Outdoors

DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Donor Network launched a new organ, eye and tissue donor registry on Wednesday, Sept. 4. The new registry makes it possible for Iowans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors when obtaining a hunting, fishing or fur harvester license...

From now until ice-up is a wonderful time to be on the water chasing a variety of fish. Throughout the Midwest and much of the rest of North America, most species of predator fish are willing to get caught. Walleyes, pike, bass, even panfish are willing biters. ...

One of the successful and well attended activities at the 2019 Okoboji Blue Water Festival was the clean water panel put together by OBWF organizer Greg Drees, after learning two days before that keynote speaker Alexandra Cousteau had encountered a medical emergency and had to cancel her speaking engagement...

This is the time of year when lots of people are on the water, fishing or skiing or swimming or whatever. Sometimes on some bodies of water, we notice changes in the water. We’re noticing these changes more and more in more and more bodies of water. Those changes can affect the fishing. Following are some changes that have been taking place across many parts of North America and also some ideas how you can change your fishing tactics to combat these changes...

SUTHERLAND — The area that has become Waterman Prairie has been important for people and wildlife for more than 1,000 years. It’s an area that native tribes called home and where Inkpaduta, Wahpekute Dakota Indian chief of the Spirit Lake massacre and Little Big Horn fame, hid from the military on his way west...

Earlier this summer, the Iowa Great Lakes chain was only about three inches from becoming a no-wake system because of high water levels. It was nip and tuck for quite a while before the water began to slowly go down. Would you believe that by Monday, Sept. 2, Big Spirit Lake was nearly three inches below the spillway. That’s right no water was flowing over the spillway...

Autumn is in the air. Birds are gathered on power lines, butterflies are getting together to prepare for their southerly journey, there have even been reports of tree leaves changing colors. Summer fishing is different than spring fishing, and fishing in the fall in several very important ways is different than fishing in the summer. ...

The 2019 upland data for the Department of Natural Resources' August roadside count has been collected and analyzed. After the snowy winter, late winter ice and rain followed by a wet and cold spring, there was fear that the pheasant and quail numbers would be down. ...

At the Okoboji Blue Water Festival, fishing enthusiasts had the opportunity to attend the fishing seminar put on by Pure Fishing’s senior bait development engineer Dan Spengler. Entitled “The Science of Fishing Lures,” Spengler’s goal was to share his passion for hardbait design and share with those in attendance the art and science behind creating top working hardbaits and how to fish these baits...

SUTHERLAND — The area that has become Waterman Prairie has been important for people and wildlife for more than 1,000 years. It’s an area that native tribes called home and where Inkpaduta, Wahpekute Dakota Indian chief of the Spirit Lake massacre and Little Big Horn fame, hid from the military on his way west...

DES MOINES — The good news for Iowa’s cottontail rabbit hunters is that Iowa has a strong population of rabbits, similar to last year, with only the east central part of the state seeing a decline in numbers. The better news for hunters is Iowa’s cottontail rabbit season began Aug. 31 statewide...

Fall is quickly approaching. In fact, in some areas of the Midwest it’s already starting to look and feel like autumn. Many anglers consider fall fishing to be the best fishing period of the year. However, even during the best fishing period of the year, there are days when action might be a little slower than we like...

Since the Dickinson County Conservation Board is getting ready to celebrate pollinators at the annual Bee & Butterfly Festival Friday, Sept. 6, I thought it was appropriate to talk about one of our favorite pollinators — honeybees — and the jobs the female worker bees have...

Jeff Wallace and John Boettcher were co-recipients of the 2019 Ace Cory Conservation Award presented at the annual Okoboji Protective Association’s annual meeting on Saturday, Aug. 10. The prestigious award, which has been bestowed since 2006 by the Okoboji Protective Association, goes to an individual whose work in the Iowa Great Lakes area, voluntary or professional, reflects the principles of the late Ace Cory, one of the region’s pioneer environmentalists...

