PRESEASON SCOUTING CAN BRING EARLY SEASON SUCCESS The first segment of Iowa’s four-part, spring turkey season begins April 8. With snow drifts melted and mature gobblers currently making the timbers ring, hunters are already pacing the floor in anticipation of the upcoming season. But what a lot of hunters don’t realize is that there’s no reason to
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It would be hard to think of a bird exhibiting more cunning, speed, and raw savagery than the crow-sized Cooper's hawk. Equally at home in wilderness forest and suburban hedgerow, the highly maneuverable Cooper’s is perhaps best known for its surprise attacks on backyard bird feeders -- raids that usually result in an unfortunate dove,
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Considering the dramatic mix of weather we’ve endured during the past several weeks, I’m guessin’ that it would be hard for most of us to think of Northern Iowa as a Sunny South, winter destination. You know, the kind of place you’d go to escape unreasonably deep snow cover, extreme cold, polar wind chills and
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Rabbit hunting is one of my favorite winter pastimes. I especially love getting out in new snow. Fresh, crisp, and clean; the winter woodlands are never more beautiful. The rabbits sit tight, and every track is fresh. I’m not alone in my enthusiasm. An important link in the natural food chain, rabbits have
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Tailless black-capped chickadee – Feb. 7, 2019 Here in northern Iowa, the first week of February has provided an incredibly diverse mix of weather – everything from 40-degree temps to double digit, below zero wind chills and new snow. On Feb. 6th, prolonged periods of freezing drizzle turned to snow during the overnight hours. As snow
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No one will argue that our Iowa winter has been one of weather extremes. Gone but not forgotten, the month of January provided our most dramatic example; offering everything from unseasonable warmth to polar blasts of life threatening cold and minus 60-degree wind chills. The month included a rich variety of rain showers, freezing drizzle,
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Regardless of Species – Winter is a Hard Time for Iowa Wildlife You probably don’t need a reminder that Iowans have just endured one of the most vicious mid-winter cold snaps on record. The multiday event began with significant snowfalls which quickly gave way to plunging temperatures, followed by winds gusting to 50 plus mph. As
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Following a brutal three day siege of polar air and gusty winds, the North Iowa weather had finally moderated to a comparatively balmy minus twenty degrees. Winds had diminished to the point where wind chill values had risen to minus 46, according to the weather channel. At the Nature Conservancy’s Clausen’s Cove [located along Clear Lake’s
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Waterfowl hunting has been one of my lifelong passions. From balmy September teal hunts, to the final days of ice laden decoys and freezing marshes; each and every outing becomes a unique and cherished outdoor memory. And although I love all phases of the annual migration, Iowa’s late falconry season provides some of my most
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  The Canada goose is about as tough as a water bird can get.  This year, the living has been easy – even in extreme northern Iowa.  With endless supplies of waste grain and plenty of open water, the winter weather has offered little challenge.  But times have changed.  Snow covered stubble fields, subzero temperatures, and
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  Iowa’s late muzzleloader deer season is one of my favorite hunts. In addition to black powder rifles, bow and arrow are also allowed during the season’s final segment; making the late season a great prospect for taking a bonus archery deer. By the time January arrives, the Iowa landscape is locked in the dead of winter.
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When it Comes to Winter Bird Feeding Variety is the Spice of Life It’s little wonder that backyard bird feeding has become one of our most popular winter pastimes. Visiting birdlife provides a sense of energy, warmth, and cheer to an otherwise bleak and lifeless landscape. We’ve all heard it said that variety is the spice of
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