One thing that my Dad and I could always agree on was that neither one of us had ever landed a walleye while mowing the lawn. I am reminded of that depressing truth every time I crank up the mower and begin another mindless session of circling round and round the yard; engine roaring, blades

  They were a motley looking crew; a bachelor group of four drake mallards quietly sneaking their way through an opening in the cattails. Deep into the summer molt, the birds scarcely resembled the familiar elegantly plumed “Greenheads” of early spring. Rendered flightless by a complete loss of primary wing feathers, the drakes would remain grounded

             Not All Wildlife Encounters End in Warm Fuzzies  Nothing compares to a day spent in the great out-of-doors. Depending on individual interests, outdoor fun may include hunting, fishing, hiking, canoeing, biking or birding. The list is virtually endless. But hidden among all that outdoor fun are potential dangers; many of which may take us by complete

  The Fourth of July parades and picnics may be past; but for this North Iowa gobbler the celebration continues.  In spite of the calendar date and return of mid-summer heat, I spotted this gobbler proudly strutting his stuff in a Cerro Gordo County hay field.  Assuming he began displaying [like most gobblers did] sometime in

  GOOSE RODEO AIDS IN WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT VENTURA -- The trap was set. The noose was tightening. With canoes, kayak, and DNR patrol boat drawing ever closer; the retreating goose flock had little chance for escape. With adult geese rendered temporarily flightless by the summer molt and this year's crop of youngsters not yet capable of taking

Moving from one home to another is never an easy task, especially if you’re a mother with eight growing kids to look after. That’s the Moving Day scene that unfolded when I caught a glimpse of a female opossum busily engaged in relocating her youngsters from their den in Clear Lake’s McIntosh Woods State Park

  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

                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

  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

  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

  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

  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