NONRESIDENT SPRING TURKEY HUNTING
License Quotas: Combination Gun/Bow
(Number in parenthesis is number of applications received in 2023)
DATES ZONE 4 ZONE 5 ZONE 6 ZONE 7 ZONE 8
Season 1 April 8-11 262 (206) 55 (36) 165 (57) 35 (2) 20 (18)
Season 2 April 12-16 262 (382) 55 (56) 165 (85) 35 (20) 20 (32)
Season 3 April 17-23 262 (347) 55 (76) 165 (63) 35 (11) 20 (23)
Season 4 April 24-May 12 262 (530) 55 (80) 165 (202) 35 (21) 20 (42)
Muzzleloading Shotgun-only licenses: 150 statewide (31)
NONRESIDENT LICENSE TYPES
Nonresidents may obtain one Spring Turkey
License. Two types of licenses are issued:
Combination Gun/Bow Licenses are issued
by zone and season and are valid only in the
zone and season selected by the hunter at the
time of purchase. A maximum of 2,148 licenses
are available for 2024. Licenses are issued by
a random drawing from a pool of applicants for
each zone and season. Shotguns, muzzleload-
ing shotguns, and bows may be used.
Muzzleloading Shotgun-only Licenses are
issued by zone and season from a statewide
pool of 150 licenses. Hunters may select any
zone and season, but must hunt only in that
zone and season. Only muzzleloading shotguns
may be used.
HOW TO PURCHASE NONRESIDENT
LICENSES
Applications may be made 24 hours a day, 7
days a week from Jan. 1 to the last Sunday
in January. Nonresident Spring Turkey hunting
licenses must be applied for through the DNR’s
web-based license sales system at
gooutdoorsiowa.com and click on “Nonresident
Deer and Turkey Tags” and follow the prompts. A
nonrefundable application fee based on the total
cost of the licenses will be added to all orders
and provided at the time of application. The ap-
plication and license fees may be charged to a
MasterCard, Visa or Discover.
If applications are sold in excess of the license
quota for any zone and season, a drawing will
be held to determine which applicants receive
licenses. Licenses or license fee refunds will be
returned to unsuccessful applicants 6 to 8 weeks
after the drawing is complete. License agent
writing fees, department administrative fees, and
Internet and telephone application fees will not
be refunded.
If any quotas have not lled, the excess li-
censes will only be sold online beginning 6 a.m.
Feb. 10, 2024, until the quotas are lled or the
last day of the respective season, whichever
comes rst. Hunters will be emailed regarding
their draw status prior to the excess sale on Feb.
8. Please do not call the DNR. Your drawing sta-
tus will not be provided over the phone.
Sioux City
Waterloo
Ft. Dodge
Des Moines
Iowa City
6
8
7
5
4
4
2
0
80
63
63
80
59
2
0
59
Applications accepted
Jan. 1-28, 2024
SPRING TURKEY ZONES
NONRESIDENT HUNTING
Spring Turkey .........................................$119.00
Hunting 18 years & older ........................$131.00
*Hunting 16-17 years old ..........................$32.00
Habitat Fee ...............................................$15.00
Hunting & Habitat Fee Combo
18 & Older ..............................................$144.00
*Nonresidents under age 16 who hunt under the
direct supervision of their properly licensed parent,
guardian or other competent adult do not need a
hunting license or pay the habitat fee.
Nonresident hunting licenses for 2024 are on sale Jan.
1, 2024. 2024 nonresident licenses expire Jan. 10, 2025.
INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP APPLICATIONS
Hunters may apply individually or as a group
of up to 15 applicants, with one member identi-
ed as the group leader. Members of a group
must apply separately. The group leader must
apply rst and state that he/she is the group
leader and obtain a group number. Then each
member of the group must submit the group
number when applying. If there is a drawing,
all members of the group will be assigned
the preference point(s) of the member with
the fewest points. All members of a group will
be accepted or rejected together in the draw-
ing. Members of a group that are rejected may
purchase excess licenses individually if any are
available.
