Jan 20, 2018
The American mink is a highly curious, yet amazingly wary, aquatic predator. An outsized member of the weasel family, the mink is so crafty, in fact, that many experienced trappers think catching one presents a challenge equal to outwitting the fox or coyote. I don’t know if mink are really that smart or not, although at least one animal...
Jan 13, 2018
Last Chance Turkeys Once there is snow on the ground, the Iowa woodlands are never truly dark. Hunting for end of the season turkeys means getting there early – I mean really early — and moving slow. With two full hours to go until sunrise, I was in the blind. It was going to be a bit of wait. And although I had hoped to be entertained by the sight...
Jan 10, 2018
To say that the 2018 New Year got off to a chilling start would be a gross understatement. Once the mercury started to drop, it seemed as if the temperature free fall would never hit bottom. With wind chills plummeting beyond 40 degrees below zero, Iowa ranked as one of the coldest places on earth. The final three days of the North Iowa goose season were...
Born in North Central Iowa, Lowell Washburn has enjoyed a lifelong interest in the out of doors. He began photographing wild birds at age 10, and outdoor photography soon became his passion and eventually a career. Washburn is best known for images that portray migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife in their natural habitats. His best photographs are often obtained after spending hours floating amid natural marshlands, half submerged within the dark confines of a floating muskrat house blind.
Upon completing military service as a sergeant with the Fourth Infantry Division in the central highlands of South Vietnam, Washburn returned to Iowa in 1970. His wildlife photos began appearing in Iowa newspapers in 1971 and he began authoring outdoor news columns in 1978. Today, his photos and writing have appeared in over 50 national and international magazines including Outdoor Life, International Wildlife, Field&Stream, Ducks Unlimited, Pointing Dog Journal, the NAFA Journal, and others.
After working as a naturalist for Iowa’s county conservation board system, Washburn was recruited by the Department of Natural Resources in 1984. His primary duties included statewide communication with Iowa newspaper, television, and radio news agencies with a primary goal of increasing the level of public awareness and appreciation for Iowa's natural resources. During his tenure he also served as staff member for the Iowa Conservationist Magazine and for the DNR’s Iowa Outdoors Magazine. Washburn retired from the DNR in 2010.
In addition to wildlife photography, his ongoing outdoor passions include falconry, traditional bow hunting, waterfowling, spending time with hunting dogs of all types, and herpetology.