April 20 Iowa Turkey Hunting

Day 1 April 17

With my Minnesota tag filled the week prior, I was feeling confident going into opening day of the 1st Iowa turkey season.  I always enjoy coming back to Iowa to hunt turkeys.  Having the opportunity to hunt the same spots I grew up hunting is always special and this year was no different, anticipation was high.

I set up my blind at the corner of a small wood lot and a large picked bean field.  Again, I did not have much time to scout prior to the season but this is a consistent roosting area for the birds.  The turkey sign was tremendous when I was looking for shed antlers earlier the spring, and a neighboring farmer reported seeing numerous toms two weeks before the season.

The sun had just started to rise over the horizon when 3 toms sounded off by gobbling 100 yards to my north.  As the sun slowly crept higher I heard another gobble to the east echoed by another to my southwest.  I had gobbling in 3 different locations and I was set up in the middle.  I started some light calling and the birds immediately responded.  Just before official sunrise, the toms to my north flew down and headed slowly in my direction.  Before they could close the gap, a group of 8 hens pitched down from nearby trees and pulled the toms away from my location and over a slight rise in the bean field.  For the next 2 hours I watched an waited for the toms to leave the hens.  This never happened.

The hens and toms made there way to a neighboring thick creek bottom.  From my location I could see where the birds were at and due to a slight change in elevation I thought I might be able to put a stalk on the birds using the terrain and vegetation as cover.  For the next 2 hours I slowly crawled on my hands and knees trying to cut the distance between the toms and myself.  I ultimately got within 40 yards but could not get a clear shot through the thick brush I had been using for cover.

It was now 2 pm and the action had slowed. I left to check out another farm.  Immediately after I set up my Avian-X feeder decoy and started calling, I had 2 toms respond to my call.  I could tell by their gobbling that they were committed and coming in fast.  The birds were coming from over my right shoulder so I quickly tried to re-adjust my body positioning.  What happened next was a clean miss.  I misjudged the distance and rushed a shot.  I was not feeling as confident anymore.  Exhausted and dejected I headed home. I drove past the farm where I started the day and noticed 2 toms heading back into the thick creek bottom to roost for the night.

Day 2 April 18

19.4 lb. 10" beard 1" spurs

I left the blind in favor of a more mobile set up.  I wanted to get close to the roosting trees in the thick creek bottom thinking that I would have a chance at the toms that went in there from the night before.  I sat underneath a large oak tree with a lone hen decoy in front of me.  Immediately at first light, a hen flew down across the creek from the tree right next to me.  I could hear some gobbling in the distance, but it was relatively quiet compared to the previous day.  I started to call a little more aggressively with my Lynch's box call (I rely heavily on this call to reach distant birds especially in windy conditions) and called in a lone hen.  Three jakes then came in sprinting across the field to check out my calling and the lone hen. The jakes were very skittish and hesitant to come closer to my decoy and all of a sudden they went on full alert and sprinted across the field and across the gravel road.  Behind the jakes were 2 toms walking quickly in my direction.  As the toms came closer the wind started to pick up slightly and started to spin my decoy.  The first tom became alarmed and headed for the cover of the creek bottom.  The second tom wasn't as alert allowing me time to make a quick shot.  The #5 shot found its mark on the thick-bearded 2 year old gobbler and I was tagged out for the season!
-KK