Washburn’s Outdoor Journal
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.
Iowa turkey hunters harvested 12,173 gobblers during this year’s five-part spring hunting season which ended May 22. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the harvest represents the largest number of spring turkeys bagged since hunters were first required to report their harvest beginning in 2007. Nearly 51,000 licenses were issued for the 2016
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The spring migration of blue-winged teal through Iowa is one of my favorite outdoor events. Teal are rarely at rest during spring migration; courtship flights occur from dawn to dusk as hens lead parties of colorful drakes in dramatic low level, high speed chases that twist and turn across the marsh. Whenever flocks touch down the show
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A nearly impenetrable fortress of mature oak, wild grape, and dense gooseberry has helped to keep Bill’s pond a well-kept secret. Small but mighty, the shallow wetland is barely twenty yards in width and is well punctuated with a mix of emerging sedges, river bulrush, and floating duckweed. For nesting wood ducks, Bill’s pond is
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Although the peak of this year's morel mushroom crop is past, the hunt is not over. A mix of generally favorable temperatures and ample moisture is sustaining the harvest for hunters scouring the peaks and valleys of Iowa's Upper Mississippi River bluff country. While turkey hunting in Clayton County this week, I've managed to stumble into enough fresh 'shrooms for some
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Biologists, duck hunters, birders, and wildlife enthusiasts in general have long debated the question of whether or not drake wood ducks enter nesting cavities as pairs prospect for potential nest sites. Some say it occurs frequently, others say rarely, while still others claim it never happens at all.
I know for sure that we can throw
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The possibility of hearing and seeing wild turkeys is one of the best excuses I know for making predawn visits to the spring woodlands. If you happen to carrying a valid turkey tag, well then so much the better. The daily shows begin at the first hint of light as eager gobblers sound off from the roost. As the chorus
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By the time sun appeared on the eastern horizon, I had counted a total of 15 trumpeter swans sitting in an open area of the marsh. It was the largest number of trumpeters I’ve ever seen there, a vivid reminder of the ongoing success of Iowa’s swan recovery.
With snow white plumage, weights exceeding 30 pounds,
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Spring has arrived; and beautiful yellow dandelions are beginning to bloom. Not everyone shares my enthusiasm for the event. For friends that I categorize as ultra-urbanized lawn care fanatics, the annual appearance of the yellow flowers is anything but welcome. Some acquaintances even go so far as to intentionally poison the colorful plants. But for
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WILD TURKEY SENDS IOWA HUNTER TO HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM
McGregor, Ia.---For retired conservation officer and veteran turkey slayer Steve Schutte, the 2009 spring hunting season ended with a bang, a slash, and an unexpected trip to the hospital ER.
The fateful hunt took place in extreme northeastern Iowa where Schutte and I have hunted turkeys for the
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IOWA TURKEY RECOVERY IS CONSERVATION LANDMARK
“Now a deer thinks that every tall man is a stump. But the wild turkey thinks that every stump is a tall man. Be prepared. That’s just how nervous, wary, and suspicious a bird you hunters will be dealing with,” Iowa Wildlife Biologist, Rich Bishop addressing a capacity audience during
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Mature Gobblers Spend Around Four Months of Their Year in the Strut.
So why do birds expend so much time and energy in display? Is it to guard territory or attract hens? The answer may come as a surprise.
Calling a spring gobbler into close range is one of hunting’s most rewarding challenges. With tail fanned and
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Iowa’s youth turkey hunting season begins April 9. The regular spring seasons commence April 18. For local turkey hunting enthusiasts, the seasons can’t come a minute too soon. Most hunters are already pacing the floor in anticipation of what to expect when they finally take to their favorite woodland in search of the elusive gobbler.
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