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March 28, 2019
Enjoy those easy-to-see large flocks of turkeys feeding in the fields while you can. In the next few weeks, the winter flocks will break up, and where you saw them last weekend is not where they’ll be when spring turkey season opens in April.
Bagging a wild turkey is a challenge for even the most experienced hunters. Of the 50,000 licenses sold each spring, about 20 percent are placed on a bird.Read more
Youth Only Season
Gun/Bow Seasons
- Season 1: April 8-11
- Season 2: April 12-16
- Season 3: April 17-23
- Season 4: April 24 to May 12
Archery Only Season
Licenses: Iowa residents may purchase two spring turkey hunting licenses. License choices are: two archery-only or one archery-only and one gun/bow for Season 4 or two gun/bow of which at least one must be Season 4.
Unfilled youth season licenses will be valid until filled for the remaining spring seasons. The youth license to be purchased before the youth season closes - once the season is over, that option is no longer available.
Shooting Hours: One half-hour before sunrise to sunset
Regulations Change: Shot sizes for lead and nontoxic are now inclusive for all sizes from #4-#8. This replaces the individual listing of legal shot sizes. Additional rules and regulations for turkey hunting are available here.
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Iowa’s youth only turkey hunting season begins April 5 for residents age 15 and younger at the time when they purchased their youth turkey license.
This season is set aside to allow youths to hunt under direct guidance of an adult mentor, age 18 and older. Over the past four years, an average of 5,500 youth participated in the season.
The focus of the youth season is to provide opportunities to teach skills necessary to become a confident turkey hunter. Read more
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Spring turkey hunting success and safety comes down to the same thing – proper planning.
“Be aware of what’s around you. Even if you’re on private property, there could be other hunters out there who are coming to your call. Remember, turkey hunters are skilled in the art of concealment. Don’t shoot at movement; don’t shoot at sound; no turkey’s worth it. I encourage hunters to only shoot after they see the turkey’s beard,” said Jeff Barnes, recreation safety officer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “Being safe is important because the people we hunt with are our family and close friends.” Read more
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Hunters have a new tool that may improve their in the field experience even before opening day.
The Iowa hunting atlas is an interactive map that shows all available public hunting land that is managed by the state, county or federal governments. A click on an area will show basic information like size, habitat type and likely species available.
The atlas is online. A mobile version is also available.
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Successful hunters are required to report their harvest by midnight of the day after it is tagged. Be prepared to answer a few simple questions about your harvest, (county of harvest and spur length.) Read more
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