It was the first day of spring on Tuesday, so you only need to contain your excitement a few more weeks until the spring turkey hunting season opens. Create a checklist of important items you’ll need to take with you to ensure you have a successful season. Cross each one off the list before you hit the woods and enjoy calling in some gobblers.

1. Make Sure You Have Your Documents

Before you go out into the woods, make sure you have your license and your tags with you. Registration for turkey licenses for the 2024 turkey season opened on March 1 in Minnesota. You can buy a license online, in person, or over the phone. Make sure you’ve registered before opening day on April 17 and bring the license with you, whether it’s physically in your pocket or it’s on an app on your phone.

Make sure your tag is with you before you leave, as well. You’re legally required to tag the turkey before you remove it from the land. The Minnesota DNR states, “The license stock (blue in color) has an eyelet hole (upper middle of each license square) that must be used to tie to the turkey leg. All hunters must carry a string or wire to attached turkey tag to leg.”

You have 24 hours to register the turkey online, over the phone, or at a registration station. After your successful harvest, take the turkey back to your blind and fill out the necessary form. You can sit in one of our Captain’s Chairs and make the phone call or register online from the comfort of the blind. The windows and door seal tightly, so you won’t have to worry about your voice disrupting any other hunters.

2. Bring Your Blaze Orange

New for 2024, Minnesota hunters need to adorn their ground blind with a blaze orange covering. The Minnesota DNR says, “Ground blinds on public land must have a blaze orange safety covering on top of the blind that is visible from all directions or a patch made of blaze orange that is at least 144 square inches (12 x 12 inches) on each side of the blind.” Make sure your Stump blind has a blaze orange covering that meets the requirements.

3. Bring Gear to Field Dress

If you field dress your wild game yourself, make sure you have a hunting knife and any other tools you’ll need to field dress the turkey. You can store the field dressed bird in our Bucket Backpack. The backpack has a built in 5-gallon bucket for the meat. Fill the bucket with ice and keep your wild game chilled until you get back home. It has padded straps so you’ll be able to carry the bird back to your car comfortably. There are five outside pockets for you to store your hunting knife, tags, license, and anything else you’ll need.

Check your state’s regulations and make sure you have all of the proper tags, licenses and gear with you before you go out on your first turkey hunt of the season. Go through your checklist and cross everything off the list to ensure you have a successful spring turkey hunting season.

What’s on your checklist for a successful turkey hunt this spring? Let us know in the comments below!

 

 

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