North Dakota Fall Turkey Lottery Process Moved to August
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is moving the 2013 fall turkey license application deadline, originally set for July 3, to August this year to allow for a better assessment of the fall turkey population before determining license numbers.
The official date for the application deadline has not yet been determined.
Stan Kohn, upland game management supervisor, said the change will allow more opportunities for hunters. “Our fall turkey numbers are a lot more precise when we can use data from late spring and early summer before we have to finalize the proclamation,” Kohn said. “Now we can thoroughly assess brood production, which has a direct influence on the fall population.”
For years, the fall turkey proclamation was finalized in late May, with applications out in early June and the deadline for applying early July. Game and Fish made the decision to change the fall turkey process this spring, after a tentative application deadline of July 3 was publicized in news releases, online, and in the North Dakota Outdoors magazine annual calendar.
Game and Fish licensing manager Randy Meissner said moving the application process into August will not cause any issues for applicants, as successful hunters will be notified well in advance of opening day. “Hunters should expect licenses in September, and the season doesn’t open until mid-October,” he said.
Prospective applicants should check the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov in August for more information on the fall turkey license application process.
