in those days. Yet I did not see a single turkey, despite the state using the farm my father grew up on for a turkey release site.
I killed my first squirrel and my first grouse from the woodlots of that farm. I never did hunt turkeys on that land. I last drove past that land in the spring of 1994.
When I did start turkey hunting, the state already established the six time periods, but unlike today, the season only ran five days - Wednesday to Sunday. Today we enjoy a seven day season, Wednesday to Tuesday. Back in the early 90s hunting hours ran from a half-hour before sunrise to high noon. Today we hunt until past sunset. By the mid 90s our area, lands south of 29, enjoyed turkey hunting and a few years later, the state established a zone north of 29.
The DNR started moving turkeys from the driftless region to other areas of the state. The Medford area received some birds in the mid 90s. I have a couple photos of that day in a box somewhere in the basement. Since the early 2000s, turkey zones cover the entire state, the end result of the
Chuck
DNR moving birds and the birds moving themselves.
Back in the 90s, a hunter did not get drawn for a turkey tag every year. By the mid 90s if a hunter was willing to take any time period, they might receive a tag eveiy year. Today not only do we receive a tag if we apply for at least the first three time periods, but extra tags are sold over the counter from the later time periods.
Back in the 90s turkey hunters from our area made a trip out of their hunt. Hunting with a friend, taking a week off, traveling down to a Wisconsin geography far different than here for scouting, hunting, and making new friends. Today, most turkey hunters don’t take a single day off of work and most don’t drive more that 15 miles to hunt turkeys.
Almost a month ago I met a couple guys who stopped at the booth I worked in at the Eau Claire Sports Show. They told us that they spent the morning scouting turkeys. That caught the attention of a few other guys and pretty soon a group of turkey hunters were kind of clogging things up talking turkey. When they were bom, a Wisconsin turkey hunt wasn’t even a twinkle in the DNR’s eye.
Some days turkey hunting goes so easy, gets your heart pumping hard - one of the most exciting hunts of your life. The next day the hunt provides nothing but time to sit back and take in the smells, sounds, and sights of the outdoors except for those related to turkeys - or just take a nap. Other days provide everything in between those extremes. Turkey hunting involves a lot of patience, until it doesn’t.
Once, a gray squirrel ran across my legs on a turkey hunt. A skunk walked by less than ten yards on another. A coyote stalked in on my decoy once. Deer walk by. But the wildest thing involved a bear running behind me at 15 yards - that takes your mind off of turkey hunting for a minute or two.
When your season comes along, I’m wishing you all the luck in the world. But please remember, Safe Hunting is No Accident!
Through a
Decoy’s E ye
