Iowa pheasant harvest dips to about 221,000
An early look at the 2018 pheasant forecast begins with nesting success, which is likely a mixed bag.
Iowa DNR
Iowa hunters harvest 11,700 spring turkeys, down 100 from last year
(Photo by Bob Drieslein)Turkey hunters reported harvesting 11,700 Iowa birds this spring, which is 100 birds fewer than were harvested in 2017. Iowa’s spring turkey seasons began April 7 with the youth season and ended on May 20. Hunters purchased nearly 50,000 spring turkey tags. Hunters can help the DNR with its annual population estimates by reporting all turkeys seen…
Iowa Monarch Conservation Strategy: upward of nearly a million acres for monarch habitat by 2038
(Iowa DNR)The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium has set a goal of acres devoted to monarch butterfly habitat in the state by 2038. “The consortium has worked collaboratively with diverse stakeholders to develop a comprehensive plan to expand habitat on our agricultural land, urban areas, roadsides, and other public land. We appreciate the many partners that have been involved and are…
Thousands of fish dead after winter kill in three eastern Iowa lakes
Bluegills, a favorite among ice anglers, were among the dead fish at Terry Trueblood Lake – about 1,000 bluegills were winter-kill victims at the lake.SOLON, Iowa — The Iowa DNR received reports of dead fish in Terry Trueblood Lake in Iowa City, and Mohawk Park Lake and Cedar Lake in Cedar Rapids, on Feb. 27. DNR fisheries staff found about…
Arizona man found guilty of deer poaching in Iowa
Nicholas Slater of Glendale, Ariz., was found guilty following a trial on Feb. 12, 2018 for charges related to poaching a whitetail deer. The poaching incident occurred at Lake Manawa State Park in Council Bluffs on Nov. 19, 2016. Slater was found guilty on seven charges, including hunting on a game refuge, not having a valid nonresident hunting license and…
In Iowa, CWD confirmed for first time outside of northeastern part of state
The hunter-harvested adult doe was taken in southeast Wayne County during the first shotgun deer season. There have been seven additional CWD positive tests so far from deer in northeast Iowa from 2017.
Iowa deer collection, CWD effort: ‘We want the tradition of hunting to continue’
Deer collection underway to sample for CWD in Allamakee, Clayton counties.
Iowa sees deer harvest grow
(Photo by Bill Diers)Hunters reported harvesting 105,544 deer in Iowa for 2017, which is an increase of more than 4,100 deer from 2016, the Iowa DNR said in a news release Tuesday, Jan. 16. Iowa’s deer seasons closed on Jan. 10. Most deer were harvested during the shotgun seasons. Shotgun 1: 26,546 deer – 13,804 antlerless, 12,742 antlered. Shotgun 2:…
Iowa winter stocking effort puts trout in fisheries that wouldn’t support them during warmer months
(Iowa DNR)Starting Jan. 13, the Iowa DNR will release trout in seven locations this winter in areas that would not support them during warmer months, the DNR said in a news release. The popular winter urban trout stocking program is supported by the sales of the trout fee. Anglers need a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for…
Iowa deer harvest stable; attention set to turn to popular coyote hunt
The 2017 Iowa deer harvest is running less than 1 percent ahead of the 2016 totals, according to a news release by the Iowa DNR. So far this fall, 76,204 deer have been reported, compared to 75,909 for the same period last year. Iowa’s second shotgun season ends Dec. 17. Iowa’s deer seasons conclude with the late muzzleloader season and…
Lab tests indicate massive Iowa fish kill caused by dairy runoff
DYERSVILLE – The Iowa DNR received laboratory results last week confirming that ammonia toxicity in runoff from a dairy was responsible for an October fish kill in Dubuque County. The DNR fisheries report shows 60,278 fish were killed along nearly seven miles of stream, including an unnamed tributary of Hickory Creek, Hickory Creek and Hewitt Creek. More than 42,000 were…
Iowa DNR: Despite down market, furbearer opportunities looking up
(Iowa DNR)Iowa’s furbearer season opens Nov. 4, and the outlook for 2017 is good as populations are stable to increasing statewide, according to a news release Tuesday, Oct. 31 from the Iowa DNR. Vince Evelsizer, furbearer biologist for the DNR, said that while prospects for a good season are there, the number of participants usually follows the fur market. “When…
Hunters, wildlife share Iowa’s Lake Odessa lifestyle
The water level at Lake Odessa is managed to mirror Mother Nature. Summer drawdowns expose mudflats that immediately vegetate with moist-soil plants. Water is allowed to gradually return to the newly established vegetation, creating a buffet for migrating birds. (Photo courtesy of the Iowa DNR)Sitting along the west bank of the Mississippi River in Louisa County, Lake Odessa, with its…
Zebra mussels found in Iowa’s Big Spirit Lake
The first zebra mussels in the Iowa Great Lake chain were discovered in the fall of 2012 and have increased in numbers since.
