Stories from Wednesday, April 8, 2020

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is working with state and local officials to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and has transitioned employees to work remotely. DNR offices are closed to the public during this time and only available by appointment...

If you are a spring turkey hunter, the DNR encourages you to plan ahead and get your hunting license and turkey tag at least 7-10 days in advance so tags have time to arrive in the mail before the season begins. The rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19 is causing many retailers to change hours or how they do business, including those that sell hunting and fishing licenses. ...

Many different crankbait styles and lures can work early in the season. Often, we find some of our most consistent crankbait patterns early in the season in less than 12 feet of water. Jerk baits or shallow running minnow profile lures often shine in clear water and cold water that is less than 55 degrees. ...

I took a drive the other day and happened to travel over the bridge that spanned one of my favorite spring walleye rivers. There were several anglers within eyeshot of the bridge. It’s a small river, very similar to many of the small rivers that are found across the Midwest. It’s maybe a quarter mile wide at the widest, 10 feet deep in the deepest hole, and has a dam every 15 or 20 miles...

This is the time of year that northwest Iowans get excited for the annual spring gill netting by the DNR personnel at the Spirit Lake Hatchery. One of the most amazing things to me is how quickly the northern pike netting goes. In visiting with Kim Hawkins, Natural Resources Biologist and Spirit Lake Hatchery Manager, the nets were set last Sunday night (March 29) at two different sites: the Hales Slough Trap and Buffalo Run. ...

Events for Iowa’s high school Unified Activities partners will remain prohibited through April 30, as Governor Kim Reynolds announced an extension of school closures through that date on Thursday, April 2. This continued response to the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) moves the previously announced potential return date from April 13 to May 1 for the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, the Iowa High School Athletic Association, the Iowa High School Music Association, and the Iowa High School Speech Association.. ...

Dickinson County football coaches, athletes and fans received a welcomed respite from the downer that has been the sports world of late, as the Iowa High School Athletics Association (IHSAA) released the 2020 district opponents and schedules in late March...

Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters "I believe in the data, I believe in the strategy," Tuesday as she maintained her decision to avoid a stay-at-home order for the state of Iowa. "Much like Iowa is not New York, California or New Jersey, we have different areas of the state that are experiencing different outbreaks," Reynolds said. ...

Area non-profit organizations want to remind northwest Iowans about the options available to cope with anxiety during a time of social distancing or self-isolation related to COVID-19. The Iowa Department of Public Health on Wednesday learned of 97 additional positive cases in the state for a total of 1,145 positive cases of COVID-19. ...