Stories from Thursday, April 9, 2015

Many of you have already noticed tall plumes of smoke in the distance as you drive the roads this spring. Prescribed burning season has begun. Long ago, this sight frightened the early settlers to our area. Uncontrolled prairie fire coming toward their homes was indeed something to be feared. They had to plow a fire break around their property, or start a back fire and hope that the flames wouldn't jump to their house...

Iowa's turkey flock had an excellent hatch in 2014 leading to the possibility that hunters should see increased opportunities to harvest a bird during the 2015 spring turkey season. The first of Iowa's four regular spring turkey seasons is April 13-16, second season is April 17-21, third season is April 22-28 and the fourth season is April 29-May 17. An archery only license is good from April 13-May 17...

With ice fishing officially done until ice returns next fall, now it's time to start thinking about open water fishing. Every new year brings new things to add or consider adding to my fishing. In the open water fishing season of 2015, I've got some new things that I will be trying, and also some things that were new for 2014 that I will be expanding on. Following are some of those things...

What fun it has been this spring watching all of the waterfowl returning north. All kinds of ducks, Canada geese, snow geese and swans have all stopped off, sometimes only for a short time, as they migrate north. If you have taken the time to just observe, you have probably seen some of the most vivid colors and crazy antics from these migrating birds...

Former Iowa Lakes basketball standout and current South Dakota State guard Deondre Parks was named a finalist for the 2015 Riley Wallace Player of the Year Award. The Riley Wallace award is presented annually to the top transfer in Division I college basketball. All of the finalists also earn Riley Wallace Award All-American honors...