Gizzard shad found in northern Iowa’s East Okoboji Lake
SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa — The Iowa DNR reported that it discovered 26 3- to 5-inch gizzard shad in East Okoboji Lake as part of routine sampling last month. “We don’t know how gizzard shad got into the lake,” said Mike Hawkins, fisheries biologist for the Iowa DNR at Spirit Lake. “It is possible that someone intentionally put them in the lake.”…
Tieville Bend Wildlife Area: western Iowa’s secret hunting hot spot
Tieville Bend has a high level of plant diversity, including wild licorice. (Photo courtesy of the Iowa DNR) The parking lot of the Super 8 at Interstate 29 and Highway 175 fills each fall with trucks pulling boats covered with duck blinds. For hunters, the bread and butter at Tieville Bend is the fall duck migration and if you want…
Southern Iowa seeing barn owl nesting boom
State wildlife experts are crediting a series of mild winters and an abundance of meadow vole prey in grasslands.
Former flood prone farmland now popular wildlife area
Water is being added to a 25-acre wetland complex on the Buffalo Creek Wildlife Area ahead of the duck season. The wetland has a nicely developing crop of smartweed, which is favored by ducks. Hunters like it, too, for cover. (Photo courtesy of the Iowa DNR) COGGON, Iowa — Word is starting to spread through hunting circles in east central…
Mixed signals heading into Iowa pheasant season
But state wildlife biologist says he expects almost a repeat of 2016 pheasant season, where hunters harvested about 250,000 roosters.
DNR: Outlook good for Iowa squirrel hunters
(Photo courtesy of the Iowa DNR)Squirrel hunters should expect to find an average to above average squirrel population over most of the state, with higher squirrel numbers in areas with quality oak and hickory trees, according to the Iowa DNR. Squirrel season opens Sept. 2. Fox squirrels can be found anywhere there are a few acres of trees, but gray…
Mount Ayr Wildlife Area: Iowa’s outdoor playground – and hunting haven
Mount Ayr Wildlife Area has a mix of forest, prairie and shallow lake habitats. The forested area has a series of firebreaks that helps with timber management and is often a welcomed sight to successful hunters when packing out their game. (Photo courtesy of the Iowa DNR) Mount Ayr, Iowa – The Mount Ayr Wildlife Area is a 1,500-acre outdoor…
Iowa DNR: Landowners, hunters, bird-watchers realize Big Marsh’s benefits
The 6,700-acre Big Marsh Wildlife Area has a mix of native prairies, timber stands and wetlands but the main feature is the three connected wetland segments. When at crest, Big Marsh can hold 1,200 acres of water. (Photo courtesy of the Iowa DNR) Parkersburg, Iowa — The Big Marsh Wildlife Area is a working example of the benefits of taking…
Zebra mussels found in Iowa-Nebraska border lake
The Iowa DNR is watching Carter Lake after juvenile zebra mussels were recently found in a water sample collected by Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) staff. Although veligers were detected, intensive sampling the past week did not find any adult zebra mussels. Carter Lake, a border water, is jointly managed by the Iowa DNR and NGPC. The Iowa DNR…
Iowa preps for popular dove hunting season
Hunters getting ready to pursue the country’s most popular game bird are encouraged to visit the areas they plan to hunt before opening day.
Iowa’s Rinehart archery shoot: ‘This year we hope to skip the rain and welcome more than 1,000 participants’
Archers from Iowa and across Midwest to converge on Volga River State Recreation Area Aug. 18-20.
Weather, fisheries-related incidents taking a toll on Iowa fish
The end of summer can be a difficult time for underwater dwellers. When temperatures are high and oxygen levels are low, fish and other water critters are particularly vulnerable. That’s been the case in Iowa this summer, according to a news release from the Iowa DNR. “We have received several reports of small summer fish kills at many lakes, ponds…
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