DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering workshops around the state to teach the skills needed to hunt, field dress and cook wild turkey to participants who have little to no wild turkey hunting experience. The workshops will be offered in Council Bluffs, Indianola, Massena, Marble Rock, Sioux City, Solon and Vinton from mid-March through early April. Workshops are designed using hands-on techniques to teach basic wild turkey hunting strategies, such as proper equipment, where to hunt, safe shooting practices, and how to field dress, butcher and cook the bird.

“For those interested in the challenge of wild turkey hunting as a means of sourcing their own protein, this program provides the opportunity to learn the skills and knowledge it takes to do it all yourself,” said Jamie Cook, Hunter Education coordinator with the Iowa DNR. For information on cost, workshop time and location, and to begin the registration process, go to https://servicedesk.gooutdoorsiowa.com/EventManager/EventsHome.aspx

Early registration is encouraged as space is limited. Programs are provided through a partnership with the Iowa DNR, the Iowa Hunter Education Instructor Association, the National Wild Turkey Federation and other local partners. It is part of a national effort to recruit, retain and reactivate hunters due to the overall decline in hunting and outdoor recreation.