It’s the ideal time to get outside and enjoy the excitement of the search as the days become longer and warmer. Whether you’re an experienced hunter or a novice, Iowa’s wild turkey season gives you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put your abilities to the test, take in the scenery, and bring home a trophy bird. This page will review all the information you need about the dates, rules, and license requirements.
Iowa Turkey Season
The youth-only game, four separate gun/bow period that are shorter in length, and one lengthy archery-only season make up Iowa’s spring period, which starts in April. All hunt have a 30-minute window before dawn to an hour after dusk for shooting. The Iowa DNR must receive a harvest report from hunters who bag a bird. Iowa’s centre and east-central areas led the way in the state’s successful turkey production the previous year. In Iowa, there are thought to be between 110,000 and 120,000 wild turkeys.
| Season | Dates |
| Spring 2024 | |
| (Youth) | Apr 5 – 7 |
| 1st | Apr 8 – 11 |
| 2nd | Apr 12 – 16 |
| 3rd | Apr 17 – 23 |
| 4th | Apr 24 – May 12 |
| Apr 8 – May 12 | |
| (Archery-only) | |
| Fall | Oct 16 – Dec 1 |
| Oct 1 – Dec 1 | |
| Dec 18 – Jan 10 |
Note: Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.
Bag Limits
| Regulation | Description |
|---|---|
| Daily bag limit | One male wild turkey per day |
| Season possession limit | Maximum of one male wild turkey for the entire hunting season |
| Valid license and transportation tag | Required to be issued to the hunter |
| Qualification for taking a turkey | The turkey must have a visible beard in order to be legally taken |
Licenses
| Turkey Hunting Licenses | Cost | Point of Sale (POS) | Purchase Online | Online Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Turkey Tags | $28.50 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Resident Landowner / Tenant Turkey | $1.00 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Nonresident 5-day Hunting 18+ (not applicable to deer or turkey seasons) | $77.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nonresident 5-day Hunting/Habitat 18+ (not applicable to deer or turkey seasons) | $90.00 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nonresident Turkey Tags ( Pending Lottery Results) | $119.00 | No | Yes | No |
Tagging & Reporting
Iowa hunters get a Transportation Tag and a Harvest Report Tag. Must have the Transportation Tag visible within 15 minutes after being captured. Tags should indicate the kill date. Before transporting the corpse, secure the tag so it cannot be removed without destroying it. If the carcass is retrieved from a safety danger, it may be relocated before being tagged and transported, but only to the degree required.
Hunters must tag the kill and transport in spring. The corpse must be tagged until it is eaten. The DNR’s Harvest Reporting System is also required and successful hunters must report, or they risk punishment.
Nonresidents cannot hunt in fall. Spring hunting tagging and harvest reporting apply. Fall hunters who don’t kill a turkey don’t have to register their hunting activities.
Regulations
- For Resident Fall Turkey Licenses, Paid Combination Gun/Bow Licenses are only valid in the zone the hunter chose at the time of purchase. They are offered on a first-come, first-served basis until zone quotas are reached or the season ends. However, paid archery-only licenses are valid statewide without quotas and are sold until the season ends. Landowner-Tenant Gun/Bow and Archery-only Licenses are provided to qualifying landowners and tenants or their family members, with one license per family. Landowner-Tenant Gun/Bow Licenses are only valid in the season purchased and on the landowner or tenant’s agricultural unit.
- Residents may get two spring permits. They may receive two Archery-only licenses, one Archery-only and one Combination Gun/Bow Season 4 license, or two Combination Gun/Bow licenses, one of which must be Season 4. Hunters may also get a Landowner-Tenant License. A resident hunter may get two licenses—two Combination Guns/Bows, two Archery-only, or one of each—for fall. One Landowner-Tenant License is available to eligible hunters.
- Dogs can help hunters find, flush, and recover wild turkeys in the autumn.
- A resident archery-only license enables longbows, recurve bows, and compound bows but no explosive or chemical devices on the arrow or broadhead. Blunthead arrows must be 18 inches long and have a minimum 9/16-inch diameter. Crossbows are only authorized for physically challenged people who cannot shoot a bow. They may apply for DNR permission online or by calling 515-725-8200.
- A resident hunter with a Gun/Bow License may use archery equipment, including 28-, 20-, 16-, 12-, and 10-gauge shotguns or muzzleloading shotguns that fire shots no smaller than size 10, lead, or nontoxic. Turkey hunting is prohibited with muzzleloaders.
- Young participants in Iowa need a special license. This permit may be used across the state during the youth-specific timeframe or any other spring period provided all requirements are satisfied. Young hunters may hunt with an adult with spring permits. The adult supervisor should be near to the minor and not carry a gun or bow. Season 4 young participants may also get a firearm, bow, or archery license. Young hunters may get a youth license if they live with and are related to a landowner or renter.
- Live decoys, dogs (unless in the autumn), horses, phones, radios, motorized vehicles, aeroplanes, bait, recorded or electronically amplified turkey calls, or call imitations are prohibited while hunting. Hunters who are paralyzed from the waist down, have totally or partly lost both legs or have any other physical condition that prevents them from walking may get a non-ambulatory license and hunt from a motorized vehicle.
- “Bait” comprises grain, fruit, vegetables, nuts, hay, salt, mineral blocks, or any other natural food resources, commercial items containing such materials, or by-products of such materials delivered to or put in an area to attract animals. Agricultural food is not bait.
- Residents with spring turkey hunting licenses may aid other hunters in any season. A non-resident may only aid hunters in their licensing zone and season. The helping hunter must have a license and an unfilled transportation tag for that zone and season to carry a shotgun, bow, or shoot a turkey.
Note: You may review the complete regulations on the Iowa DNR website.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the spring Turkey hunting season in Iowa?
It includes four different seasons: a resident archery-only season and a residents-only turkey hunt. Season 1 runs from April 10 to April 13, and Season 2 from April 14 to April 18. Season 4 lasts only one day, on May 14, while Season 3 starts on April 19 and finishes on April 25. April 10 to May 14 is the only season for residents to practice archery. From April 7 to April 9, locals may go turkey hunting alone. Hunters should ensure they have the right license and adhere to all rules for the particular season.
What are the Iowa turkey hunting permit requirements and costs for residents and non-residents?
Residents of Iowa may buy permits from retailers or online, but nonresidents can only apply online for permission. While a nonresident permit costs $119.00, a resident permit costs $28.50. A general small game hunting license is also required, costing $22.00 for locals and $131.00 for nonresidents, and a $15.00 habitat stamp charge. Residents may buy up to two licenses during the fall, but nonresidents are not allowed to buy any. Residents may buy up to two licenses during the spring for $28.50 each, but nonresidents can only buy one ticket for $119.00.
What legal weapons and archery gear, including shot size and arrow tips, are permitted for hunting turkey in Iowa?
Hunting for wild turkeys is permitted in Iowa with.410, 28 gauge, 20 gauge, 16 gauge, 12 gauge, and 10 gauge shotguns or muzzleloaders, with shot sizes no lower than 10 through 4 lead or nontoxic. Rifles with muzzleloaders are prohibited. Longbows recurves, and compound bows are all acceptable forms of archery equipment as long as the arrows are at least 18 inches long and have broadheads or blunt heads with a minimum 9/16-inch diameter as their tip.
Can nonresidents purchase leftover limited quota licenses for hunting in Iowa?
If any remaining quota for hunting in Iowa has not been filled, nonresidents could be eligible to acquire any remaining limited quota permits. Until the quotas are full or the final day of the appropriate season, whichever comes first, these licenses are offered online or via the telephone ordering system.
