The Minnesota spring turkey-hunting season has been going on since April 16 and lasts until May 25. Any person who is at least 12 years old prior to April 16, 2003, and possesses a firearms safety certificate can participate in this season.

Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1980, must have a firearms safety certificate, a previous hunting license, or other evidence of successfully completing a hunter safety course to obtain a license to hunt or trap in Minnesota.

Turkeys were reintroduced into the state in 1976. Nearly 400 hunters went into the woods to hunt wild turkeys in 1977. Ninety-four birds were bagged that year. This year 22,000 hunters have registered for the 2003 spring wild turkey hunting season. It is estimated that they will bag 6,500 gobblers by the time the season ends May 25.

The first season in 1977, 11,000 people applied for the limited number of hunting permits. This year, nearly 45,000 hunters applied for 25,000 permits.

Mower County has its share of turkey hunters. Steve Prihoda, of Blooming Prairie, farms along the Cedar River. He has been hunting wild turkeys for five years. He says the numbers this year are high for turkeys because the winter was so mild.

"Some people claim the numbers decline because of coyotes, but I haven't seen that this is true," Prihoda said.

Hunters participating in the turkey season hunt for five days at a time. The dates are from April 16-20, April 20-25, April 26-30, May 1-5, May 11-15, May 16-20, May 21-25. One bearded turkey can be bagged per season. Prihoda is hunting in one of the five day stretches in May.

"I enjoy being out in the woods in the spring. I just can't let it interfere with farming," he said.

Prihoda's neighbor, Craig Bishop, lives along the Cedar River too. He has been hunting for six years and usually goes with his daughter, Ellie. He has seen the turkey population grow.

"The first year when we hunted we bagged birds that were banded. They were 23 pounds apiece. I'm hunting in May this year too. I would have liked to get out earlier but that is how the turkey season works. It is done by lottery and some people that apply don't get to hunt," Bishop said.

Sheila Donnelly can be reached at 434-2233 or by e-mail at :mailto:newsroom@austindailyherald.com