Iowa's State Forest Gobblers

While the whole Hawkeye State provides some of the best turkey hunting in the nation, those looking to match wits with a public-land longbeard might set their sights on southern Iowa's Stephens State Forest.

Once You're There

Located in picturesque and gobbler-rich southern Iowa, the Stephens State Forest encompasses almost 15,000 acres, split among several separate forest units. The smallest, at only 440 acres, is the Reichelt Unit in Jasper County; this is the only section where hunting is not allowed. The remaining units--Unionville, Chariton, Cedar Creek, Whitebreast and Lucas--range from 1,192 acres to roughly 3,200 acres.

Some offer formal camping areas, fishing waters and other amenities such as equestrian trails. Others--the Unionville Unit, for instance--are relatively undeveloped, catering perhaps moreso to the turkey hunter in search of a wild Iowa experience.

At slightly more than 2,200 acres, the Unionville Unit is second only to Whitebreast in terms of size. Currently, the unit is divided into nine individual blocks or tracts, all of which sit roughly fifteen miles as the crow flies northeast of Centerville. The Unionville Unit includes no developed recreational facilities, making it a perfect choice for turkey hunters who like to get away from crowds.

"The Unionville Unit really is an underutilized area," said area forester Jeff Goerndt. "There's not an overabundance of hunters that use the area, so if you're looking to get off the beaten path, this is a good place to start.

"Most of the timber on the unit," he continued, "is a mix of oak and hickory. In terms of topography, we don't have a lot of steep slopes; primarily, the unit consists of rolling hills. It doesn't make for a lot of hard walking."

As for the birds themselves, it's hard to find a place in Iowa that doesn't support a good turkey population--and Unionville is no exception.

"We have a good turkey population here," said Goerndt. "And it's held steady for several years. According to state statistics, we're a bit behind overall on the state forest, but we haven't seen any significant decrease in population."

Access Options

• "There's an area that centers on the Appanoose/ Davis county line; we call it Compartments Six and Seven," said Goerndt. "The compartments are connected, and there's a large ridge that runs the entire section from one end to the other. There are a lot of birds there, and it's a good place to locate from if you haven't hunted there before. That's where I'd start."

• Camping is available at Lake Wapello State Park off Highway 273 in Davis County. A block of semilandlocked forestland lies due west between the county line and 331st Avenue in Appanoose County; approximate distance from the state park is three miles.

   

CONTACT

Iowa DNR: Wildlife Management, 502 E. 9th St., Des Moines, IA 50319; (515) 281-5918; www.iowadnr.gov

Area Forester/Stephens State Forest: 1111 North 8th St., Chariton, IA 50049; (641) 774-4559; www.iowadnr.gov