Turkey Seasons

[Blaster]

I hope it goes back to the 2 weekends I have 3 kids and this year we couldn't go opening weekends due to other obligations. I took my kids over 2 dozen times before they finally got all 3 tags filled and I also scouted my tail off for them. I didn't go hunting for myself until a few days before end of 4th season and I still ended up taking my son out the last weekend and getting him his bird.

Last year opening weekend of youth was 9° and 15° that weekend. The following weekend had major storms, I remember because each morning we took shelter in one of Skips barns.

I see both sides of this argument, but I'm going to stay on the side of the 2 weekends of youth season. It's just a stupid turkey after all, I love hunting them as much as the next guy but I'm not going to lose sleep if I have less time to hunt them.

Well said Muddy. As like you I did not even get out this year for myself until 4th season. I try to get the whole family a bird before I go out. I like the kids getting 2 weekends and I like the season going into mid May. If you want to hunt grouped up turkeys like the youth hunters Nebraska opens up in March and they have a ton of birds! I have hunted every season for turkeys in all types of weather! Every season has it's positives and negatives.

 

[Rjack]

I'll admit I was pretty upset when I first saw the layout for this year as we have been partaking in the Iowa youth turkey seasons for the past 8 years. This was our last year to play the youth season game in my family. IMO the youth turkey season is the greatest of any kind of youth seasons for introducing kids to hunting. By that I mean the kids were 1. Getting to hunt first and 2. getting to hunt when the hunting was good.(Think about youth duck and youth deer seasons(both terribly timed for kids) A lot of our hunts were public land hunts. We now have a good private piece that is kicking out toms for us. But before we were pretty limited to public land for the kids. For them to get first crack at public land was key. Some keep arguing you get 6 weekends.... to that I respond have you ever hunted public land on a weekend? There are some for real bozos walking around everywhere wrecking the woods at will on the weekends. Which limits you to that 1 mile+ walk and hope someone doesn't walk in on you.

I feel this sport is booming. The number of dead turkeys I saw on the internet this year was staggering. Last year I sat in on a hunters education class with my daughter. There were 40 some kids in that class and the instructor asked how many of you are going youth turkey hunting this spring. I bet all but 2 raised their hands. I have a hard time understanding why adults want to take days away from kids. Honestly, I will take to my grave these youth turkey hunts I've had with my kids. To watch them knock down a big old tom with a little 20 gauge trump my best hunts. The biggest handicap to getting kids in the woods is school and sports...you might think we can take kids whenever we want but more then likely they have plans the same day you want to hunt them. Which is why it's awesome that the tag is good throughout the seasons.

Now with that said this spring was super awesome turkey hunting wise from youth through 2nd season for us. So I'm not going to gripe to much. I think I've only killed 1 or 2 toms past May 5th anyhow as I almost always have that 2nd bird shot by then. I still advocate what's best for youth hunters is best for all of us though.

Just for some history on the youth season:
2005 - 2011: 3 day season, licenses do not carry over
2012-2013: 9 day season, licenses do not carry over
2014-2018: 9 day season, licenses do carry over
2019: 3 day season, licenses do carry over.

Those who started with youth 2014 and after, see this as a take-away, which it is. But, the 3 day with carry over option is still way better than the 3 day season my boys had from 2005 to 2011 with no carry over.

Regarding the sport booming, the numbers don't show it. The following is for Spring seasons. The number of youth tags purchased and total tags purchased decreased 2 consecutive years (2016 to 2017 and 2017 to 2018). I don't have access to 2019 purchased tags info.

The total harvest was also down those 2 years and is down again this year. 11,701 down to 11,387.

If you want the seasons changed, the best option is to attend the DNR meetings in February.

 

[Bowtech84]

I enjoy hunting them off of the roost. Its also easier to get away to hunt from 5-8 while the wife and kids are sleeping. I’ve taken youth for about 6 years now and haven’t had a problem getting them birds but I don’t hunt public. My kids aren’t old enough to hunt yet but I can’t imagine being upset that I couldn’t hunt because I was trying to get them one. I took an adult friend this year to kill one before I got mine and once I was tagged out I went with friends. I enjoy the whole experience and interaction of turkey hunting and honestly could care less who pulls the trigger as long as I’m out there. Kids these days are so involved in sports and other activities at such young ages that if you want to hunt you’re going to have to make time for it no matter when the season starts and ends. I’m all for giving the youngsters first chance but if they can’t make time for it then maybe it isn’t that important to them. Let little Johnny or sally skip a practice or a game or pull them from a morning of school if they want to hunt. 3 days of the woods to themselves plus all 4 seasons is more than enough time to get it done.


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[bigbuckhunter88]

It honestly doesnt effect me one way or the other and I'm all for getting youth involved, but Bowtech and Rjack nailed it in my opinion. Back in the day for Turkey and deer you got your youth season and that was that. 3 days for Turkey and 16 for deer. Now the tags carry over so I have a hard time feeling like they are getting the short end of the stick. They are super busy and have loads of activities to choose from, but that isnt something new in my opinion.

 

[Matthewfox_45]

Typical internet hunting forum response. I said nothing of the sort to not give kids the extra chance. I simply said, as other have stated. If youth is important to you, then take them hunting and get them a bird before you fill your tag. Pretty easy to understand. But yet again, we need more and more and more hand outs to make up for piss pore outdoorsman. Let the excuses fly, at the end of the day, it’s comes down to one thing. Whose more important. Your youth hunter or you filling a tag. If your youth hunter is more important it shouldn’t matter how many “extra” days you get. The season is 1.5 months long. Figure it out buddy

Please don’t make assumptions about me. You do not know anything about me or how good of an outdoorsman I am. And I’m not going well to list accomplishments to you. I never was looking for a handout and don’t know where you came up with that. On my sons 4 hunts on public ground this spring we walked nearly 10 miles, so don’t preach to me about handouts.