Despite some challenging weather conditions, Iowa’s spring turkey season ended on a high note. Turkey hunters reported harvesting nearly 12,000 birds through the mandatory registration system. The season began on April 8 with the youth season and ended on May 15, and hunters purchased about 52,000 spring turkey tags. Jim Coffey and Forest Wildlife Biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says, “We see a great passion for the wild turkey resource here in Iowa, and hunters are always anxious to get into the woods and experience the thunder of the wild turkey gobble.” While the hunting season may be done, Iowans can help the DNR with its annual turkey production estimates by reporting all the turkeys seen during July and August. This survey is designed to predict the overall production of wild turkeys available for the 2023 season.
