Outdoors

MANCHESTER — Hundreds of yellow ovals offset the brown and green coloration of each female brown trout ready to spawn at the Manchester Fish Hatchery. The splashes of color are signs that trout spawning season is in full swing. Brown trout are currently being spawned. Brood trout are brought to the hatchery from French Creek in Allamakee County. They are held at the hatchery across two spawning cycles then released back in French Creek, supplementing earlier generations of brown trout...

Blaze orange clad hunters moving through Iowa’s timber will be a common sight when the first of two shotgun deer seasons open Dec. 5. An estimated 120,000 hunters participate in the shotgun seasons, harvesting about half of the total number of deer for the year...

It’s been said more than a lot of times that “fishing lures aren’t made to catch fish, they’re made to catch fishermen.” When I was first getting into the fishing business I thought that was a pretty accurate concept. I learned quickly that lures that didn’t catch fish didn’t stay on the market very long...

Over the past 35 years, I’ve been blessed to count Dave Genz as both a mentor and friend and to be part of the Clam Outdoors pro staff led by Genz. He’s known as Mr. Ice Fishing for his revolutionary ice fishing ideas that brought ice fishing literally out of the Ice Age. It’s hard for me to believe that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the original Trap portable shelter that helped revolutionize the sport of ice fishing...

Give your kids a lifetime of big moments. A child’s first fishing trip is exciting for both parent and child. A fun experience can lead to future years of fishing enjoyment. Here are some simple tips for taking kids fishing: — Pack plenty of snacks and cold drinks...

One of the “fruits of the hunt or the catch” is offering up a mouthwatering meal. Over the years, I have come up with several that I like, but I am always looking for more. Gary Howey, a friend of mine from Nebraska, who has carved out a career in the outdoor world with his Team Outdoorsmen Productions, has compiled a list of his favorite wild game/fish recipes in Outdoorsmen Adventures “Cooking Gone Wild” cookbook...

Rainfall in Iowa was almost an inch below normal in October, averaging 1.66 inches over the state, according to the latest Water Summary Update. "While October saw some improvement in conditions in the state, overall the precipitation was below normal,” said Tim Hall, coordinator of hydrology resources for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. ...

Two weeks ago, it appeared that ice on the pond was going to happen soon. Today, it doesn’t look like that so much. Not so long ago, for many of us, it was a pretty sure deal that we would be ice fishing on or shortly after Thanksgiving. In today’s world, that bet is off. But the bet is on that we’re close to freeze-up, and when that happens, we want to be ready. Following are some things that we can do to be ready to get on the ice when the ice is ready for us...

Sometimes when I think of all the clean water projects that have been completed here in northwest Iowa, I often am overwhelmed by their magnitude. Even in this time of COVID-19, individuals continue to chip away. John Wills, Clean Water Alliance coordinator, recently wrote a column discussing this topic...

Enjoy Iowa’s natural landscapes fishing Iowa’s rivers and streams this fall. A unique angling challenge is hidden around every bend. “You are never far from one of Iowa’s many rivers,” said Greg Gelwicks, interior rivers research biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “Fall is a great time to give them a try.”...

Enjoy what’s left of the spectacular colors and cool weather fishing in northeast Iowa’s hundreds of miles of trout streams this fall. From easily accessible streams in state or county parks, to those found in Iowa’s most wild and remote natural spaces, there are plenty of places to catch rainbow, brown and brook trout...

The open water fishing season for the year 2020 is over for this angler. I don’t get out as late in the year or as much during the year as I used to, but I still get after the fish as often as possible and certainly communicate with anglers a good amount. Following are some comments and observations about fishing open water 2020...

Yes, it was windy last weekend, but wow were the temperatures incredible. It’s not often that we are approaching Veterans Day and the temperatures reach 70-plus degrees. Then, of course, this week we are snapped back to reality with temperatures in the 30s, a little rain, a little ice and a little snow … and then a forecast for temperatures to rebound into the 40s. Whew!...

Iowa trappers can expect to find good numbers of furbearers available statewide when the season begins on Nov. 7. “Our coyote numbers remain strong with a stable to slightly decreasing population,” said Vince Evelsizer, furbearer biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources...

