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Review safe hunting practices ahead of spring turkey season

Review safe hunting practices ahead of spring turkey season

  • 3/26/2024 11:38:00 AM
  • View Count 324
Roughly 35,000 camo-covered hunters in stealth mode will be heading to the timber in the next few weeks for Iowa’s spring turkey season. And, just as important as contacting the landowner, checking the shell supply and finding the decoys, part of every hunt prep is to review safe hunting practices.
Iowa’s spring turkey season is right around the corner

Iowa’s spring turkey season is right around the corner

  • 3/26/2024 11:36:00 AM
  • View Count 351
Coming off record harvests in 2020 and again in 2023, Iowa’s spring turkey hunters could be living in the “good ol’ days.” And with three straight years of good hatches across much of the state, roughly 35,000 hunters are ready to hit the woods.
Researchers looking for insight into wild turkey population decline

Researchers looking for insight into wild turkey population decline

  • 1/9/2024 3:29:00 PM
  • View Count 4401
The reintroduction of wild turkeys to Iowa’s landscape has been celebrated as a conservation success story for the past 25 years. But Iowa’s turkey population is showing troubling signs: the numbers are down, nests are failing and fewer poults are surviving. And it’s not just an Iowa problem – turkey populations are declining in all states in the Midwest and across the eastern half of the United States.
Counting turkeys

Counting turkeys

  • 6/27/2023 4:36:00 PM
  • View Count 2261
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for help with its annual wild turkey production survey. During the months of July and August wild turkey sightings are recorded to estimate this year’s nesting rates and nest success.
Iowa’s spring turkey season is one for the books

Iowa’s spring turkey season is one for the books

  • 5/16/2023 1:47:00 PM
  • View Count 3154
Despite a rainy cold closing weekend across much of state, Iowa’s wild turkey hunters reported harvesting more than 14,800 birds through the mandatory registration system, an increase of nearly 3,000 versus the 2022 harvest.
Iowa’s popular spring turkey hunting seasons only a few weeks away

Iowa’s popular spring turkey hunting seasons only a few weeks away

  • 3/21/2023 11:36:00 AM
  • View Count 4233
Thunderous calls from competing Toms trying to out-do one another for the attention from nearby hens, rattles through Iowa’s timber each spring. This annual ritual is witnessed by hunters who attempt to mimic the call of a lonely hen, to attract a frustrated Tom to come search her out.
Counting turkeys

Counting turkeys

  • 8/2/2022 12:17:00 PM
  • View Count 3383
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for help with its annual wild turkey production survey. During the months of July and August wild turkey sightings are recorded to estimate this year’s nesting rates and nest success.
Counting turkeys

Counting turkeys

  • 7/5/2022 1:30:00 PM
  • View Count 3751
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for help with its annual wild turkey production survey.  During the months of July and August wild turkey sightings are recorded to estimate this year’s nesting rates and nest success. 
Spring turkey season ends on a high note

Spring turkey season ends on a high note

  • 5/31/2022 3:31:00 PM
  • View Count 2484
Despite some challenging weather conditions, Iowa’s wild turkey hunters reported harvesting nearly 12,000 birds through the mandatory registration system. While similar to 2021, the 300 additional birds registered represented and overall state increase in harvest of around two percent.
Iowa’s spring turkey hunting season is right around the corner

Iowa’s spring turkey hunting season is right around the corner

  • 3/22/2022 12:46:00 PM
  • View Count 4148
It happens each spring - Iowa’s timber echo with the sounds of male turkeys gobbling and preparing to do battle in an attempt to establish their territories in anticipation of the breeding season.  With each passing day, the competition gets fiercer, and hunters, more excited.
Counting turkeys

Counting turkeys

  • 6/29/2021 1:34:00 PM
  • View Count 1599
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for help with its annual wild turkey production survey.  During the months of July and August wild turkey sightings are recorded to estimate this year’s nesting rates and nest success. 
Wastewater release in Anita goes to Turkey Creek

Wastewater release in Anita goes to Turkey Creek

  • 6/22/2021 8:00:00 AM
  • View Count 1099
ANITA - Early Sunday morning the city of Atlantic helped Anita Municipal Utilities jet out a plugged wastewater pipe, and notified DNR of a wastewater discharge into a nearby creek.
Intro to Turkey Hunting workshop set for April 10

