Women who have never hunted wild turkey but would like to can apply for a mentored hunt offered through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF).
Application deadline is midnight, Tuesday, Feb. 18. Participants will be selected through a random lottery if the number of applications exceeds the number of available opportunities.
Photo courtesy of Mia Anstine
Women are encouraged to sign-up with a friend or adult daughter. The application and general information is available at www.mndnr.gov/discover.
“This program is aimed at those who have no or very limited turkey hunting experience,” said Mike Kurre, DNR mentoring program coordinator. “By working through skilled turkey federation volunteers and private landowners, our goal is to provide quality skill-building at known locations.”
Most hunts will occur Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18, at locations near Hugo, McGrath, Detroit Lakes, Morton and Plainview. Participants must attend a turkey hunting clinic prior to the hunt. Participants will do most of their hunting on private land thanks to private landowners and the NWTF volunteers who obtained permission.
To be eligible, a women hunter must be 18 on or before Saturday, May 17. All participants must possess a valid firearms safety certificate; purchase an Apprentice Hunter Validation; or be born before Dec. 31, 1979. The program is for first-time turkey hunters or has very limited experience. Preference is given to first-time hunters. Participants will be assigned a NWTF volunteer coach, who will accompany them throughout the entire hunt.
Participation in the hunts is only restricted by the number volunteers and private lands that are available. Property owners, who have an interest in providing a quality experience in turkey hunting or NWTF members who could share their hunting expertise, should contact Keith Carlson at: kcanoka@comcast.net for information about lending some land or a hand.
