Outdoor Notes 1/2/2024 12:01:00 PM View Count 3131 Hunting seasons will begin closing soon in early January. Pheasant, archery turkey and deer seasons, and late muzzleloader deer season close on Jan. 10. Goose seasons start closing first in the north zone on Jan. 13, followed by the central zone on Jan. 20, and the south zone on Jan. 27.
Iowa’s furharvest season began Nov. 4 11/7/2023 11:54:00 AM View Count 4332 Iowa trappers can expect to find good numbers of furbearers statewide during the 2023-24 season, that began on Nov. 4.
Stay safe this harvest season 9/26/2023 1:05:00 PM View Count 4618 AMES - As fall harvest starts across Iowa, the risk of wildfires in crop fields increases. Recent rains across Iowa provided some relief from the on-going drought, but crop fields are still dry, cured and could spark wildfires.
Learn to Hunt program opens registration for beginner fur harvesting workshops 7/5/2023 12:12:00 PM View Count 2796 DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a program to teach skills needed to trap furbearers to anyone who has little to no trapping experience.
Public invited to field day highlighting forest management 4/4/2023 11:47:00 AM View Count 2876 FAYETTE, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Iowa State University Extension will be showcasing various forestry practices at Volga River State Recreation Area as part of a public field day on May 16.
DNR to discuss bobcat recovery and management Jan. 18 at EB Lyons Nature Center 12/21/2022 2:45:00 PM View Count 9083 The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be discussing bobcat management at 7 p.m., Jan. 18, at the EB Lyons Nature Center, in Dubuque. The meeting is open to the public.
Iowa’s late muzzleloader deer season is underway; hunters provide 4,600 deer samples for chronic wasting disease testing 12/20/2022 11:55:00 AM View Count 10547 With Iowa’s shotgun deer seasons in the rearview mirror, hunting deer returns to a more solidary experience with late muzzleloader season and the reopening of the archery season.
Mitigation project addresses former strip mine sites on Pella Wildlife Area 11/22/2022 11:43:00 AM View Count 5257 The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will begin a project to restore a 165-acre portion of the Pella Wildlife Management Area that was previously used as a strip mine.
Mitigation project addresses former strip mine sites on Pella Wildlife Area 11/18/2022 12:55:00 PM View Count 4903 The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will begin a project to restore a portion of the Pella Wildlife Management Area that was previously used as a strip mine.
Firewise on the Farm 11/1/2022 1:46:00 PM View Count 3173 AMES - As Iowa’s annual harvest wraps up across the state, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages farmers to get reacquainted with fire prevention practices to keep the farm ‘firewise.’
Iowa’s furharvest season starts Nov. 5 10/25/2022 11:40:00 AM View Count 2924 Iowa trappers can expect to find good numbers of furbearers available statewide when the season begins on Nov. 5.
Introductory trapping course brings a mix of youth and adults to Oakland Mills area 10/5/2022 6:59:00 AM View Count 2799 The Henry County Conservation Board’s Oakland Mills Nature Center on the south side of the Skunk River was the host site where 18 participants experienced a hands-on introductory course on furharvesting on Sept. 24.
Learn to Hunt program opens registration for beginner furharvesting workshops 8/23/2022 12:08:00 PM View Count 4417 DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a program to teach skills needed to trap furbearers to anyone who has little to no trapping experience.
Chain O Lakes Wildlife Area recovering two years after derecho 8/23/2022 11:50:00 AM View Count 3156 The lingering effects of the historic 2020 derecho that cut a destructive path through Iowa can be seen at the Chain O Lakes Wildlife Area in northern Linn County.
Spring snow goose hunting season open through May 1 3/8/2022 1:40:00 PM View Count 5030 The snow goose migration is underway and with it, the opportunity for waterfowl hunters to participate in the special conservation order allowing hunting of light geese in Iowa through May 1.
Outdoor Notes 12/28/2021 1:15:00 PM View Count 1503 Hunting seasons will begin closing in early January. Pheasant, archery turkey and deer seasons, and late muzzleloader deer season close on Jan. 10.