Shane Akin, local guide and musky pro fisherman, and his partner Matt Ahrenholtz recently competed at the Professional Musky Tournament Trail’s Ranger Boats World Championship at Cave Run Lake in Kentucky on Oct. 23-25 finishing seventh overall during the three-day championships...

Hurry, hurry, hurry … that seems to be the way we do things in our society. Even in our fishing and hunting, it seems we are always in a hurry. When it comes to hunting pheasants, however, I encourage us to all slow down. Now, I’m 72 years old, and I definitely have to slow down. ...

It’s another of those “in between” seasons. Just as there’s a lull between the ice fishing season and the open water fishing season in the spring, there’s a lull between the open water season and ice fishing season in the fall. Today I’m looking forward to ice fishing and also remembering some past days on the ice. Here we go...

This coming weekend marks the opening of the pheasant season in Iowa. In an earlier story, we discussed what the roadside counts show for the upcoming season. According to Todd Bogenschultz, upland wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, pheasant populations are on par with the best counts in the past decade, including six of the nine survey regions averaging more than 20 birds per route — the most since 2007...

There’s still time to take advantage of open water fishing, but it’s also time to think about going ice fishing. This year, particularly this year, if you want to go on an ice fishing trip, you need to make plans now. People are fishing more than ever, and competition for lodging is intense in ice fishing country...

The popular Iowa Habitat and Access Program is accepting applications from landowners interested in receiving technical assistance and financial incentives in exchange for allowing hunters to access the improved area. Interested landowners should contact their local private lands staff with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, who will come to the property to walk the site with the landowner and help write a habitat plan. ...

Over the past year, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has partnered with Iowa Safari Club International and several other organizations to create a free, online video series that provides new hunters or existing hunters wanting to try something new, the information, skills, and resources needed to get out in the hunting field...

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is asking Iowans to help with a research project designed to learn more about trumpeter swan survival during the cygnets’ first year of life that will help to better manage and conserve this species. “We want to get eyes on these birds every two weeks to verify the number of cygnets and see what habitat they’re using,” said Anna Buckardt Thomas, avian ecologist with the Iowa DNR...

The popular Iowa Habitat and Access Program is accepting applications from landowners interested in receiving technical assistance and financial incentives in exchange for allowing hunters to access the improved area. Interested landowners should contact their local private lands staff with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, who will come to the property to walk the site with the landowner and help write a habitat plan. ...

Big boulders and rock locations can hold walleye through the year but on so many different fisheries, these locations seem even more appealing in the fall. Boulders in deep water (that might range from 15-40 feet of water) are especially productive. ...

I took my annual fishing trip to Kabetogama Lake in northern Minnesota in early October. I’ve been going to Kab since the late 1990s. On one of my first trips to Kab I fished with local angler Wade Watson. On this trip, I was looking forward to fishing with Wade again. Lots of things have changed since my first day in the boat with Wade, and lots of things have stayed the same...

Wow is Mother Nature cantankerous right now. Wind, wind, wind and more wind. Then over the next 10 days or so, throw in a few snow flurries, maybe even some accumulation. Whew! Actually, it’s just a precursor to what will be coming down the road. For waterfowl hunters, they’re actually praying for an October snowstorm and strong northwest winds in North Dakota and northern Minnesota that just might send a push of ducks into our area. ...

Editor’s note: It seems that we’re always looking for new ways to fix fish. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has found four different recipes you might want to try. Over the course of four weeks, we will provide one of these recipes. Below is the fourth recipe...

Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year in northwest Iowa. The colors are incredible, changing almost daily. Crops are coming out incredibly fast, but one of the things I worry about right now is how dry things are getting. You look on maps that our weather services provide, and we’re definitely in a drought cycle...

Wherever people fish anywhere in North America, there are a good number of anglers that look forward to the fall months. At this time of year, if a fish sees your bait, there’s a very good possibility that it will eat that bait. Right now, fish are willing biters...

How times have changed. At one time, the opening of the pheasant season in Iowa was a happening. Towns across the state prepared in advance for the influx of pheasant hunters, and the Friday before the Saturday opener towns were alive with visitors waiting for the opener. ...