Surplus licenses for Minnesota's lottery-controlled "A" and "B" wild turkey seasons still were available Tuesday in various areas of the state.

The first two periods of the regular spring season of turkey hunting are the most coveted. But according to the Department of Natural Resources, the number of licenses still outnumbers applicants in five "A" season units and seven "B" season units.

The first shots of the seven-day "A" season will be fired April 17. The "B" season harvest runs April 24-30. After that, turkey hunters can purchase a license over the counter for any of the four remaining seasons.

Minnesota annually sells between 50,000 and 60,000 wild turkey licenses, including tags for the less popular fall season.

As of Tuesday, the DNR was showing 169 "A" season licenses still available for Permit Area 503, a location that includes Steele, Dodge, Mower, Freeborn and Waseca counties. Another 100 "A" season licenses were available for Permit Area 506, including Grant and Traverse counties.

Surplus licenses for the "B" season are more numerous, including 471 available in Permit Area 501 in the southeast corner of the state. In Permit Area 507, including Ottertail, Todd and Wadena counties, the DNR was sitting on 145 "B" season licenses. There also were lots of lottery season tags available for metro area hunts.

The surplus tags for the two lottery-controlled seasons are on sale for anyone who does not already have a license even if they did not apply for the spring turkey lottery. You can purchase surplus licenses on a first-come, first-served basis at any license agent location or online. The surplus licenses can't be purchased by phone. For state residents, the surplus spring licenses sell for $26.