Apr 26, 2018
It’s the 23rd of April. For today at least, it appears as if spring has finally arrived in Northern Iowa. With sunny skies and temperatures soaring into the lower 60s, we’ve melted a foot of snow during the last day and a half. About all that’s left now are a few scattered patches along the marsh edge and some rapidly disappearing mounds in rural...
Apr 19, 2018
For those of us living in Northern Iowa, it’s been a spring to remember. Or perhaps I should say, a spring to forget. Our extreme weather has been so over the top that most of us can’t even remember how many late season storms or how many inches of wet snow we’ve received since the middle of March. Come to think of it, I can’t even remember how much...
Apr 17, 2018
Iowans are used to dealing with extreme weather. We take it in stride. But you have to admit that at 19-degrees, winds gusting to 26 mph, and several inches of bright snow on the ground, that the Opening Day of the 2018 Iowa turkey season was a bit out of the ordinary. We really hated to miss an opener, so Matt and I decided to give a try in spite of the...
Apr 9, 2018
Early April is not only a good time to put the finishing touches on spring turkey scouting; it’s also a great time to hone your calling skills. Nothing sounds more like a hen turkey than, well, a hen turkey. Spring hens will never be more vocal than they are right now. If a hunter really wants to know what to say and exactly when to say it;...
Apr 6, 2018
The redhead is one of my favorite ducks. I know. I say that about a lot of ducks. But when it comes to redheads; I really mean it. All things considered, there’s really nothing not to like about these incredible heavy bodied, broad breasted, monster-webbed, red headed deep divers. They’re big. They’re beautiful. And they readily come to...
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.