From the Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Coming off record harvests in 2020 and again in 2023, Iowa’s spring turkey hunters could be living in the “good ol’ days.” And with three straight years of good hatches across much of the state, roughly 35,000 hunters are ready to hit the woods.

“Two-year-old birds drive the population, do lots of the gobbling and tend to move more than the older toms, which is what hunters like,” said Jim Coffey, forest wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “Hunters like to hear a lot of birds and not see other hunters.”

Iowa’s spring turkey hunt is spread among four seasons, allowing hunters to have a unique experience. Season one is April 8-11; season two is April 12-16; season three is April 17-23; and season four is April 24 – May 12. Hunters may purchase up to two tags with at least one being in season four.

“It looks we will have an early leaf-out this spring, which will get the birds disbursed to their breeding areas soon, so it will be a good opportunity to do some scouting,” he said.

Last spring, hunters reported a record harvest of nearly 14,850 turkeys, with birds harvested in all 99 counties.

“We have seen good production in the north central part of the state, which isn’t an area that most people think of when it comes to turkey hunting,” Coffey said. “The Loess Hills, northeast and southeast Iowa are more traditional turkey spots and also have good populations. We have documented good production in southeast Iowa, which is nice to see as the population in that area had been down in recent years.”

Iowa has become a bucket list turkey hunting state for many nonresidents who apply for an opportunity at a large Midwestern bird. Applications are taken in January for a limited number of tags based on four seasons and five zones.

“We want to provide non-resident hunters an opportunity to explore our state and see what Iowa has to offer, knowing there are many Iowans that enjoying traveling to new states to hunt as well,” he said.

Nonresident hunting is limited to 2,148 tags annually.

Youth-only season is April 5-7

Youth turkey season is designed to provide a strong mentoring experience for the youth hunter. It is restricted to Iowa residents only.

“Turkey hunting is an intimate sport and mentoring is a way to learn from other’s mistakes,” Coffey said. “With only about one-in-five hunters tagging a turkey, failure is part of the process. A successful hunt should be gauged on the adventure and experience of being in the woods not placing a tag on a bird.”

Youth tags are sold through the end of youth season on April 7. Youth tags are valid for youth season and each of the four regular seasons until filled or when the season four closes on May 12.

Licenses are not sold after the youth season closes. Youth tags have been steadily increasing, with nearly 6,200 sold last year.

Report your harvest

Successful hunters are required to report their harvest by midnight of the day after it is recovered through the Go Outdoors Iowa app, by going online at www.iowadnr.gov, calling the toll free phone number printed on the tag, at any license vendor during regular business hours, by texting your registration number to 1-800-771-4692.

Special to the Times Vedette

The City of Stuart Economic Development, in collaboration with Midwest Partnership and America’s SBDC Iowa’s North Central and South Central Small Business Development Centers, will host the “EmpowerHer Summit” on April 24. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the program runs from 6-8 p.m. This one-day event, held at the Saints Center at 320 N. Fremont St. in Stuart, is designed “to inspire, connect and empower women entrepreneurs across the state.”

The summit kicks off with a keynote address and panel discussion led by Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The panel discussion will showcase local success stories of women entrepreneurs, offering insights in hopes to foster a sense of community.

Attendees will learn about Iowa resources available to entrepreneurs and discover programs and funding opportunities specifically designed to support women entrepreneurs. Attendees will also connect with fellow women entrepreneurs, fostering collaboration and growth.

RSVP by April 19, 2024 at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSa7Hxr-14hT_iuBczIeHzdw0tX2MiKo0xhq3RRPHp3Epb1A/viewform. 

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors regular meeting on March 26, The supervisors agreed to send request for proposals (RFP) regarding the county’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

Lauren Mortensen from Region XII addressed the supervisors by going through an update of the county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.

County Attorney Dana Minteer discussed with the supervisors her request to implement additional salary increases for her staff.

Supervisor Mike Dickson stated his disagreement with additional raises.

“The board gave what they gave, and that’s where I’m at,” said Dickson.

Supervisor Steve Smith shared his opinion that if salaries are not kept competitive, it will cost the county more due to turnover.

After lengthy discussion, the supervisors voted unanimously to approve the additional 2% as requested by Minteer.

The next regular meeting of the board will be Tuesday, April 2. The public is welcome. Attendees may participate in person or by calling 323-792-6123 and inputting conference ID 547029216#.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the regular meeting of the Guthrie Center City Council on March 25, discussion was held about “eyesore structures” in the city. Council members noted that many such structures in the city are in disrepair and/or are constructed using substandard materials.

The council discussed an Accessory Building permit request for 607 N. 4^th St. The council noted that the request is after-the-fact, since the building is already built and in use.

“Absolutely there are things there that need corrected,” said Councilmember Garold Thomas.

Thomas said for him, it’s an easy decision, since the request is to be submitted before any buildings go up. The council voted unanimously to deny the request.

City clerk Kris Arrasmith reminded the public of the upcoming opportunity to ask about the tax levy.

“Overall, assessed value of property in Guthrie County went up, period. And if your property is worth more, you pay more in taxes, plain and simple,” said Arrasmith. “Our levy rate actually went down.”

The council’s next regular meeting will be Monday, April 8. On that evening, a public hearing on the tax levy will be at 6:15 p.m. The regular council meeting will follow at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome.