The Iowa skies are getting louder.  This year’s crop of Canada geese are testing their wings.  The gosling’s initial flights are entertaining -- often humorous -- endeavors.  Facing into the breeze, the flights begin with an awkward, wing flapping, running start.  Like an airplane taxiing down the runway, the speed gradually increases until the goslings are suddenly airborne.  Many appear surprised that
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A hard winter followed by a wet spring will make it hard for Iowa pheasant populations to show significant gains during the 2019 nesting season, according to DNR Upland Wildlife Research Biologist, Todd Bogenschutz. “We had an unusual winter last year,” said Bogenschutz.  “It started out mild and dry, and then we had a winter’s worth of snow –
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White-tailed deer are fascinating creatures.  Watching them is one of my favorite pastimes; not just during the fall and winter archery seasons, but all year ‘round.  You never see it all.  No matter how many hours you spend observing; there is always something to learn, something new to see.      Late spring is an important time for Iowa
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It’s that time of year again.  Iowa’s Baby Bird & Bunny season is officially underway.  For me, each new sighting of a recently hatched brood of Canada geese, spindly-legged fawn, or baby robin is cause for celebration – a vivid portrayal of the annual renewal of life.  The sightings also serve as a visual reminder for me to fire off this
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The wild gooseberry is one of my favorite woodland plants. Although its thorny exterior can make the gooseberry a prickly customer, the shrub does have some redeeming qualities. During spring, its thick greenery becomes a protein rich pantry for insect eating warblers while, at the same time, provides safe nesting for many other
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Of all the warblers migrating through Iowa, the energetic American redstart is perhaps the easiest to identify. With its coal black head and back, burnt orange wing and tail patches, and white underbelly; an adult male is hard to mistake for anything else – although the orange and black plumage does occasionally lead people
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Late May is a time that no Iowa birding enthusiast would care to miss. With thousands of northbound songbirds arriving at local woodlands daily, it is one the year’s premier outdoor events – the grand finale of the spring migration. Rose-Breasted Grosbeak The diversity is daunting. More than 200 bird species nest in
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It’s been several years since I’ve killed a wild turkey with a shotgun. When I first started pursuing the birds during the late 1970s, my weapon of choice was a muzzleloading Navy Arms 12-bore. Fitted with straight cylinder bore barrels, the scattergun’s range was restricted to around 20 yards; 15 was optimum.
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Forty degrees. Clear skies. Moderate breeze. Hard to imagine more perfect conditions for a morning turkey hunt. Things were already looking good. The stars were just beginning to fade when, from farther back in the oaks, a roosted gobbler began to go completely off his rocker. Deciding not to move
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The performance begins at sunset. As the evening sky explodes into a dazzling array of color; a long-billed, oddly-shaped, quail-sized bird rises from the forest floor. Spiraling ever higher, the creature soon becomes a speck, hovering more than 300 hundred feet above its woodland home. With the flight now at its zenith,
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Blessed with extraordinary hearing, keen eyesight, and a profound ability to detect danger; the eastern wild turkey is America’s most challenging gamebird. The Long Beard’s instinct for survival is legendary. No other creature has been the subject of more hype, myth and folk lore than the elusive gobbler. In spite of major
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Turkey Season Kickoff: The great state of Nebraska is one my favorite destinations for pursuing wild turkeys. Nebraska’s early archery season begins in late March and for the past nine years, Dave Thomas and I have used the early days for our turkey season kickoff. Nebraska has some of the best turkey hunting
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