Outdoors

DES MOINES — State wildlife experts are on the lookout for a new virus impacting the native rabbit and hare populations in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, California and New Mexico. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease can persist in the environment and can be spread from rabbit to rabbit, by predators, insects and even by vehicle traffic, impacting populations in new areas. While the virus is not currently in Iowa, it is as close as eastern Colorado and northern Texas...

DES MOINES — Iowa hunters reported harvesting more than 14,600 turkeys during the spring season, which is the highest spring turkey harvest since mandatory harvest reporting began in 2007. The previous high was 12,173 in 2016. Wild turkeys were harvested in all of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa’s spring turkey season ended May 17...

What crazy and scary times the past several months have been with the deadly COVID-19. Sadly, lives have been lost, and the entire country has pretty much been shut down. What incredible efforts by all of the front-line folks, who have done their best to save lives and keep the country afloat as Americans have tried to flatten the curve of the virus. ...

This time of year, late May and through much of June, can provide some of the best fishing action of the year for many species of fish found across the Midwest. In fact, in the minds of some of the most successful anglers, June is the best time of the year to go fishing. If you get the opportunity to go fishing in the next few weeks, you should do so. And if you keep the following ideas in mind, your chances for catching fish will be very good...

One of my favorite magazines to read each spring is the Iowa Natural Heritage magazine. In the recent publication, a section entitled “Field Notes” shared information on their annual spring prescribed burns across the state, and I began to think about the topic of prescribed burns. There seems to be a misconception by a lot of people about why these burns are done...

DES MOINES — With average rainfall about 2 inches below normal and temperatures about 2 degrees below normal, April was cooler and drier than usual, according to the latest Water Summary Update. In April, Iowa received 1.59 inches of precipitation, or 1.92 inches below normal. ...

AMES — Longer daylight hours and the warmth of spring evenings mean insects are back in the Iowa skies, along with the birds and bats that eat them. But this year, like each of the last 10 or more years, there are fewer bats performing their nightly acrobatics in the shine of street lamps or the glow of moonlight over a stream or pond. ...

In much of Walleye Country, walleyes are moving from their spring hangouts to their summer locations. This movement usually lasts a couple of weeks. While they’re moving away from their spawning areas and toward summering areas, the fish can be a little difficult to stay on. They will usually be in one spot today and somewhere else a day or two later. Following are some ideas for catching more walleyes during this transition period...

My wife and I live on an oak laden lot in Arthur Heights on the east side of East Okoboji. It’s a great place to see lots of wildlife, but this spring (early April) I was kind of shocked when a drake and hen mallard landed right in the middle of the front yard. I got a photo of the drake and kind of lost sight of the hen. Anyway, he flew away, and that was the last time I saw him...

DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is working with state and local officials to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and has transitioned employees to work remotely. DNR offices are closed to the public during this time and only available by appointment...

Warblers are quite the mystery. They fly high and sit high in the trees when they do land. They flit quickly. They are tiny. Some look a lot alike. However, for most birders, warbler season is one of the highlights of the year, and it is coming up as April closes out and May begins. ...

There are several considerations that an angler needs to make when deciding what lure to tie on the end of their fishing line. Lure size, shape and action are some of those considerations. I would guess though, that many anglers put the most thought into what lure color to start with, and that’s OK. Many of the most successful anglers put a lot of merit in the color of the lure. Here are some ideas regarding what color of lure to tie on...

Wow! Talk about great weather for the walleye opener: nice temperatures and very little wind. Although I know, with the clear water conditions, many anglers fishing Big Spirit wanted a little more breeze to help with the fishing. That was especially true on Sunday, when it was flat calm, and the walleye fishing was tough...

The opening day or first fishing trip of the open water fishing season is a tradition that most anglers look forward to with great anticipation. It’s almost always fun to put the waders on or the boat in the water for the first time, and then to grab or net the first fish of the season. I’ve participated in four decades of fishing openers, and many of them provided fishing lessons as well as memories. Following are some of each...

