With the first hunting periods of the 2006 spring wild turkey hunting season coming to a close, the Department of Natural Resources reminds all turkey hunters of the online hunting and harvest reporting option available to them once their hunting season has ended.

Turkey hunters are encouraged to report their hunting activity on the Internet by visiting the Hunting section or Wild Turkey page at www.michigan.gov/dnr. The survey is designed to record hunter participation, success and total harvest. Therefore, it is important that all turkey hunters contribute, even if they do not harvest a turkey, said Al Stewart, DNR upland game bird specialist.

"The short, online questionnaire is similar to the printed version that we send to a random sample of hunters each year," said Stewart. "Having the survey available online gives every turkey hunter the opportunity to report their hunting activity. This information is used to improve turkey management and ensure decisions regarding future hunting seasons are based on the best information available."

Final results of the survey will be posted on the DNR Web site later this summer, but hunters can visit the site now to find other important hunting-related news and information, including results of turkey harvest surveys from previous years.