Stories from Wednesday, October 28, 2020

The popular Iowa Habitat and Access Program is accepting applications from landowners interested in receiving technical assistance and financial incentives in exchange for allowing hunters to access the improved area. Interested landowners should contact their local private lands staff with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, who will come to the property to walk the site with the landowner and help write a habitat plan. ...

Over the past year, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has partnered with Iowa Safari Club International and several other organizations to create a free, online video series that provides new hunters or existing hunters wanting to try something new, the information, skills, and resources needed to get out in the hunting field...

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is asking Iowans to help with a research project designed to learn more about trumpeter swan survival during the cygnets’ first year of life that will help to better manage and conserve this species. “We want to get eyes on these birds every two weeks to verify the number of cygnets and see what habitat they’re using,” said Anna Buckardt Thomas, avian ecologist with the Iowa DNR...

There’s still time to take advantage of open water fishing, but it’s also time to think about going ice fishing. This year, particularly this year, if you want to go on an ice fishing trip, you need to make plans now. People are fishing more than ever, and competition for lodging is intense in ice fishing country...

This coming weekend marks the opening of the pheasant season in Iowa. In an earlier story, we discussed what the roadside counts show for the upcoming season. According to Todd Bogenschultz, upland wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, pheasant populations are on par with the best counts in the past decade, including six of the nine survey regions averaging more than 20 birds per route — the most since 2007...

Spirit Lake's volleyball season came to a close Wednesday with a loss to fifth-ranked Unity Christian in the second round of the Class 3A regional tournament. The Indians fell 3-1 to the Knights in Orange City. "The girls played a very competitive game against Unity Christian," Spirit Lake coach Beau Dielschneider said. ...

While Harris-Lake Park cross country runners were not able to continue their season by advancing to the state meet, the Wolves made school history at the Class 1A state qualifying meet held Thursday, Oct. 22 in Holstein. For the first time ever, the boys competed as a complete team, placing 14th overall...

Okoboji will send three runners to Fort Dodge for the state cross country meet later this week. Lexi Duffy, Lauren Duffy and Adison Frerichs punched their tickets at the state qualifying meet held on a wet, cold and windy Thursday in Orange City. Lexi Duffy placed 11th in 21 minutes, 36.5 seconds. Frerichs placed 13th in 21:37.50. Lauren Duffy placed 15th in 21:45.40...

Damon VandenBerg and Will Block will represent Spirit Lake at the state cross country meet slated for Saturday, Oct. 31 in Fort Dodge. The Indians duo earned a pair of top-15 finishes at the Class 2A state qualifying meet held Thursday, Oct. 22 in Orange City...

As the Wolves prepared to square off with unbeaten and sixth-ranked Coon Rapids-Bayard in the second round of the 8-Player football playoffs, Harris-Lake Park coach Lane Gunderson said it would be crucial for his squad to get an early lead against the run-heavy Crusaders offense. The Wolves did just that on Friday night, scoring the game's first touchdown in the opening stanza, but back-to-back Coon Rapids-Bayard scores quickly put Harris-Lake Park on its heels...

Since earning an upset road win over then-undefeated Estherville Lincoln Central on Sept. 18, Spirit Lake has been dominant, outscoring its opponents 136-0 in a trio of wins over Okoboji, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura and — most recently — Clear Lake. On Friday, the Indians notched their third straight shutout victory with a 40-0 walloping of the Lions in the second round of the Class 2A football playoffs in Spirit Lake...