PREFERENCE POINTS
If you are unsuccessful in the drawing, you
will be assigned one preference point at a cost
of $60.50. An additional preference point will be
assigned each year you apply but are denied
a license. Preference points will not accrue in
a year in which you fail to apply, but you will
retain all preference points earned in previous
years. Once you receive a Spring Turkey Hunt-
ing License, either through the drawing or by
purchasing an excess license, your preference
points will be removed. Preference points may
be used in any zone or season. The rst license
drawing each year will be made from the pool of
applicants with the most preference points and
continue to pools with successively fewer points.
HUNTER EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Nonresident hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972,
must provide proof of having successfully com-
pleted a hunter education course to apply for or
obtain a turkey hunting license. Applicants will
not be accepted without proof of completion.
Hunters required to have hunter education certi-
cation and who have not previously bought an
Iowa license may be required to either email
([email protected]) or call
(833-759-9797) in a copy of their hunter educa-
tion certication card or letter to the Go Outdoors
Iowa service desk.
HUNTING REGULATIONS THAT APPLY
TO ALL TURKEY HUNTERS (p. 14)
General hunting regulations that apply to all
hunters are found in the Iowa Hunting and
Trapping Regulations booklet available on-
line and where licenses are sold. Regulations
include denitions for legal method of take,
tagging requirements and harvest reporting
and more that turkey hunters must follow. Page
numbers are included for quick reference.
SHOOTING HOURS
Gun/Bow: 1/2 hour before sunrise to sun-
set.
LEGAL METHOD OF TAKE
Archery equipment as dened on p. 47,
and .410, and 28-gauge shotguns shooting
shot sizes no smaller than 10 shot. 20-, 16-,
12- and 10-gauge or muzzleloading shotguns
shooting shot size 10 through 4, lead or non-
toxic. Muzzleloading ries may not be used
to hunt turkeys.
Nonresident Muzzleloading Shotgun-only
License: Muzzleloading shotguns shooting
number 4 through 10 lead or nontoxic shot.
Hunters may not have shot sizes other than
those listed above on their person while hunt-
ing turkeys. Muzzleloading ries may not be
used to hunt turkeys.
TAGGING REQUIREMENTS
The leg that bears the tag must be attached
to the carcass of any wild turkey being trans-
ported within the state during any wild turkey
hunting season.
(p. 43)
HARVEST REPORTING
All hunters who shoot a turkey must report
the harvest through the DNR’s Harvest Re-
porting System. Hunters who do not shoot a
turkey do not report. (p. 43)
DAILY BAG AND SEASON POSSESSION
LIMIT
One bearded or male wild turkey per license
and unlled transportation tag issued to the
hunter.
PROHIBITED DEVICES AND ACTIVITIES
You may not use live decoys, dogs, horses,
radios, motorized vehicles, aircraft, bait, recorded
or electronically amplied turkey calls or electroni-
cally amplied imitations of turkey calls or sounds
when hunting turkeys. Paraplegics and single- or
double-leg amputees may hunt from any station-
ary motor-driven conveyance. “Paraplegic” means
an individual aicted with paralysis of the lower
half of the body with the involvement of both legs,
usually due to disease or injury to the spinal cord.
“Bait” means grain, fruit, vegetables, nuts,
hay, salt, mineral blocks, or any other natural food
materials, commercial products containing natural
food materials, or by-products of such materials
transported to or placed in an area for the pur-
pose of attracting wildlife. Bait does not include
food placed during normal agricultural activities.
HELPING OTHER HUNTERS
A nonresident may assist other hunters only
in the zone and season indicated on their license.
The hunter doing the assisting may not carry a
shotgun or bow or shoot a turkey unless he or
she has a valid license and an unlled transporta-
tion tag for that zone and season.
www.iowadnr.gov
BE COURTEOUS. BE RESPECTFUL. BE SAFE.
Help keep hunting a great Iowa tradition by
respecting private landowners and their property.