Iowa’s deer harvest on similar track as 2020 12/14/2021 2:50:00 PM View Count 3716 Iowa’s hunters reported harvesting around 75,000 deer heading in to the final weekend of Iowa’s shotgun deer season, which is similar to the 2020 deer harvest at the same point.
Salvage timber harvest planned for East Salt Creek, Vermace Woods through March 2022 10/22/2021 3:52:00 PM View Count 1583 Loggers will be felling and harvesting damaged and downed timber from the 2020 derecho in the East Salt Creek and Vermace Woods Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in Tama County, from October through March 2022.
Iowa's hunters prepping for another good pheasant season 10/12/2021 1:42:00 PM View Count 3220 With the annual fall crop harvest running ahead of schedule, Iowa’s 2021 pheasant season is expected to be another good one when 55,000 plus blaze orange clad hunters take to the fields on Oct. 30.
Pheasant hunters and pheasant harvest increased in 2020 7/13/2021 1:18:00 PM View Count 3018 Pheasant hunters harvested nearly 300,000 roosters in Iowa during the 2020 season, which was the second highest harvest reported in more than a decade. In 2019, hunters harvested nearly 284,000 roosters.
Iowa's popular shotgun deer seasons are just a few weeks away 11/18/2020 6:39:00 AM View Count 4464 Blaze orange clad hunters moving through Iowa’s timber will be a common sight when the first of two shotgun deer seasons open Dec. 5. An estimated 120,000 hunters participate in the shotgun seasons, harvesting about half of the total number of deer for the year.
Iowa hunters harvest nearly 95,000 deer from the 2019-20 seasons 2/11/2020 1:48:00 PM View Count 7024 Hunters reported harvesting nearly 95,000 deer during Iowa’s 2019-2020 hunting seasons, which is a decline from 2018-19, when hunters reported nearly 108,000 deer.
DNR to host public meeting on timber harvest at McIntosh Woods 12/26/2019 10:23:00 AM View Count 2191 VENTURA, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will hold a public meeting on Monday, January 6, 2020 at 6:30pm at the Ventura Community Center, 4 N. Weimer Street, to discuss salvage timber harvest at McIntosh Woods State Park.
Hunters harvested nearly 11,400 turkeys during 2019 spring season 5/21/2019 1:05:00 PM View Count 3911 Turkey hunters reported harvesting nearly 11,400 Iowa birds this spring through the mandatory registration system, which is about 300 birds fewer than were harvested in 2018.
2017 Pheasant harvest tops 220,000, 2018 nesting forecast is mixed 7/10/2018 2:10:00 PM View Count 16788 An estimated 55,000 hunters harvested more than 221,000 roosters in Iowa last fall; a slight decline from 245,000 harvested in 2016. Hunters reported good success across the entire northwest quarter of Iowa.
Hunters harvested 11,700 turkeys during 2018 spring season 5/29/2018 12:44:00 PM View Count 6919 Turkey hunters reported harvesting 11,700 Iowa birds this spring, which is 100 birds fewer than were harvested in 2017.
2017 Iowa deer harvest surpasses 2016 totals 1/16/2018 2:10:00 PM View Count 21309 Hunters reported harvesting 105,544 deer in Iowa for 2017, which is an increase of more than 4,100 deer from 2016. Iowa’s deer seasons closed on Jan. 10.
DNR to discuss tree harvesting at public meeting 1/3/2018 2:13:00 PM View Count 3686 WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host an informational meeting on Tuesday, January 9, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Walnut Woods State Park Lodge in West Des Moines to discuss a planned tree harvest.
Iowa deer harvest tops 90,000 12/19/2017 1:20:00 PM View Count 10744 The 2017 Iowa deer harvest is running more than 5 percent ahead of the 2016 totals. So far this fall, 90,955 deer have been reported, compared to 86,506 for the same period last year.
