# Young Turkey Hunters?



## Huntinman225 (Sep 24, 2005)

I just picked up the 2006 Fall Turkey Guide yesterdayand I have a few questions that i hope someone can clear up...

First of all I normally only aplly in the spring due to Duck and deer season being at the same time...

1. Does the fall Turkey hunt only apply the the areas it shows in the guide or is that a change for management? Because I know spring turkey is nearly state wide...

2. With the new lower age requirements (10 yrs old) does this pertain to Fall turkey as well, and maybe the guides came out before the law was passed...

Help...


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Yes to both Questions.

Only the shaded areas are open in the fall.

A 10 year old is eligable for the drawing due to the recent change to hunting ages. They don't even need to take hunters safety.


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

Multibeard,

Do you have a source to confirm that 10 yo's can hunt turkeys? I thought we (MI) considered them big game--but I've got an 11 yo son who's hoping they aren't (and a dad who's ready to help him bag one!)

Eric


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## whitetails_n_scales (Oct 29, 2003)

I was looking through the fall turkey application process online and under the requirements category in the guide it says " you must be 12 years old by the time a license is purchased." Also im pretty sure everyone born after 1960 has to have hunter safety..


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Quoting the spring guide as I do not have a fall guide here at the computer.

Quote [under requirements]: "you must be at least 12 years old by the time the license is purchased." 

Since the age limit to hunt has been lowered to age 10 this requirement has been lowered to 10 as well. ----The guides were printed PRIOR to the law change.------ There is also a learners license of some sort that can be purchased for a youngster waiving the hunter safety requirement for 2 years.

If a child will not be 10 until after the applications for the drawings closes they still can be entered into the drawings as long as they are 10 when the license is purchased.


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## Due51 (Oct 26, 2005)

The spring guide won't do you any good because the new law was passed AFTER they printed that.

Your best bet would be to visit www.michigan.gov/dnr

Turkey are not considered BIG game. They are an upland bird and require a turkey license. 

Regarding not needing a license, I presume you mean they don't need one if they are hunting under the new "Hunter Apprentice" program. You may want to consult the dnr website or pose the question in the "Law Forum."


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Due51. 

I think that you misread my post. I said nothing about not needing a license. What a new hunter does not need under the apprentices license is HUNTER EDUCATION. Hunter Ed is waived for two years under that license. Good or bad that is a whole other thing.

I quoted the old 12 year requirement from the spring booklet because I didn't have the energy to go look for a copy of the fall booklet at the time. The fall booklet says the same thing because it was printed before Granholm signed the two hunter age bills.

This whole age change is going to cause a lot of confusion this year do to the time period of when the bills were signed and the printing of booklets. I would imagine the fall hunting booklet will have the correct data in it since it should have been published after the signing of the bills.


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

MB,

I couldn't find such language in the fall guide (neither on-line or in print), and haven't seen turkeys included in the discussion in print media sources...I won't count on a license dealer to know unless they have a DNR bulletin I can trust. Would hate to start out a new hunter with a visit from a CO for buying a license he wasn't entitled to! Will contact DNR law enforcement to get the low down!

The antlerless guides have the new age requirements, and I was surprised to see them in there.

My son's fingers are so tightly crossed he may lose the use of them!

Eric


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

I agree as usual with the DNR CONFUSION WILL REIGN. The guys running the hunter safety classes have received no info on the change of the hunting age limits so are not letting the 10/11 year olds take the course saying they can not hunt anyway. Not that I agree with it they are eligible for the APPRENTICE LICENSE. IT DOESN'T REQUIRE HUNTERS ED  

I wonder if the will be able to figure out how to put the cost of licenses in the hunting booklet and cover themselves for the probable fee increase in 2007.
With the booklets supposedly going to be only printed every 2 years they didn't publish the licenses and fees in the fishing booklet. Not smart enough to put a box around the licenses and fees saying the fees are for 2006-2007 and SUBJECT TO CHANGE IN APRIL 2007. duhhhhh!!!!

Why don't you post this question in the law forum so Ray can give you his answer.


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## November Sunrise (Jan 12, 2006)

multibeard said:


> The guys running the hunter safety classes have received no info on the change of the hunting age limits so are not letting the 10/11 year olds take the course saying they can not hunt anyway.


MI has not had a minimum age requirement for the hunter's safety course for a number of years. In 2003 two of my boys took and passed the course and they were both under the age of 10 at the time. Some instructors may maintain an age requirement for their class, but it is not due to any law on the books.

