No one will argue that the 2014 Iowa dove season is easily our best yet.  So far, there have been five straight, back to back days of high intensity wing shooting excitement.  Today was perhaps the most exciting yet.  Plummeting temperatures and brisk NW winds triggered a mass movement of doves.  But the morning got

  The popularity of Iowa’s dove season continues to grow.  This year, for example, there were actual “dove camps” on public areas.  On the eve of Monday’s September 1st Opener, hunters’ campfires glimmered near the outskirts of favored sunflower plots -- more reminiscent of traditional duck openers than what we’ve seen for Iowa dove hunts. But although

The attached photo is my idea of the 'Perfect Ten'.  The scene occurred Friday afternoon near the north border of Wind Cave National Park.  While driving the backroads I spotted the horns of two nice pronghorns protruding above the top of a prairie ridgeline.  Parking the truck and grabbing the camera, I began the stalk;

We’ve all heard that old saying --- ‘Big things come in small packages’.  No one knows who first coined the phrase, but I can’t help but wonder if they weren’t referring to the blue-winged teal.  A champion long distance traveler of the Mississippi Flyway; the diminutive blue-wing is indeed a mighty bird wrapped in a

    I’ve spent a better part of the past eight days sitting on a South Dakota prairie staring at bison.  Although viewing opportunities have varied, there have been some real “Dances With Wolves” moments when peering over a ridgetop, I’ve been greeted to the sight of hundreds of bison methodically grazing the valley floor.  Most of

“ . . It soon became apparent that I had become witness to a predatory blood bath of dynamic proportions.  Gnats and mosquitoes were dying by the thousands!”   Back when I was a school kid, organized summer youth activities were virtually nonexistent.  Consequently, we invented our own entertainment.  For boys, the Dog Days of August were

For most budding waterfowl hunters, an early season blue-winged teal is the very first duck brought to bag.  I was no exception to that rule, and shot my very first blue-wing during my very first duck hunt.  It was just Dad and I, and the hunt took place in Northern Iowa along a quiet backwater

  Hummingbirds and Jewelweed The ruby-throated hummingbird is aptly named.  When illuminated by even the slightest hint of sunlight, the male’s ruby red bib sparkles with all the intensity of the finest jewel.  The hummingbird’s glossy emerald back is equally iridescent, making the species one of our most attractive backyard birds. But it is the hummingbird’s unique flight

  For the past 12 summers, I’ve been observing the daily activities at a red-tailed hawk nest located near the south shore of Clear Lake.  This year, the hawks successfully raised two young.  Out of the nest and on the wing, the fledglings are currently learning to hunt for themselves.  Their first inexperienced and clumsy attempts

  There’s a big change for this year’s duck season.  For the first time since the 1960s, Iowa waterfowlers will have an opportunity to participate in a Special Teal Only Hunting Season.  The statewide 16-day season begins Saturday, September 6 and runs through September 21.  Authorized by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the hunt is

  It’s late July, and I’ve arrived at my destination just in time to see the sun rise above the Mississippi River.  I’m perched atop the towering wall of a 350-foot, limestone cliff face overlooking the river.  Needless to say, the view is spectacular as the eastern horizon explodes into brilliant hues of orange and gold. 

    Pike's Peak is one of Iowa's best known state parks.  Offering clean campgrounds, spectacular views of the Mississippi River, and an interlinking  maze of beautiful woodland hiking trails; Pike's Peak has something for everyone.  Last week, Carol and I decided to take advantage of the abnormally cool July weather and explore the park's trail system.