Iowa deer harvest nearly identical to 2016 12/12/2017 1:01:00 PM View Count 8607 The 2017 Iowa deer harvest is running less than 1 percent ahead of the 2016 totals. So far this fall, 76,204 deer have been reported, compared to 75,909 for the same period last year.
Iowa deer harvest ahead of 2016 12/5/2017 12:21:00 PM View Count 11170 The 2017 Iowa deer harvest is running 4.5 percent ahead of the 2016 totals. So far this fall, 55,793 deer have been reported, compared to 53,191 for the same period last year.
Iowa’s 2017 shotgun deer season preview 11/21/2017 11:39:00 AM View Count 25704 The first of Iowa’s popular shotgun deer seasons is Dec. 2-6 when an expected 60,000 orange-clad hunters head to the timber. That group will be followed by another 60,000 hunters who prefer the Dec. 9-17 second shotgun season.
Iowa deer harvest similar to 2016 11/15/2017 9:51:00 AM View Count 3268 The 2017 Iowa deer harvest is running slightly behind the 2016 totals. So far this fall, 21,825 deer have been reported, compared to 21,947 for the same period last year.
Big Creek volunteer opportunity/meeting Sept. 12 9/7/2017 8:18:00 AM View Count 3639 DES MOINES -- Big Creek State Park will host a volunteer event and informational meeting Tuesday, Sept. 12
Hunters harvested nearly 11,800 turkeys during 2017 spring season 5/30/2017 2:15:00 PM View Count 3829 Turkey hunters reported harvesting nearly 11,800 Iowa birds this spring, which is about 400 birds fewer than 2016.
New commercial and recreational turtle harvest seasons and catch limits 3/21/2017 11:56:00 AM View Count 14630 New commercial and recreational turtle harvest seasons and daily catch limits start March 22.
2016 Iowa deer harvest tops 100,000 2/28/2017 12:49:00 PM View Count 9878 Deer hunters reported harvesting 101,397 deer during the 2016 Iowa deer hunting season, which is about 3,000 fewer than were reported in 2015, but nearly identical to the 2014 harvest.
Register your harvest 11/22/2016 1:59:00 PM View Count 12851 Your deer is down, tagged and on its way to the truck. Your harvest is not complete, though, until you register it; online, over the phone or at a license vendor.
Don’t wait till the last minute to purchase shotgun deer season licenses 11/22/2016 1:53:00 PM View Count 14248 Hunters planning to participate in Iowa’s shotgun deer season are encouraged to purchase their licenses ahead of time to avoid long lines at the retailer.
Iowa’s archery deer hunting season opens October 1 9/27/2016 2:12:00 PM View Count 12413 The days are getting shorter, nights are getting cooler and treestands are being moved into place. For bow hunters, the long wait is nearly over. Iowa’s archery deer season begins Oct. 1.
Iowa Pheasant Harvest Highest Since 2009, Quail Highest Since 2007 6/8/2016 9:58:00 AM View Count 22401 Iowa’s estimated pheasant harvest continues its climb and for the fifth year in a row has been higher than the previous year. In 2015, more than 56,000 hunters harvested nearly 270,000 rooster pheasants in Iowa, which is an increased harvest of 24 percent over 2014 and the highest pheasant harvest since 2009.
2016 Spring Turkey Harvest Tops 12,000 5/31/2016 1:04:00 PM View Count 4811 Turkey hunters reported harvesting nearly 12,200 Iowa birds this spring, which is highest harvest total since hunters were required to report their harvest in 2007.
Deer Harvest Running Ahead of Previous Years 11/24/2015 7:14:00 AM View Count 6215 Hunters have reported harvesting more than 27,300 deer so far into the 2015 season, which is nearly 4,000 more than was reported in 2013 and 2014 over the same time period.
Register Your Harvest 11/17/2015 10:15:00 AM View Count 5214 Your deer is down, tagged and on its way to the truck. Your harvest is not complete, though, until you register it; online, over the phone or at a license vendor.