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Spring turkey season begins April 9

Iowa’s premier spring hunting season is quickly approaching and hunters will be pursuing the elusive Eastern wild turkey. Elusive maybe an understatement; of the estimated 50,000 turkey licenses that will be purchased, only about 20 percent of hunters will find success.

Iowa’s spring season begins April 9 with an Iowa youth only hunting season that covers two weekends and allows hunters younger than 16 when they buy the turkey license to participate. The reason for the season is to concentrate on the development of future hunters. They must hunt one on one with a mentor age 18 or older at all times and the mentor must have a valid turkey hunting license for one of the spring seasons. No more than one youth for each licensed adult mentor and the mentor may not carry a bow or firearm. An unfilled youth license may be used in any other spring season. The youth season ends April 17.

The first of Iowa’s four regular spring turkey seasons is April 18-21, second season is April 22-26, third season is April 27-May 3 and the fourth season is May 4-22. An archery only license is good from April 18-May 22.

Hunters may purchase two spring turkey licenses one of which must be for Season 4. With the exception of the landowner/tenant turkey hunting license, resident spring turkey licenses are valid statewide. Hunters participating in the youth only season may also purchase a Season 4 license.

“Turkey’s have home field advantage,” said Jim Coffey, forest wildlife technician for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “We are going to his turf and trying to get him to act in a way that goes against nature. It’s a challenge.”

In the timber, hens will answer the male turkey’s call when she is ready to breed. Turkey hunters will try to replicate hen calls to gain the attention of the Tom, and then frustrate him enough that he will come to the hunter.

The good news for hunters is that there will be a large number of two year old gobblers to call this spring thanks to a successful hatch in 2014. Those two year old birds will likely be anxious to show off their moxie as they try to establish themselves as the dominant Tom for the flock. “Those birds will be wide spread in groups of two to five and likely respond to calls well, competing to see which bird can get to the “hen” first, which is good news for hunters,” Coffey said.

The early spring thaw has jump started turkey activity and spring green up that is changing the timber quickly. “Normally over the course of the four seasons, the timber will change from bare branches to full leaf out but this year, winter loosened her grip early and having an early leaf out can make the conditions change quickly, shrinking the distance that you can see in the timber,” Coffey said.

Iowa law requires all hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972 to satisfactorily complete a hunter education course in order to purchase a small game hunting license. Youth as young as 11 may enroll in the course, but their certificate of completion will not become valid until their 12th birthday. A youth under the age of 16 is not required to have completed hunter education in order to participate in the youth turkey season.

Hunters who do need to satisfy the hunter education requirement can search for and sign up for a course at www.iowadnr.gov/huntered. Classes are generally posted at this website 30 days before the class starts. The next class available in the Tama/Toledo area is at the Marshalltown Izaak Walton League on May 19 and 21. Check the website for classes available in your area.

There is an online hunter education course for adults which is designed for Iowa residents 18 years of age or older that have prior hunting and/or firearms handling experience. The adult course covers the same material as the classroom course, allowing the student to complete the entire course, including the final test, in an online setting. Certification is received at the successful completion of the online course.

Good luck during the upcoming spring turkey hunting season and do not procrastinate if you need to take a hunter education class in order to participate.

Spring turkey season begins April 9

Iowa’s premier spring hunting season is quickly approaching and hunters will be pursuing the elusive Eastern wild turkey. Elusive maybe an understatement; of the estimated 50,000 turkey licenses that will be purchased, only about 20 percent of hunters will find success.

Iowa’s spring season begins April 9 with an Iowa youth only hunting season that covers two weekends and allows hunters younger than 16 when they buy the turkey license to participate. The reason for the season is to concentrate on the development of future hunters. They must hunt one on one with a mentor age 18 or older at all times and the mentor must have a valid turkey hunting license for one of the spring seasons. No more than one youth for each licensed adult mentor and the mentor may not carry a bow or firearm. An unfilled youth license may be used in any other spring season. The youth season ends April 17.

The first of Iowa’s four regular spring turkey seasons is April 18-21, second season is April 22-26, third season is April 27-May 3 and the fourth season is May 4-22. An archery only license is good from April 18-May 22.

Hunters may purchase two spring turkey licenses one of which must be for Season 4. With the exception of the landowner/tenant turkey hunting license, resident spring turkey licenses are valid statewide. Hunters participating in the youth only season may also purchase a Season 4 license.

“Turkey’s have home field advantage,” said Jim Coffey, forest wildlife technician for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “We are going to his turf and trying to get him to act in a way that goes against nature. It’s a challenge.”

In the timber, hens will answer the male turkey’s call when she is ready to breed. Turkey hunters will try to replicate hen calls to gain the attention of the Tom, and then frustrate him enough that he will come to the hunter.

The good news for hunters is that there will be a large number of two year old gobblers to call this spring thanks to a successful hatch in 2014. Those two year old birds will likely be anxious to show off their moxie as they try to establish themselves as the dominant Tom for the flock. “Those birds will be wide spread in groups of two to five and likely respond to calls well, competing to see which bird can get to the “hen” first, which is good news for hunters,” Coffey said.

The early spring thaw has jump started turkey activity and spring green up that is changing the timber quickly. “Normally over the course of the four seasons, the timber will change from bare branches to full leaf out but this year, winter loosened her grip early and having an early leaf out can make the conditions change quickly, shrinking the distance that you can see in the timber,” Coffey said.

Iowa law requires all hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972 to satisfactorily complete a hunter education course in order to purchase a small game hunting license. Youth as young as 11 may enroll in the course, but their certificate of completion will not become valid until their 12th birthday. A youth under the age of 16 is not required to have completed hunter education in order to participate in the youth turkey season.

Hunters who do need to satisfy the hunter education requirement can search for and sign up for a course at www.iowadnr.gov/huntered. Classes are generally posted at this website 30 days before the class starts. The next class available in the Tama/Toledo area is at the Marshalltown Izaak Walton League on May 19 and 21. Check the website for classes available in your area.

There is an online hunter education course for adults which is designed for Iowa residents 18 years of age or older that have prior hunting and/or firearms handling experience. The adult course covers the same material as the classroom course, allowing the student to complete the entire course, including the final test, in an online setting. Certification is received at the successful completion of the online course.

Good luck during the upcoming spring turkey hunting season and do not procrastinate if you need to take a hunter education class in order to participate.