The Iowa Natural Resource Commission voted to add protections to a northeast Iowa trout stream Wednesday, but environmentalists say they are concerned about plans approved for a nearby cattle operation. A DNR memo says the five-acre easement along Bloody Run Creek in northeast Iowa's of Clayton … [Read more...]
DNR wants to know about wild turkey sightings
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is asking for your help in counting wild turkeys. Wildlife biologist, Jim Coffey coordinates the turkey tracking. "During the month of July and August, we look for the general public to report any turkey sightings that they see. What we are really looking … [Read more...]
Conditions shaping up for a good pheasant season
The DNR wildlife biologist who tracks pheasant numbers says the winter and spring weather should offset each other to set up for a good fall hunting season. Todd Bogenschutz uses a model of bird survival based on past weather information. He says the winter was mixed for pheasants. "The … [Read more...]
Free fishing weekend starts Friday
Fishing is more popular in Iowa now than ever before and state officials are hoping to keep riding that wave by luring more people to the sport with free fishing tomorrow through Sunday. Joe Larscheid, chief of the Iowa DNR’s Fisheries Bureau, says Iowans can try fishing without having to buy a … [Read more...]
Program for new deer hunters now taking registrations
Registration is now open for the Field To Fork Deer Hunting Program which takes Iowans with zero hunting skills and teaches them to use a compound bow to hunt and kill white-tailed deer. Jamie Cook, the program's coordinator with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says students will also … [Read more...]
Dubuque County bobcat season on hold, Delaware, Jones County approved
The Iowa Natural Resources Commission approved adding bobcat seasons in Delaware and Jones Counties in northeast Iowa counties Thursday -- but Dubuque County was removed from the proposed new bobcat zones. The DNR's Todd Bishop says 20 of 23 comments in Dubuque County were against adding the … [Read more...]
Bill calls for study of Iowa deer herd’s impact on property, car wrecks
A bill that has cleared the Iowa Senate would set up a new January hunting season for deer, but only in counties where all the state licenses for harvesting antlerless deer were not sold. The bill would let deer hunters use long-barrelled rifles during that period. "The purpose of this season is … [Read more...]
Restoration of lake at Geode State Park almost complete
The multi-million dollar lake bed restoration project at Geode State Park in southeast Iowa is almost finished and the lake will reopen, once the spring rains fill it back up. Longtime area resident Robert Morrison loves to fish and says Geode was his favorite spot. "I took my grandson fishing … [Read more...]
Senator proposes hunting regulation changes, to thin deer herd
Senator Ken Rozenboom of Oskaloosa says the deer population is too large in some areas of the state and it's time to change some of the state's hunting regulations. "In Appanoose County...the DNR's target was to have 2,700 deer taken this past year," Rozenboom says, "but only 2,200 were taken, so … [Read more...]
Testing finds 21 new CWD cases in deer
The Iowa DNR reports several new cases of chronic wasting disease in test samples submitted from wild deer this hunting season. Tyler Harms leads the program that tracks the disease in deer. He says they tested around 6,000 deer and found 21 new positive deer, and most of the positives came from … [Read more...]