Department of Natural Resources wildlife officials would like to remind hunters that the deadline for applying for a 2008 fall turkey permit is Friday, Aug. 1.

A total of 59,050 licenses are available through a lottery for the units open to hunting -- 12,350 are general licenses that may be used on public or private land and 46,700 are licenses for private land only. Twelve wild turkey management units totaling 34,976 square miles are open to fall turkey hunting during the Oct. 6 to Nov. 14 season, The units include most of southern Michigan, five counties in the northern Lower Peninsula and the entire wild turkey management area in the Upper Peninsula.

Regulations are unchanged from 2007.

"We are in the second year of a three-year period of stabilized regulations, which were developed by working with turkey hunting groups," explained Al Stewart, the DNR's upland game bird specialist. "A three-year period gives sufficient time to evaluate our regulations and make appropriate changes if necessary."

Hunters may apply for a turkey hunting license at any authorized license dealer, at DNR Operations Service Centers or online at www.michigan.gov/dnr using the E-License system. The application fee is $4.

Drawing results will be posted online beginning Thursday, Aug. 28. Applicants who did not apply online will be notified of drawing results by mail before Sept. 5.

If any licenses remain after the drawing, unsuccessful applicants may purchase one leftover license in person, at any license dealer on a first-come, first-served basis for a one-week period beginning Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. (EDT). Any licenses that remain as of Sept.18 at 10 a.m. (EDT) will be available for purchase over-the-counter by any hunter. The licenses will be sold until the quotas are met.