Regarding 10 year olds turkey hunting this fall - they're eligible for this fall's turkey season.


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## bfierke (Jul 16, 2004)

Just went and tried to get her a fall turkey permit and was told by the DNR--=on the phone at the store that the new laws don't take affect until August 10th-11th? I'm totally confused!!! She turns 12 in Oct this year and will be taking Hunter's Safety next month. Maybe we can get her a leftover ???


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

I assume that you should be able to try to get the left-overs!


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## November Sunrise (Jan 12, 2006)

bfierke said:


> Just went and tried to get her a fall turkey permit and was told by the DNR--=on the phone at the store that the new laws don't take affect until August 10th-11th?


Hmm... sounds like you're stuck in the middle of a "technicality". She's going to be old enough under the terms of the new law but the law doesn't take effect until after the application period is over. 

Since the season doesn't start until October it appears that the DNR dropped the ball on this minimum age requirement to apply, but in fairness to them the application period had already begun when the governor signed the legislation. In respect to the turkey application period, the DNR really wasn't provided with adequate time to respond to the new legislation.

We tried on Saturday night to apply online for a turkey permit for my nine year old who'll turn 10 in October. He's already completed hunter's safety. The system also didn't permit him to apply. He was a little disappointed, but I upped his spirits by assuring him that he'll still have some other exciting opportunities available to him this fall in terms of squirrels, ducks, geese, etc.


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

bfierke said:


> Just went and tried to get her a fall turkey permit and was told by the DNR--=on the phone at the store that the new laws don't take affect until August 10th-11th? I'm totally confused!!! She turns 12 in Oct this year and will be taking Hunter's Safety next month. Maybe we can get her a leftover ???



Sounds like some one has there head where the sun doesn't shine. :rant: 

Your daughters applying for a permit has NOTHING to do with age law change.

Last spring my grandson didn't turn 12 until after the deadline (Feb) for applying for a spring permit. We put him in the drawing in January for a 234 permit. Being that a 234 permit is actually over the counter he automatically was sucessful in the drawing. He bought the tag over the counter after the drwaing was over.

You need to go to a small sport shop where a clerk knows how things work and enter her in the drawing. She doesn't have to be 12 to enter the drawing. She just can't purchase the tag until she is 12. the fall permits are all drawn permits so you will have to apply for the hunt that she wants to hunt with no guarantee


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## bfierke (Jul 16, 2004)

Thanks Multibeard, 

I posted this question to Boehr and he did say she could apply. I called the DNR and they said nope... No Hunter's Safety yet and they are meeting on August 10th to make these new youth changes take effect. I understand there is going to be alot of confusion until things get worked out.


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Your daughters situation has nothing to do with the new law change. She doesn't need hunter safety to apply for the drawing only after she is successful and is 12 and goes to buy the permit.

Did you call the 517 373 3904 number listed in the booklet. If so ask to speak to a supervisor. Maybe a supervisor understands the law. Explain that the situation has nothing to do with the new age law.

Typical legislative move. Pass two simular laws to keep the public confused like the legislature is.


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## bfierke (Jul 16, 2004)

I just got a phone number from Ray to call and will try tomorrow even though the deadline has passed. She will be hunting on private land so hopefully some left over permits will be available later. Thanks again. Bob


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## November Sunrise (Jan 12, 2006)

bfierke said:


> I just got a phone number from Ray to call and will try tomorrow even though the deadline has passed. She will be hunting on private land so hopefully some left over permits will be available later. Thanks again. Bob


The DNR website says that the application period is through August 1st, so you haven't missed the deadline yet.

Have you tried applying online? I just typed in an October 1994 birthdate, and then clicked on the "purchase a sportcard option". It then displayed the list of licenses that would be available to an eleven year old, and it included the opportunity to submit an application for turkey season. I may be wrong, but it appears to me that the online system is set up for someone of your daughter's age to apply.

Here's the link:

https://www.mdnr-elicense.com/elcustlogin.asp


Hope everything works out for your daughter getting a tag.


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## bfierke (Jul 16, 2004)

With help from Boehr, I went back to the license agent and purchased a permit for my daughter. I was told again no, we can't do it by the manager so I walked them through from getting my daughter her sportscard and then her turkey permit. Look out turks, hopefully there will be a new hunter in them woods this fall. She's been shooting her bow everyday and at 20 yards she's dead on!!!!


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

11, no HS yet, got the sport card and did the license app.

System would NOT sell him a combo deer and jr. small game, however??


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