Iowa Outdoorsman

The 2012 Iowa Turkey season has come and gone.  The warm Spring really got the birds going early.  I saw birds out strutting in the fields weeks before the first season.  With the exceptionally mild and favorable hunting conditions came many successful hunts, great stories, and lasting memories. 

One of the great things about hunting turkeys, is the variety of methods that hunters in Iowa can use to harvest their bird.  Here are some examples…

Scout the Roost: 

Zach Harryman pinpointed where to be and when for a quick opportunity at harvesting a turkey this year.

For those who have the time and access to quality land, scouting where birds roost is a great way to maximize your opportunity.  Zach Harryman of Lacona did just that.  He watched birds in a field in the days leading up to the first season.  He saw where the roosted, and where they were likely to go out of the roost.  Zach set up on the opening morning of 1st season and had a nice tom in his decoys within minutes of shooting time. 

I utilized the terrain to close the distance on a nice tom strutting in an open field.

 

Spot and Stalk:   

I utilized a slightly different technique than Zach.  My hunting time was limited due to a busy schedule, but that was not going to stop me from giving it a whirl.  I knew an area I could hunt had birds, but I didn’t have time to scout where they were roosting or hanging out during the day.  I attempted to set up on some distant gobbles after daylight, but I was unable to call them in.  With the clock ticking, I decided to go for a walk.  I caught a glimps of a bird in strut off in the distance.  He was in a mowed field and seemed impossible to get to.  I made a quick decision to utilize the terrain and try to close the distance.  I was able to get close and get my decoy set up  in the bird’s line of sight.  A different tactic with the same result.

A 24 pound turkey with an 11" beard is a true prize with a bow.

 Patience and Persistence: 

Al Thayer of Carlisle played a different game yet.  He was after gobblers with a bow.  This style presents a whole new set of challenges.  Hunting from a portable blind can limit your mobility, but Al will tell you not to let that deter you from picking up and moving when you have to. 

Al’s first set of the morning was proving unproductive, so he tried to move in on some distance gobbles.  He packed up his blind and closed the distance.  Before resetting, he gave a couple calls to see if he could get a response.  He did.  Al immediately had a visual on an interested bird, so he had to act fast to get his blind set.  Once he was tucked in, he had gobbles in front of him and behind him.  The challenge at this point is patience.  With a bow in had, you have to wait for just the right shot.  Al settled in and took his time and scored.