2018 Spring Turkey Opener – Extreme Weather!

Washburn's Outdoor Journal / April 17, 2018

Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.

Iowans are used to dealing with extreme weather. We take it in stride. But you have to admit that at 19-degrees, winds gusting to 26 mph, and several inches of bright snow on the ground, that the Opening Day of the 2018 Iowa turkey season was a bit out of the ordinary.

We really hated to miss an opener, so Matt and I decided to give a try in spite of the conditions. Settled into position an hour before sunrise and at daybreak was pleasantly pleased to hear some gobblin’ over the roaring wind. Later, we saw some birds pitch out of the swaying trees and eventually had a group of four jakes come to within six feet while beating up on my plastic version of themselves. We stayed until 10 o’clock and called it a morning. More rain and another 5 to 8-inches of snow is predicted for Wednesday. Guess I won’t put away the heavy boots just yet. This could be the year that the ice goes out of Clear Lake during the Fourth of July parade.

Iowa’s weather extremes cut in both directions, of course. Below is a photo of how things looked in northern Iowa on the April 16, 2012 Turkey Opener.

LW

April 16, 2018

About The Author

Lowell Washburn

Born in North Central Iowa, Lowell Washburn has enjoyed a lifelong interest in the out of doors. He began photographing wild birds at age 10, and outdoor photography soon became his passion and eventually a career. Washburn is best known for images that portray migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife in their natural habitats. His best photographs are often obtained after spending hours floating amid natural marshlands, half submerged within the dark confines of a floating muskrat house blind. Upon completing military service as a sergeant with the Fourth Infantry Division in the central highlands of South Vietnam, Washburn returned to Iowa in 1970. His wildlife photos began appearing in Iowa newspapers in 1971 and he began authoring outdoor news columns in 1978. Today, his photos and writing have appeared in over 50 national and international magazines including Outdoor Life, International Wildlife, Field&Stream, Ducks Unlimited, Pointing Dog Journal, the NAFA Journal, and others. After working as a naturalist for Iowa’s county conservation board system, Washburn was recruited by the Department of Natural Resources in 1984. His primary duties included statewide communication with Iowa newspaper, television, and radio news agencies with a primary goal of increasing the level of public awareness and appreciation for Iowa's natural resources. During his tenure he also served as staff member for the Iowa Conservationist Magazine and for the DNR’s Iowa Outdoors Magazine. Washburn retired from the DNR in 2010. In addition to wildlife photography, his ongoing outdoor passions include falconry, traditional bow hunting, waterfowling, spending time with hunting dogs of all types, and herpetology.

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