The attached photo is my idea of the 'Perfect Ten'.  The scene occurred Friday afternoon near the north border of Wind Cave National Park.  While driving the backroads I spotted the horns of two nice pronghorns protruding above the top of a prairie ridgeline.  Parking the truck and grabbing the camera, I began the stalk;
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We’ve all heard that old saying --- ‘Big things come in small packages’.  No one knows who first coined the phrase, but I can’t help but wonder if they weren’t referring to the blue-winged teal.  A champion long distance traveler of the Mississippi Flyway; the diminutive blue-wing is indeed a mighty bird wrapped in a
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    I’ve spent a better part of the past eight days sitting on a South Dakota prairie staring at bison.  Although viewing opportunities have varied, there have been some real “Dances With Wolves” moments when peering over a ridgetop, I’ve been greeted to the sight of hundreds of bison methodically grazing the valley floor.  Most of
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“ . . It soon became apparent that I had become witness to a predatory blood bath of dynamic proportions.  Gnats and mosquitoes were dying by the thousands!”   Back when I was a school kid, organized summer youth activities were virtually nonexistent.  Consequently, we invented our own entertainment.  For boys, the Dog Days of August were
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For most budding waterfowl hunters, an early season blue-winged teal is the very first duck brought to bag.  I was no exception to that rule, and shot my very first blue-wing during my very first duck hunt.  It was just Dad and I, and the hunt took place in Northern Iowa along a quiet backwater
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  Hummingbirds and Jewelweed The ruby-throated hummingbird is aptly named.  When illuminated by even the slightest hint of sunlight, the male’s ruby red bib sparkles with all the intensity of the finest jewel.  The hummingbird’s glossy emerald back is equally iridescent, making the species one of our most attractive backyard birds. But it is the hummingbird’s unique flight
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  For the past 12 summers, I’ve been observing the daily activities at a red-tailed hawk nest located near the south shore of Clear Lake.  This year, the hawks successfully raised two young.  Out of the nest and on the wing, the fledglings are currently learning to hunt for themselves.  Their first inexperienced and clumsy attempts
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  There’s a big change for this year’s duck season.  For the first time since the 1960s, Iowa waterfowlers will have an opportunity to participate in a Special Teal Only Hunting Season.  The statewide 16-day season begins Saturday, September 6 and runs through September 21.  Authorized by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the hunt is
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  It’s late July, and I’ve arrived at my destination just in time to see the sun rise above the Mississippi River.  I’m perched atop the towering wall of a 350-foot, limestone cliff face overlooking the river.  Needless to say, the view is spectacular as the eastern horizon explodes into brilliant hues of orange and gold. 
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    Pike's Peak is one of Iowa's best known state parks.  Offering clean campgrounds, spectacular views of the Mississippi River, and an interlinking  maze of beautiful woodland hiking trails; Pike's Peak has something for everyone.  Last week, Carol and I decided to take advantage of the abnormally cool July weather and explore the park's trail system. 
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  It was a cold, late spring.  But the summer weather is heating up and at long last, this year's crop of wild raspberries is coming on strong.  For my money, few treats taste better than a dish of vanilla ice cream covered in black raspberries at the end of a long,  hot day.  Competition is
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  Comedian Rodney Dangerfield was best known for his trademark phrase, "I don't get no respect." I suspect that, if the lowly mulberry bush had feelings, it could relate.  Although few fruit bearing plants annually produce a more abundant crop, most people ignore or even scorn this tasty and nutritious wild edible.  Although there are many reasons 
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