Intro to Turkey Hunting workshop set for April 10

  • 3/30/2021 12:54:00 PM
  • View Count 2492
DeWitt - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Woods + Waters Project are holding an Intro to Turkey Hunting Workshop, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Wapsi Valley Izaak Walton League, near DeWitt.
Hunting seasons begin closing soon

Hunting seasons begin closing soon

  • 12/29/2020 11:35:00 AM
  • View Count 2693
Hunting seasons will begin closing soon, starting with pheasant, archery turkey and deer seasons, and late muzzleloader deer season on Jan. 10. The staggered goose seasons begin closing in the north zone first on Jan. 9, followed by the south zone on Jan. 16, and the Missouri River zone on Jan. 23.
Counting turkeys

Counting turkeys

  • 6/30/2020 2:32:00 PM
  • View Count 2678
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for help with its annual turkey population estimates in July and August. 
Iowa’s 47th spring turkey season is one for the records

Iowa’s 47th spring turkey season is one for the records

  • 5/19/2020 1:25:00 PM
  • View Count 4608
Iowa hunters reported harvesting more than 14,600 turkeys during the spring season, which is the highest spring turkey harvest since mandatory harvest reporting began in 2007. The previous high was 12,173 in 2016.
Iowa’s final spring turkey season begins April 29

Iowa’s final spring turkey season begins April 29

  • 4/28/2020 3:18:00 PM
  • View Count 5606
Iowa hunters have reported harvesting nearly 8,600 turkeys so far this spring, making the 2020 season one of the more successful seasons to date, with the fourth – and longest – season still to come.
Staying safe during Iowa’s spring turkey seasons and spring fishing

Staying safe during Iowa’s spring turkey seasons and spring fishing

  • 3/24/2020 12:03:00 PM
  • View Count 12039
Protecting yourself during the COVID-19 national pandemic starts with following the guidance from our state and national health experts – maintain at least six feet between each other, wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds, cover your cough, stay home if you feel sick and avoid groups of 10 or more people. These are unprecedented times and personal health and safety takes top priority.
Turkey legs needed for disease surveillance project

Turkey legs needed for disease surveillance project

  • 3/17/2020 12:14:00 PM
  • View Count 6813
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in conjunction with Iowa State University is monitoring the wild turkey population for the presence of Lymphoproliferative Disease (LPDV), and is asking for hunters who harvest a bird this spring to provide one lower leg to be tested.
Hunting turkeys is the topic of upcoming Learn to Hunt workshop

Hunting turkeys is the topic of upcoming Learn to Hunt workshop

  • 3/3/2020 12:02:00 PM
  • View Count 2596
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is offering a three part Learn to Hunt series this spring focusing on hunting turkeys. The workshops will be held at Butch Olofson shooting range, 11652 NW Nissen Dr., Polk City. Attendees may attend any or all of the workshops. A light dinner will be available at each session.
7 Iowa Wildlife Comebacks

7 Iowa Wildlife Comebacks

  • 3/2/2020 3:43:00 PM
  • View Count 14437
In the last few centuries, a number of Iowa wildlife species have been extirpated from the state - but some have seen successful comebacks, too. Check out these seven animals that have made a comeback in Iowa:
IHAP sites help meet the demand for public hunting areas

IHAP sites help meet the demand for public hunting areas

  • 11/26/2019 11:54:00 AM
  • View Count 4672
WEST UNION, Iowa - The winding roads of Fayette County, east of Eldorado, lead to a 130-acre area split by the Turkey River that could be a sneaky-good spot for hunting deer in a part of the state known for its deer hunting.
Counting turkeys

Counting turkeys

  • 7/23/2019 12:50:00 PM
  • View Count 3681
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for help with its annual turkey population estimates in July and August. 
Iowa’s youth turkey season begins April 5

Iowa’s youth turkey season begins April 5

  • 3/26/2019 1:20:00 PM
  • View Count 11276
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.
Olofson range to hold Learning to Hunt series on turkey hunting

Olofson range to hold Learning to Hunt series on turkey hunting

  • 1/15/2019 12:56:00 PM
  • View Count 3599
POLK CITY, Iowa - The Olofson shooting range in Polk City will be hosting a series on learning to hunt turkeys beginning Feb. 26. The four part series will be held from 6-9 p.m., on Tuesdays through March 19. There is a fee of $15 per session and participants can attend any number of sessions.
Help the DNR count turkeys this summer

Help the DNR count turkeys this summer

  • 7/3/2018 11:43:00 AM
  • View Count 5465
Hunters can help the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) with its annual population estimates by reporting all the turkeys seen in July and August.
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