Fall turkey season is approaching, but Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Jeremy King doesn’t expect to see many out for the birds this time of year.

King says that many hunters prefer the spring season for turkey hunting, because the birds interact and move around more, which can make the hunt more exciting. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that while there are a few that are only out for the turkeys this time of year, many of the tags purchased are for incase a hunter sees a bird while hunting deer.

“So in the fall, typically I don’t see a lot of hunters out there actively pursuing turkeys. But it is something that people do buy tags for. And just like in the spring, you have to have a tag in addition to your hunting and habitat license if you’re not on your own property. And there are ways, and I would encourage people to reach out maybe to some internet sites like YouTube and stuff, you can get interactive with fall turkey hunting.”

King mentions that one way to get interactive with the birds is to come up on their flock and spook them, causing them to fly or run away, then use a call named the “kee-kee run,” which helps bring the birds back to that nesting area they were hiding in. He explains that for those that do choose to hunt turkeys during the fall season, whether it be on purpose or by chance, the option for which birds can be harvested is more diverse, because hens can be shot as well as the toms, as they aren’t sitting on a nest or trying to raise chicks during this part of the year.