If you’re feeding backyard birds, you’ve probably noticed a significant increase in activity during the past few days.  With double digit below zero temps and wind chill values plunging to minus forty, it’s little wonder that our feathered visitors are busily cramming down every bit of food they can find. Providing a variety of foods will
Read More

The waterfowl season ended December 7th in Iowa’s North Zone.  And although the peak of this year’s waterfowl migrations had occurred by mid-November, there were still some mallards and Canada geese clinging to local refuge areas.  Since there was no open water, I spent the last couple of days hunting in corn stubble near Clear Lake. 
Read More

Following an extended stretch of abnormally mild temperatures, the summery atmosphere ended abruptly as a fast-moving Canadian cold front invaded Northern Iowa December 6.  By sunrise Monday, temps were headed for the basement as thermometers plunged to the lower single digits.  Northwest winds -- gusting to as high as 50 mph -- effectively dropped wind
Read More

Sometimes The Greatest Treasures Are Found In The Most Unlikely Places                    It was late fall, 1981.  The skies were dark and ominous, and there was a distinct feel of winter in the North Iowa air.  Gusting autumn winds made it feel even colder.  In other words, it was the kind of day that every duck hunter
Read More

For Iowa deer hunting enthusiasts, November is the grandest time of the year.  Nothing stands in its shadow.  By the time November arrives, the annual rut has slammed into overdrive.  Secretive, nocturnal habits have changed.  Restless, edgy, and itching for a scrap; broad beamed bucks are on the daytime prowl.  Locked into a perpetual search
Read More

Mc Gregor -- For anyone wishing to broaden their enjoyment of fall color, I would strongly recommend a trip to the bluff country of extreme northeast Iowa.  Famous for its picturesque stands of majestic hardwood timber, people annually drive from far and wide to view the region’s rich mosaic of red, yellow, and orange autumn
Read More

Duluth, Mn. – Situated above Lake Superior’s northern shore, the Hawk Ridge Observatory is one of America’s most popular birding hotspots.  During autumn migration, the observatory may host up to 20,000 visitors who come from far and wide to witness the grand passage of nearly twenty species of southbound raptors.  The winged hunters come in
Read More

If I had to choose just one single month as my favorite, that month would have to be October.  October is a time of incredible beauty.  Fall colors have reached their peak, and the air is heady with the scent of autumn.  The October weather seems to agree with everyone.  Generally speaking, the mornings are
Read More

  Former Iowa State Representative Scott Ourth has been named the Iowa Wildlife Federation executive director. “After an extensive national search, the IWF Board of Directors has named Scott Ourth our new executive director,” reports Board President Rich Leopold.  “Scott’s years of professional experience as a conservation legislator, his passion for Iowa’s natural resources, and his lifetime
Read More

With sixteen full, sunrise to sunset days of high-quality recreational opportunities, Iowa’s special teal seasons are the best single change in waterfowl regulations in the past fifty years.  Tall statement, I know.  But there’s a lot to like about the Iowa teal season.  The weather is mild, the birds abundant.  Always on the lookout for
Read More

Mix the sugar water and fill the backyard feeders.  The fall migration of ruby-throated hummingbirds is underway.  For those wishing to obtain eyeball-to-eyeball encounters with these high speed, feathered buzz bombs; there’s no better time than the present. Although some of the hummingbirds we’re seeing may be homegrown, the bulk of the population is currently arriving
Read More

Iowa’s fall waterfowl seasons kickoff September 1st with a special statewide, sixteen-day teal-only hunt.  The bonus teal event is followed by a dizzying series of split hunting seasons occurring across the state’s North, Central, and Southern zones.  To see what’s going on in your area, check the DNR’s waterfowl hunting regs.  Here today gone tomorrow, migratory
Read More