Outdoors

If you haven’t already heard, the walleye bite on Big Spirit Lake has been really good. The bite has been going on since the end of August or so. It’s a crankbait bite with anglers pulling plugs in the basin. The bite was really on display the weekend of Sept. ...

Wherever people fish anywhere in North America, and that's almost everywhere, there's an excitement right now about fishing. Fall is a wonderful season to be on the water trying to get a fish to bite. And, if you put your bait in front a fish, chances are good that it will eat that bait...

On Sept. 5, U. S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced $170,623,713 (million) in grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to all 50 States, five U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia for state-identified outdoor recreation and conservation projects. LWCF funds are non-taxpayer dollars derived from Outer Continental Shelf lease revenues and are awarded through federal matching grants administered by the National Park Service...

Life along the Mississippi River is rarely boring. Case in point: the 4,000-acre Green Island Wildlife Area, in Jackson County. Situated at the confluence of the Maquoketa and Mississippi rivers, Green Island is a popular bird watching location, duck and deer hunting spot, and, increasingly, a paddler destination...

One of the successful and well-attended activities at the 2019 Okoboji Blue Water Festival (OBWF) was the clean water panel put together by OBWF organizer Greg Drees. The event was a hit despite learning two days before that keynote speaker Alexandra Cousteau had encountered a medical emergency and had to cancel her speaking engagement...

From now until ice-up is a wonderful time to be on the water chasing a variety of fish. Throughout the Midwest and much of the rest of North America, most species of predator fish are willing to get caught. Walleyes, pike, bass, even panfish are willing biters. ...

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Donor Network launched a new organ, eye, and tissue donor registry on Wednesday, Sept. 4. The new registry makes it possible for Iowans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors when obtaining a hunting, fishing or fur harvester license...

The 2019 upland data for the DNR’s August roadside count has been collected and analyzed. After the snowy winter, late winter ice and rain followed by a wet and cold spring, there was fear that the pheasant and quail numbers would be down. Sadly enough, the roadside count numbers show those fears have been verified. ...

Autumn is in the air! Birds are gathered on power lines, butterflies are getting together to prepare for their southerly journey, there have even been reports of tree leaves changing colors. Summer fishing is different than spring fishing, and fishing in the fall in several very important ways is different than fishing in the summer. ...

Earlier this summer, the Iowa Great Lakes chain was only about three inches from becoming a no-wake system because of high water levels. It was nip and tuck for quite a while before the water began to slowly go down. Would you believe that by Monday, Sept. 2, Big Spirit Lake was nearly three inches below the spillway. That’s right, no water was flowing over the spillway...

At the Okoboji Blue Water Festival, fishing enthusiasts had the opportunity to attend the fishing seminar put on by Pure Fishing’s senior bait development engineer Dan Spengler entitled “The Science of Fishing Lures.” Spengler’s goal was to share his passion for hardbait design and share with those in attendance the art/science of creating a top working hardbaits and how to fish these baits...

Fall is quickly approaching. In fact, in some areas of the Midwest it’s already starting to look and feel like autumn. Many anglers consider fall fishing to be the best fishing period of the year. However, even during the best fishing period of the year, there are days when action might be a little slower than we like...

The good news for Iowa’s cottontail rabbit hunters is that Iowa has a strong population of rabbits, similar to last year, with only the east central part of the state seeing a decline in numbers. The better news for hunters is Iowa’s cottontail rabbit season begins Aug. 31 statewide...

The area that has become Waterman Prairie has been important for people and wildlife for more than 1,000 years. It’s an area that native tribes called home and where Inkpaduta, Wahpekute Dakota Indian chief of the Spirit Lake massacre and Little Big Horn fame, hid from the military on his way west...

Jeff Wallace and John Boettcher were co-recipients of the 2019 Ace Cory Conservation Award presented at the annual Okoboji Protective Association's (OPA) annual meeting on Saturday, Aug. 10. The prestigious award, which has been bestowed since 2006 by the Okoboji Protective Association, goes to an individual whose work in the Iowa Great Lakes area, voluntary or professional, reflects the principles of the late Ace Cory, one of the region's pioneer environmentalists...

Are you ready for it? Sept. 1 is just around the corner and so are the dove and early teal seasons. Both open on Sunday, Sept. 1. Let’s take a look at both seasons. It's hard to believe that Iowa has had a dove hunting season since 2011. In addition to the mourning dove, there is also the Eurasian collard-dove, which is similar in appearance but has a distinctive mark or "collar" on its neck and are a little larger than the mourning dove. ...

