Gearing Up For Spring Turkeys

Washburn's Outdoor Journal / April 6, 2025

Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.

Iowa’s spring turkey seasons are just around the corner. Hunters are counting the minutes as Iowa woodlands are already rocking with the staccato daybreak gobbling of the state’s most challenging gamebird. This year’s turkey fest kicks off with a special youth hunt beginning April 11. The first segment of the state’s four-part regular hunting seasons begins April 14, and the spring hunts end with the conclusion of the season’s final segment on May 18.

Although wild turkey flocks are nonmigratory, they are highly mobile. Wildlife biologists note that preseason scouting can lead to increased success once hunters take to the woodlands. During recent years, preseason scouting has gained even greater importance as Iowa turkey populations have shifted and, in some cases, have shown dramatic declines. But Iowa turkey populations remain widespread, and the state’s timbers continue to provide some of the nation’s finest turkey hunting.

During the 2024 spring seasons, a total of 54,500 turkey hunting tags were issued with hunters harvesting 16,051 birds – well above the national hunter success average and a notable increase over Iowa’s average harvest of 12,500 spring turkeys.

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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