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Archive by tag: turkeyReturn

Paddling, hiking, hunting - even fishing a secluded trout stream - Turkey River Wildlife Area has a lot to offer

• 10/31/2024 1:43:00 PM
• View Count 2555

Four turkeys cautiously left the safety of the timber’s cover to wander into a small alfalfa field to hunt for insects at the aptly named Turkey River Wildlife Area.

Iowans encouraged to report wild turkey sightings in July and August

• 6/25/2024 11:46:00 AM
• View Count 2977

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.

2024 spring turkey season was one for the record books

• 5/14/2024 12:21:00 PM
• View Count 2597

The final segment of Iowa’s spring turkey hunting season closed Sunday, ending the spring season with a record harvest of 16,059 birds reported, surpassing the 2023 record harvest of 14,843.

Review safe hunting practices ahead of spring turkey season

• 3/26/2024 11:38:00 AM
• View Count 2681

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

• 3/26/2024 11:36:00 AM
• View Count 3434

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.

Learn to Hunt program opens registration for turkey hunting workshops

• 2/14/2024 6:46:00 AM
• View Count 2649

DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering two opportunities to learn skills needed to hunt, field dress and cook wild turkey to adults who have little to no wild turkey hunting experience.

Researchers looking for insight into wild turkey population decline

• 1/9/2024 3:29:00 PM
• View Count 6812

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

• 6/27/2023 4:36:00 PM
• View Count 2543

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

• 5/16/2023 1:47:00 PM
• View Count 3537

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.

Pattern your turkey gun before hitting the woods this spring

• 3/21/2023 11:38:00 AM
• View Count 2303

The Olofson Shooting Range is offering three turkey patterning nights at the range: April 6, 5-7 p.m. April 13, 5-7 p.m. April 20, 5-7 p.m.

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

• 3/21/2023 11:36:00 AM
• View Count 4809

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.

Learn to Hunt program opens registration for wild turkey workshop

• 2/14/2023 12:01:00 PM
• View Count 5972

DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a program to teach skills needed to hunt, field dress and cook wild turkey to adults who have little to no wild turkey hunting experience.

State Preserve Advisory Board tours Yellow River State Forest and Turkey River Mounds State Preserve

• 9/20/2022 11:55:00 AM
• View Count 3555

The State Preserve Advisory Board will tour Yellow River State Forest and Turkey River Mounds State Preserve to prepare for review of issues that will be discussed at an upcoming business meeting (to be determined and announced later).

Counting turkeys

• 8/2/2022 12:17:00 PM
• View Count 3750

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

• 7/5/2022 1:30:00 PM
• View Count 3989

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

• 5/31/2022 3:31:00 PM
• View Count 2841

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.

Turkey hunters reminded – new law allowing .410 becomes effective on July 1

• 4/1/2022 1:30:00 PM
• View Count 3708

The Iowa Legislature recently passed a law allowing .410s as a legal method of take to hunt wild turkeys. This new law will be effective beginning July 1, 2022, and DNR will develop rules to implement the new law.

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

• 3/22/2022 12:46:00 PM
• View Count 4897

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.

Learn to Hunt program opens registration for wild turkey virtual Q & A panel discussion

• 3/8/2022 1:45:00 PM
• View Count 1268

DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a virtual program to teach the introductory skills needed to hunt, field dress and cook wild turkey.

Learn to Hunt program opens registration for wild turkey workshop

• 2/22/2022 11:36:00 AM
• View Count 1653

DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a program to teach skills needed to hunt, field dress and cook wild turkey to adults who have little to no wild turkey hunting experience.

Counting turkeys

• 6/29/2021 1:34:00 PM
• View Count 1961

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

• 6/22/2021 8:00:00 AM
• View Count 1315

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

• 3/30/2021 12:54:00 PM
• View Count 2905

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.

Include safety as part of the spring turkey hunting preparation

• 3/23/2021 1:17:00 PM
• View Count 2131

Spring turkey hunting success and safety comes down to the same thing – proper planning.  

Iowa’s 2021 spring turkey season is a few weeks away – how will it measure up to 2020?

• 3/23/2021 1:15:00 PM
• View Count 14610

While matching 2020’s record breaking hunter participation and harvest is not likely to happen, Iowa’s 2021 spring turkey season will have plenty of opportunities for those ready to be back in the timber.

Learn to Hunt program opens registration for virtual turkey hunting courses

• 2/2/2021 1:25:00 PM
• View Count 6977

DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a two-part virtual turkey hunting course to individuals who have little to no turkey hunting experience or would like to further improve their current skills.

Hunting seasons begin closing soon

• 12/29/2020 11:35:00 AM
• View Count 2900

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.

A clearer outlook for Silver Creek thanks to local watershed improvement efforts

• 12/4/2020 8:42:00 AM
• View Count 2636

MONONA - Silver Creek, a warm water creek winding through Clayton County, had a muddy outlook until a community-led effort helped clear things up.

Counting turkeys

• 6/30/2020 2:32:00 PM
• View Count 2951

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

• 5/19/2020 1:25:00 PM
• View Count 5067

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

• 4/28/2020 3:18:00 PM
• View Count 6076

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.

Successful turkey hunters encouraged to provide a leg for disease surveillance

• 4/21/2020 12:44:00 PM
• View Count 5932

Hunters who bag a turkey this spring are encouraged to keep one of the lower legs to be tested for the presence of Lymphoproliferative Disease (LPDV).

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

• 3/24/2020 12:03:00 PM
• View Count 12613

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.

Include safety as part of the spring turkey hunting preparation

• 3/17/2020 12:15:00 PM
• View Count 2996

Spring turkey hunting success and safety comes down to the same thing – proper planning.  

Turkey legs needed for disease surveillance project

• 3/17/2020 12:14:00 PM
• View Count 7096

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.

Humbling and exhilarating, Iowa’s springtime turkey hunting seasons are only a few weeks away

• 3/17/2020 12:12:00 PM
• View Count 3017

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.

Hunting turkeys is the topic of upcoming Learn to Hunt workshop

• 3/3/2020 12:02:00 PM
• View Count 2776

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

• 3/2/2020 3:43:00 PM
• View Count 15931

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

• 11/26/2019 11:54:00 AM
• View Count 4994

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.

Successful turkey hunters encouraged to participate in disease monitoring study

• 9/24/2019 12:52:00 PM
• View Count 4040

Attention turkey hunters – the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for a few good turkey legs. Well, actually, any wild, lower turkey leg will do.

Counting turkeys

• 7/23/2019 12:50:00 PM
• View Count 4030

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for help with its annual turkey population estimates in July and August. 

Hunters harvested nearly 11,400 turkeys during 2019 spring season

• 5/21/2019 1:05:00 PM
• View Count 4358

Turkey hunters reported harvesting nearly 11,400 Iowa birds this spring through the mandatory registration system, which is about 300 birds fewer than were harvested in 2018.

Iowa’s youth turkey season begins April 5

• 3/26/2019 1:20:00 PM
• View Count 12614

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.

Humbling and exhilarating, Iowa’s springtime turkey hunting seasons are only a few weeks away

• 3/12/2019 1:02:00 PM
• View Count 9635

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.

Include safety as part of the spring turkey hunting preparation

• 3/12/2019 1:00:00 PM
• View Count 3396

Spring turkey hunting success and safety comes down to the same thing – proper planning.   

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