The ice is shifting, open water areas are enlarging, and the bluebills have arrived at Clear Lake.  Although our latest 4-inch snowfall ended early this morning, the NW winds continued to rage with gusts exceeding 40 mph.  Light conditions remained gloomy, but there were just too many birds on the wing to stay indoors.  Finding

Read More

I like to tell people that modern-day snow geese are the smartest birds in the sky.  When under the direct supervision of experienced adults, even first year geese can be almost impossible to dupe; and bagging one can present hunters with an extreme challenge.  There are still some occasional exceptions, however.  One such episode occurred

Read More

  Iowa’s spring waterfowl migration is one of the most anticipated events on my annual outdoor calendar.  During the next several days, more than two dozen species of northbound ducks, geese, and swans will visit our local wetlands.  Dressed in their finest nuptial plumage, the feathery web-foots are a sight to behold.  And although each species

Read More

    The spring waterfowl migration was put on temporary hold this week as another arctic cold front swept across Northern Iowa.  Yesterday's weather added insult to injury as strong winds and whiteout snow squalls raged off and on throughout much of the day.  Although such days are extremely tough on equipment, who could dream of staying

Read More

Yesterday afternoon, my wife, Carol decided that I needed a new turkey decoy.  In reality, I probably did not.  I already have a lot of turkey decoys.  I have turkey silhouettes, folding turkeys, inflatable turkeys, hard rubber turkeys, plastic turkeys, hens, jakes, gobblers, and so on.  In my search for the perfect decoy, I feel

Read More

The annual mass migration of snow geese is one of  creation’s most amazing spectacles.  More than six million of the snow white birds are currently moving toward ancestral breeding grounds on the sodden tundras of the Canadian arctic.  The northbound geese are unaware, of course, that nesting areas will remain locked under snow and ice

Read More

  It's mid-March, and the days are getting long.  In spite of the fact that our North Iowa woodlands remain snow covered and spring turkey seasons are still nearly a month in the offing; I couldn't resist getting out into the timber this weekend.  Glad I did. Saturday morning was certainly no disappointment.  Right on cue, and

Read More

  What a difference a week [or maybe a couple of days] can make!  As recently as March 10, I still needed snowshoes to navigate across much of the North Iowa landscape and wind chills were still routinely dropping into negative numbers.  And then came the Big Thaw.  Snow depths that looked [and felt] as if

Read More

  Happened upon this scene around sunset tonight.  Hard to tell if this rooster is wondering where in the world to tuck in for the night; or if he's contemplating just ending it all by standing on the blacktop until the next high speed grain hauler comes roaring over the hill.

We’ve all heard that old adage “In Like A Lion; Out Like A Lamb”.  It refers to the month of March.  This year, March made its dramatic entrance from the Lion side of the stage -- complete with roaring winds, drifting snow, and subzero temperatures.  Not exactly what any of us, including Iowa wildlife, needed

Read More

  It was my turn to cook -- So for last night's dinner, I decided to fix a 'standard batch' of Kung Pao Pheasant.  Just about the time everything was ready, I discovered a lone thigh hiding behind a group of oranges.  Don't know how it ended up there, but I decided to teach that fugitive

Read More

It’s no secret that most Iowans have had enough of winter snow -- have had enough of winter cold.  But spring is on its way.  For one resident bird species, the season has already arrived.  From the remote reaches of Iowa forestlands to tiny farm grove woodlots, female great horned owls are already sitting on

Read More