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Steve Weisman

Research aims to understand and stabilize the threatened Blanding’s turtle in Iowa

Featured, Iowa, National News, Nature Page & Night Sky, News /

Life as a turtle isn’t always easy, especially for Iowa’s threatened Blanding’s turtle.
Many populations have been declining for decades across their range due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Native to the northern two-thirds of Iowa, land conversion and loss of wetland habitats are hurdles that this species has struggled to overcome.

Research aims to understand and stabilize the threatened Blanding’s turtle in Iowa Read More »

Jon Bowermaster provides a world view to clean water during Iowa festival

Featured, Iowa, Nature Page & Night Sky, Opinion /

Sometimes, we attend events that offer a wide range of topics that make us pause and reflect. One of those for me was at last August’s Okoboji Blue Water Festival (OBWF), where Jon Bowermaster provided the keynote speech.
“Jon brings to the festival audience his knowledge of the relationship between man and the seas gleamed from his countless ocean expeditions,” said OBWF organizer Greg Drees.

Jon Bowermaster provides a world view to clean water during Iowa festival Read More »

Iowa hunters take advantage of cool conditions, have good pheasant opener in many parts of state

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Iowa, National Hunting, News /

The 2023 Iowa pheasant opener is in the books. With temps in the upper 20s on Saturday morning, it was quite a difference from the heat of the 2022 pheasant opener. Across northwest Iowa, late Saturday afternoon brought the first snowfall of the year. A total of 1-4 inches fell and left anywhere from a dusting to several inches in the CRP and public hunting areas. By mid-afternoon, the snow had melted. Wanting to find out how things went across the state, Outdoor News reached out to the district law enforcement supervisors in each of Iowa’s six districts.

Iowa hunters take advantage of cool conditions, have good pheasant opener in many parts of state Read More »

Northern Iowa shallow lakes getting a reboot, and raising walleye fry to fingerlings

Featured, Fishing, Hunting, Iowa, News /

Recently during my weekly outdoor radio show on KILR-95.9 FM in Estherville, Iowa, I had the opportunity to have Mike Hawkins, Iowa DNR Fisheries Management Biologist in the Spirit Lake District, on as my special guest.
Hawkins and his team manage public fishing waters in Clay, Emmet, Dickinson, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth and Sioux counties. Our discussion included looking at the shallow water lake management program and the DNR’s special walleye fingerling netting and subsequent release into lakes that the spring’s walleye fry release didn’t do as well in.

Northern Iowa shallow lakes getting a reboot, and raising walleye fry to fingerlings Read More »

Looking back at the history of ringneck pheasants in Iowa

Featured, Hunting, Iowa /

August is always a much-anticipated month for upland game bird hunters in the Hawkeye state. It is during that month that DNR personnel do their annual roadside count.
Since 1962, this roadside count held August 1-15 has been a basis for providing an upland bird count forecast for that year. The statewide survey includes DNR personnel driving 218, 30-mile routes on gravel roads (the same routes each year) on mornings with heavy dew.

Looking back at the history of ringneck pheasants in Iowa Read More »

Top ice fishing shows across Iowa, the Midwest are nearing

Featured, Fishing, Fishing, Iowa, Minnesota, National Fishing, News /

How can an outdoor person get bored here in northwest Iowa? Right now we have hunting seasons going like crazy, the fall fishing is only getting better as the lake water temperatures fall. And that’s not all. The “pre-ice fishing craze” is just around the corner.
It always comes in early November and into December across the Midwest…major ice fishing shows such as the Dakota Angler Ice Institute in Sioux Falls, S.D., (Nov. 10-12) and the St. Paul Ice Show (Dec. 1-3) in Minnesota. They are always fun to attend, but right here in northern Iowa we will have four ice fishing open houses that are close by and have lots to offer.

Top ice fishing shows across Iowa, the Midwest are nearing Read More »

Plenty can be accomplished when all come together for the outdoors

Featured, Iowa, Nature Page & Night Sky, Opinion /

As I spent three hours about six weeks ago at the Howard K. Vincent Waterfowl Production Area dedication, located north across the road from Big Spirit Lake, I felt a sense of immense satisfaction that this huge project included so many groups and individuals that had all come together for this one special evening celebration. I observed folks from all walks of life come together for something that will positively impact the entire area.

Plenty can be accomplished when all come together for the outdoors Read More »

Iowa’s fur-harvester seasons just around the corner

Featured, Hunting, Iowa, National Hunting, News /

Fur trappers and hunters in Iowa are making final preparations for the 2023 fur-harvester seasons that open Saturday, Nov. 4.
What will this year bring? To gain a true picture of fur-harvester data and population trends, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) monitors population trends of Iowa furbearer species in three different ways: 1) annual fur-harvest reports, 2) the spring spotlight survey and 3) the Iowa bowhunter observation survey. The result is an annual report entitled “Trends in Iowa Furbearer Populations and Harvest.”

Iowa’s fur-harvester seasons just around the corner Read More »

Plan for backyard winter bird feeding in the fall

Featured, Iowa, Nature Page & Night Sky, Opinion /

As we move into the middle of October, it is a beautiful time to be outside. Our outdoor world is lit up with color. From browning cornfields to early fall prairie colors, to the changing of our trees, it’s an awesome outdoor world.
The dove season as well as the squirrel and cottontail seasons are well underway in Iowa. We also look toward our upland bird openers, along with the regular duck and goose seasons. However, another fall activity, which is actually a year-round activity, is backyard bird feeding/watching.

Plan for backyard winter bird feeding in the fall Read More »

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