Youth Turkey Hunt Provides Lifetime Memories The first of Iowa’s five-part spring turkey seasons opened Friday, April 7, with the annual mentored youth hunt.  My son Matt had some work activities scheduled [bad for him] which opened the opportunity for Grandad [good for me] to act as a substitute mentor for my nine-year-old granddaughter, Riley. Riley
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Luring flocks of wild ducks and geese into a well-placed spread of decoys – or at least making the attempt -- is one of my favorite outdoor pastimes.  Doesn’t really matter if it’s spring or fall; or whether I’m armed with a digital camera or loaded shotgun.  It’s being there that counts.  For me, there
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With its four-foot height, six-foot wingspan, ear piercing call, and penetrating stare; the crimson-capped sandhill crane is about as charismatic as a wild bird can get.  During spring courtship, crane pairs conduct flamboyant rituals with birds engaging in unison calling while simultaneously conducting graceful wing extensions before leaping into the air in a dramatic and
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The first of Iowa’s five-part 2023 Spring Turkey hunting seasons begins with a special three-day mentored youth hunt running April 7 – 9.  The youth turkey hunt is followed on April 10 with the opening of the first of four regular spring seasons.  The spring turkey season’s fourth and final segment concludes on May 14. 
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In case you haven’t heard, we’re sitting smack in the path of a fast moving, widespread spring blizzard.  Scheduled to arrive any day now, the event will far exceed anything the mid-west has witnessed so far this season.  But don’t reach for your shovel just yet.  You’ll be glad to learn that this storm doesn’t
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The first of the 2023 Iowa deer seasons is up and running.  Differing from all other deer seasons, the current hunt has no beginning or closing dates, no shooting hours, and doesn’t involve the use of bows or guns.  The activity is known as Shed Hunting.  Simply defined, shed hunting is the art of seeking
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This year’s pheasant season closed on January 10.  Although gone, the past season is certainly not forgotten.  For many -- and perhaps the majority -- of Iowa’s 64,000 pheasant hunting enthusiasts, this year’s success was the best in recent years.  Although roosters were plentiful across much of the state, nowhere did hunters encounter greater ringneck
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For many Iowans, late season snowfalls and frigid winds make it seem as if winter will never end.  But in reality, the impending change of season could be just around the corner.  Temperatures will eventually rise and ponds and marshes will become ice free.  When that happens, the Iowa landscape will suddenly erupt in spring
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While most Iowa hunting seasons are now closed, cottontail rabbits provide an exception.  They remain legal game until the end of February.  As abundant as they are nutritious; the daily bag limit is a liberal ten rabbits per day.  Rabbit is a winter staple at our home, and there are many excellent heart healthy recipes. 
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With its prominent crest, crimson plumage, and cheery song, the cardinal is one of Iowa’s most beloved songbirds.  Considering the species current abundance, it seems hard to imagine that cardinals were historically rare in southern Iowa, and totally nonexistent in the north.  Today, the redbird has become a common year-round resident statewide.  Quick to take
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Pursuing late season cottontails is one of my favorite forms of winter recreation.  It’s a team effort, and I never go it alone but always include my longtime feathered hunting partner, Attila.  Attila is my male goshawk and we’ve been chasing rabbits together for fifteen seasons now.  I can say with certainty that you’ll rarely
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Iowa’s deer season ended January 10.  Wary, secretive, and highly intelligent, Iowa’s only species of big game is more than willing to provide hunters with a wide array of outdoor challenges.  For me, this year’s hunt offered a rich mix of peaks and valleys, highs and lows.  By the time I took up the bow, the
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