DES MOINES - Wet spring weather decreased young turkey survivability, but hunters should still find a good number of birds as combination gun/bow season starts this weekend.

The combination gun/bow fall turkey season started Oct. 11 and runs through Nov. 30. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset and the bag limit is one turkey of either sex per license.

“Despite a slight drop in production, wild turkey populations remain strong throughout most of the state,” said Dale Garner, DNR forest wildlife research biologist.

“Iowa’s 1999 summer wild turkey brood survey showed turkey production to be similar to last year,” said Garner.

“Although both the average number of poults per hen and the number of turkeys per flock decreased slightly over 1998 statewide estimates, the percentage of hens with brood increased slightly. Overall, 1999 values were relatively unchanged when compared to the statewide average for the past five years.”

Poor weather conditions during nesting contributed to lower production this past spring, explained Garner.

“Although more than 50 percent of hens were observed with brood, survival of young was poor as evidenced by the low numbers of poults per hen in some areas.”

Although regional data is highly variable, according to the summer brood survey, the northwest portion of Iowa had higher productivity than the remainder of the state. Northeast and north-central Iowa had the poorest production in the state.

A portion of northwest Iowa, north of U.S. Highway 20 and west of U.S. Highway 69, is closed to fall turkey hunting.

This weekend also marks the beginning of gray partridge season. Statewide numbers of gray partridge declined much more significantly (52 percent) than turkeys in 1999.

“Gray partridge are even less successful at nesting than other upland birds during wet springs,” according the Todd Bogenschutz, DNR upland wildlife research biologist.

According to the DNR August Roadside Survey, above normal rainfall over most of the state last spring and summer led to poor nest success, especially in the northern regions.

While numbers of gray partridge in west-central and east-central Iowa also declined, the numbers were much less significant than those in the north. Counts in central and southeast Iowa showed slight increases in partridge numbers.

Gray partridge seasons runs from Oct. 9 - Jan. 31, 2000 and shooting hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Dale Garner, DNR forest wildlife research biologist at 515/774-2958 or Todd Bogenschutz, DNR upland wildlife research biologist at 515/432-2823.