Summer took its time arriving this year; fishing has been good for many people in many places. Now we're thinking about fall fishing. It certainly is true: The older we get the faster time goes by. Late summer and fall fishing can be very good, but if we want it to be very good, we need to change the way we go about our fishing. Following are some of the things that we need to do if we want to experience that very good, even outstanding fishing...

Thousands of residents and visitors alike spent the fourth annual Okoboji Blue Water Festival reveling in activities and events surrounding clean water. The list ranged from sidewalk art murals, to family activities as well as 33 clean water groups and businesses lined along the promenade. Visitors found a fishing seminar, a touring group of actors presenting "Nature: A Walking Play" and a panel on clean water issues. An evening of great music was highlighted by the music icon Bruce Hornsby...

Snapping turtles are Iowa's largest turtle species, but they’re so much more than their tough demeanor. Here are some things you should know about these awesome reptiles. The environment impacts the snapping turtles' breeding — so much so that after eggs are laid, they can take anywhere from 55 to 120 days to hatch. ...

As I traveled last Thursday morning (Aug. 8) for the Prairie Lakes Conference field tour on the newly acquired Wallace and Bowers Nature Area on the north side of Big Spirit Lake, I wondered what I would find. As I turned south on the entrance road to Shore Acres, I saw the traditional corn and bean fields you see all across northwest Iowa. ...

It was almost a year ago last summer that I got to spend a day on the water chasing largemouth bass with Mike Frisch. Some, maybe much of the time, when we think about late summer fishing for largemouth we think weedlines and crankbaits or jigworms. However, throwing artificial frogs in shallow water can be equally productive, very visual, and will often get the bigger bass to hit...

For more than 100 years, the Iowa Great Lakes have been home to some of the best trapshooters in the state — and the nation. That rich tradition continued in late July, as Arnolds Park resident Rick Kalsow was awarded the Ottumwa Diamond Badge for outstanding trapshooting at the Iowa State ATA Trap Shoot held Saturday, July 21 in Cedar Falls...

After all of these years, I think you know that I am a fishing fanatic, and I’ve kind of hooked my family on the hobby. Yes, I enjoy fishing for walleyes and bass and perch and crappies and northern pike, but my first love is chasing Okoboji bluegills. Ice fishing to ice out to the spawn to right now when the bluegills have gone to the deep weedbeds and deeper, each day of fishing for bluegills is special...

In the remaining open water months, there is one very basic thing to keep in mind for fishing success, we’ve said it before and I’m sure we’ll say it again, but it’s so important that it’s a good thing to keep in mind: If you want to catch fish now, you’ve got to find what they’re eating. You’ve got to be fishing where the predator fish’s food is. As summer moves on and autumn starts to arrive, staying near what the fish want to eat is very important. Following are some examples of doing so...

Lots to like about fishing for walleye in the fall. Traditionally some of the very best fishing of the entire season particularly for trophy class fish. Great fishing, big fish and fewer people… Always amazes us that more people don’t fish in the fall. ...

Three fish kills reported to DNR in two days illustrate the importance of taking extra caution with chemicals and other pollutants when the weather is hot and dry. DNR staff are investigating two fish kills near Des Moines, one on Deer Creek about three miles southeast of Elkhart and another on Walnut Creek in West Des Moines. Also reported yesterday in Butler County, a fish kill occurred on a three-mile stretch of an unnamed stream near Clarksville...

One of the many anticipated events of the fourth annual Okoboji Blue Water Festival scheduled for 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 10, is the fishing seminar. Located under the Big Tent, this year’s seminar can best be described as “Seeing is Believing!” Dan Spengler, senior bait development engineer for Pure Fishing will offer insight into the development process for Berkley hardbaits and terminal tackle such as jigs and how they are paired with Berkley’s soft baits. ...

The weather has been really hot across the Midwest, and sometimes we equate hot weather with slower catching when we go fishing. That doesn’t need to be the case. Wherever you live in much of North America, there is a river close by, and the fish in that river are willing to eat, even during hot weather...

The extent of impact that a cold and snowy late winter and heavy rains and flooding in April and May had on pheasant nesting success will likely be seen when the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conducts its annual pheasant counts. The statewide survey takes place Aug. 1-15...

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for help with its annual turkey population estimates in July and August. Participation is easy – just note the date and county in which the turkey was seen, if it was an adult female or adult male – males have beards on their breast – and whether there were young poults (baby turkeys). There is a link to an online survey and survey card at http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Turkey-Hunting for those willing to help...