Hunters are preparing to return to the hunting grounds in hopes of tagging turkeys.
The Fall 2025 season ended just a few short months ago, but hunters won’t have to wait long to get back into the wild to bag the birds.
A popular activity in Iowa, turkey hunting yielded more than 15,000 turkeys to be harvested by hunters and more than 50,000 tags sold by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
“Turkey hunting is an intimate experience, calling the birds close, making it go against instinct, using your experience and skills learned from time spent in the woods to try to trick that bird to coming to you,” said Jim Coffey, forest wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “And if everything goes right, only around 22-25 percent of our tags get filled. Even the most experienced turkey hunters make mistakes.”
Iowa DNR recently announced the dates for the spring hunting season for youth and adult hunters.
Here’s everything you need to know if you’re interested in turkey hunting this spring.
When can you hunt turkeys in Iowa?
Iowa DNR has designated four different seasons for turkey hunting.
During each of these seasons, hunters are allowed to use either a gun or a crossbow to hunt. However, Iowa DNR has also designated a portion of its spring turkey hunting season for archery-only hunting by state residents.
Hunters may begin hunting turkeys in each season one half-hour before sunrise. Hunters are not allowed to hunt turkeys after sunset.
When are Iowa turkey seasons in 2026?
Here’s a look at when each season starts:
The youth season for residents 15 and under is from April 10-12.
Do I need a license to hunt turkeys in Iowa?
Iowa DNR requires residents and non-residents to have a license in order to hunt turkeys within the state.
A resident hunting/habitat license is $35 and tags are $28.50. Residents may have a maximum of two spring turkey hunting licenses. Hunters may purchase two archery-only licenses, one archery-only and one combination gun/bow license, or two combination gun/bow licenses with one of those being a Season 4 license.
For nonresidents, the prices are higher. A nonresident hunting/habitat license is $144. Nonresident turkey tags cost $119.
In order to purchase a hunting license in Iowa, hunters must also be certified in hunter education. The course is free.
Licenses are not required for hunters under the age of 16 if accompanied by a licensed adult.
Emery Glover is an audience engagement specialist for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at eglover@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: When can you hunt turkeys in Iowa? See the 2026 spring season dates.
Reporting by Emery Glover, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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