Outdoorsmen Adventures.com

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal

All measurements are taken in 1/16-inch increments and converted to decimal form. For conversion charts, go to the National Wild turkey Federation web page at: www.nwtf.org/for_hunters/how_to_score.html A current NWTF member or another licensed hunter from the state where the bird was harvested must verify all measurements.

Step 1: Weigh your bird in pounds and ounces and convert ounces to decimal form.

Step 2: Measure each spur. Spurs must be measured along the outside center, from the point at which the spur protrudes from the scaled leg skin to the tip of the spur. Add both spur measurements and multiply the combined length of the spurs by 10. This is the number of points you receive for the turkey’s spurs.

Step 3: Measure the beard length (a beard must be measured from the center point of the protrusion of the skin to the tip) and convert it to decimal form.

Next, multiply the beard length figure by 2; this is the number of points you receive for the beard length. If you have an atypical bird (multiple beards), measure each beard, convert them to a decimal number, then add those figures together and multiply by two. This is the number of points you receive for your turkey’s beards.

Step 4: Add together the weight, the points for spurs and points for beard(s): This is the score you receive for your turkey.

Listed below is the information on this years spring turkey season in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Iowa Spring Turkey

Youth Season: April 9-11

(IA residents only)

Combination Gun/Bow:

Season 1: Apr 12 – 15

Season 2: Apr 16 – 20

Season 3: Apr 21 – 27

Season 4: Apr 28 – May 16

Archery: Apr 12 – May 16

(IA residents only)

Shooting Hours Gun:

1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset

Bow:

1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset

Spring Bag Limit:

Daily bag and season possession limit is one bearded or male wild turkey for each valid license and transportation tag issued to the hunter.

Nebraska Spring Turkey

Shotgun Statewide: April 17-May 31; Licenses Unlimited

Archery Statewide: March 25-May 31; Licenses Unlimited.

Youth Archery: March 25-May 31.

Youth Shotgun: April 10-May 31.

Permits: A hunter may have as many as three spring permits

Shooting Hours: Thirty minutes before sunrise to sunset.

Bag Limit: One male or bearded female turkey per permit. It is illegal to shoot a turkey perched in a tree.

South Dakota Spring  Turkey

Season dates: April 10 – May 23 statewide. Note, there are other units with different seasons. See the South Dakota turkey hunting regulations for those exceptions.

Shooting Hours: One half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Bag: One wild turkey per tag, as designated on the tag.