DES MOINES — Hunters who bag a turkey this spring are encouraged to keep one of the lower legs to be tested for the presence of lymphoproliferative disease. “We want hunters to be aware of this disease,” said Jim Coffey, forest wildlife research biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “We conducted a small project last year and had several birds test positive so we know it’s here. What we don’t know is the range and extent and if it’s having an impact on our turkey population.”...

DES MOINES — The time to apply for your 2020 Iowa deer tags is quickly approaching with the application period opening on May 2 at 6 a.m. While you wait, here are a few things you can do to prepare for your application: —Update your customer profile. Make sure your mailing address, email address and phone number are correct...

So, you’ve done your “health homework” and are ready to fish the 2020 walleye opener. Well, let’s check out what the fishing might be like. Since it is called the walleye opener, we’ll start with the walleye fishing. If the gill netting results are any indicator, walleye numbers on both Big Spirit and East Okoboji are good. ...

The 144th walleye fishing season officially opens May 2 on Big Spirit, East and West Okoboji. However, it will not be with the excitement of the annual Walleye Weekend Tournament. On April 20, Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Blain Andera announced the decision to cancel the yearly tournament...

DES MOINES — It's as predictable as May flowers — from border to border, the wildlife baby season has arrived in Iowa. From now until at least mid-June, Department of Natural Resources field offices across the state will be inundated with hundreds of phone calls and scores of deliveries regarding "orphaned wildlife."...

DES MOINES ― The recent news from the World Wildlife Fund and Mexico’s Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas on monarch wintering numbers was an eye opener ― the butterflies covered an estimated seven acres of forest canopy in Mexico, less than half of last year’s population. Experts estimate a long-term average of 15 acres of occupied forest canopy is necessary to sustain the eastern North America monarch population...

For many of us, it’s been too long between the last ice fishing trip and the first open water fishing trip of the year. If you haven’t been fishing on open water yet this year, you’ll want to be ready to go when the opportunity presents itself. Following are some things that you can do now to increase your odds of success when you go fishing...

We all know how COVID-19 has changed how we go about doing things. For Ben Wallace, fisheries biologist for the Black Hawk Lake Fisheries Management area, spring gill netting has always taken place on Storm Lake. However, with travel restrictions, netting Storm Lake was not an option. That meant that 400 quarts of eggs would not be collected. Out of adversity, however, sometimes comes inventiveness. ... Necessity is the mother of invention!...

DES MOINES — Call it the original synchronized swimming — fish, moving smoothly and swiftly, all in coordination with hundreds of other fish — that’s how fish do school. Sure, it’s a pretty show, but what’s with the whole production? Gathering together and moving in a school helps smaller fish protect themselves from predators, eat better and swim more efficiently...

DES MOINES — With recent warm temperatures, restless paddlers are ready to put canoes and kayaks in the water. Early spring paddling can provide solitude, exercise and an opportunity to see amazing wildlife, but extra precautions are needed to stay safe...

What a crazy weekend that was. Mild in the low 60s and no wind on Saturday, and then wham ... blizzard-like conditions on Easter Sunday. Really, we shouldn’t be shocked. After all, we weren’t even to mid-April yet, and this is Iowa. This is the time of year when it can be warm and sunny, cold and rainy or windy and a blizzard. Yup, that is northwest Iowa at its best. Spring weather around here is never dull...

Fishing has been on my mind a lot lately. I’ve been thinking of past trips and future trips. Many past days of fishing were learning experiences. What I learned on those fishing trips of the past will be applied to trips of the future. Following are some ideas that might help you catch more fish the next time you go fishing...

In last week’s column, we covered the northern pike gill netting and the plan for the walleye gill netting. With the threat of COVID-19, Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery manager Kim Hawkins could only rely on her fish management and research teams. This meant only one boat would be sent out on East Okoboji and one on Big Spirit Lake each night. ...