Summer took it’s time arriving this year; fishing has been good for many people in many places. Now we’re thinking about fall fishing. It certainly is true: The older we get the faster time goes by. Late summer and fall fishing can be very good, but if we want it to be very good, we need to change the way we go about our fishing. Following are some of the things that we need to do if we want to experience that very good, even outstanding fishing...

Are you ready for it? Sept. 1 is just around the corner and so are the dove and early teal seasons. Let’s take a look at both seasons. Dove It’s hard to believe that Iowa has had a dove hunting season since 2011. In addition to the mourning dove, there is also the Eurasian collard-dove, which is similar in appearance but has a distinctive mark or “collar” on their neck and are a little larger than the mourning dove. ...

DES MOINES — Snapping turtles are Iowa’s largest turtle species, but they’re so much more than their tough demeanor. Here are some things you should know about these awesome reptiles. Weather natters The environment impacts the snapping turtles’ breeding — so much so that after eggs are laid, they can take anywhere from 55 to 120 days to hatch. ...

It was almost a year ago last summer that I got to spend a day on the water chasing largemouth bass with Mike Frisch. Some, maybe much of the time, when we think about late summer fishing for largemouth we think weedlines and crankbaits or jigworms. However, throwing artificial frogs in shallow water can be equally productive, very visual and will often get the bigger bass to hit...

DES MOINES — Three fish kills reported to DNR in two days illustrate the importance of taking extra caution with chemicals and other pollutants when the weather is hot and dry. DNR staff are investigating two fish kills near Des Moines, one on Deer Creek about 3 miles southeast of Elkhart and another on Walnut Creek in West Des Moines. Also reported yesterday in Butler County, a fish kill occurred on a 3-mile stretch of an unnamed stream near Clarksville...

Lots to like about fishing for walleye in the fall. Traditionally some of the very best fishing of the entire season particularly for trophy class fish. Great fishing, big fish and fewer people. ... Always amazes us that more people don’t fish in the fall. ...

After all of these years, I think you know that I am a fishing fanatic, and I’ve kind of hooked my family on the hobby. Yes, I enjoy fishing for walleyes and bass and perch and crappies and northern pike, but my first love is chasing Okoboji bluegills. Ice fishing to ice out to the spawn to right now when the bluegills have gone to the deep weedbeds and deeper ... each day of fishing for bluegills is special...

In the remaining open water months, there is one very basic thing to keep in mind for fishing success, we’ve said it before and I’m sure we’ll say it again, but it’s so important that it’s a good thing to keep in mind: If you want to catch fish now, you’ve got to find what they’re eating. You’ve got to be fishing where the predator fish’s food is. As summer moves on and autumn starts to arrive, staying near what the fish want to eat is very important. Following are some examples of doing so...

DES MOINES — Lightning bugs, fireflies, glow worms — no matter what you call them, here are some things to know about these special summertime insects: Big family The firefly belongs to the Lampyridae family, with an extensive family tree — there are more than 100 species of lightning bugs throughout the United States and Canada alone. ...

DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced its involvement in National Shooting Sports Month, in partnership with the National Shooting Sports Foundation, by offering a series of classes teaching shooting and outdoor skills to individuals with little or no experience...

DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is looking for help with its annual turkey population estimates in July and August. Participation is easy — just note the date and county in which the turkey was seen, if it was an adult female or adult male — males have beards on their breast — and whether there were young poults (baby turkeys). There is a link to an online survey and survey card at http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Turkey-Hunting for those willing to help...

DES MOINES — The extent of impact that a cold and snowy late winter and heavy rains and flooding in April and May had on pheasant nesting success will likely be seen when the Iowa Department of Natural Resources conducts its annual pheasant counts. The statewide survey takes place Aug. 1-15...

The weather has been really hot across the Midwest, and sometimes we equate hot weather with slower catching when we go fishing. That doesn’t need to be the case. Wherever you live in much of North America, there is a river close by, and the fish in that river are willing to eat, even during hot weather...

One of the many anticipated events of the fourth annual Okoboji Blue Water Festival scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 10, is the fishing seminar at 11:30 a.m. Located under the big tent, this year’s seminar can best be described as “seeing is believing!”...