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Waterfowl refuge at Hawkeye Wildlife Area closed until mid-December

Waterfowl refuge at Hawkeye Wildlife Area closed until mid-December

  • 9/28/2021 9:36:00 PM
  • View Count 1467
SWISHER, Iowa - The waterfowl refuge at the Hawkeye Wildlife Area is currently closed to hunting all species to allow waterfowl and other birds a place to rest during the fall migration. The refuge closed Sept. 24, and will reopen to hunting mid-December.
Arson investigation leads state conservation officers to Williamsburg man

Arson investigation leads state conservation officers to Williamsburg man

  • 9/9/2021 7:10:00 AM
  • View Count 5308
Jereme Goltz, of Williamsburg, faces charges including two counts of third-degree arson, felony possession of a controlled substance- methamphetamine (3rd or subsequent offense), and littering following a two-month long investigation by Iowa Department of Natural Resources conservation officers.
Drought impacting Iowa’s shallow lakes and wetlands

Drought impacting Iowa’s shallow lakes and wetlands

  • 8/25/2021 8:21:00 AM
  • View Count 2537
Parkersburg, Iowa - With much of Iowa currently under drought conditions, many shallow lakes and wetlands will either be dry or nearly dry, making scouting an important part of hunter’s preparation ahead of the 2021 waterfowl season.
Wapello Bottoms Wildlife Area adding to southeast Iowa’s recreation options

Wapello Bottoms Wildlife Area adding to southeast Iowa’s recreation options

  • 8/25/2021 8:17:00 AM
  • View Count 2264
Sometimes, it seems when the stars are aligned, big things can happen. In this case, repeated flood events on the Iowa River in the early 2000s culminating with the flood of 2008 was the thing that allowed farmers who were tired of battling wet farmland to unload that headache and create a 2,800-acre public area.
Open house to discuss Augusta Wildlife Area forest wildlife stewardship plan

Open house to discuss Augusta Wildlife Area forest wildlife stewardship plan

  • 8/5/2021 2:00:00 PM
  • View Count 1288
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold a public open house on August 18, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Cottonwood Loop shelter house of the Welter Recreation Area, to discuss a proposed forest wildlife stewardship plan at the Augusta Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
Green Hill Wildlife Area won’t remain a secret for long

Green Hill Wildlife Area won’t remain a secret for long

  • 6/23/2021 6:58:00 AM
  • View Count 4992
One of Iowa’s newest public wildlife areas is in the backyard of Council Bluffs and outside of a few keen-eyed hunters who noticed the green signs last fall, not many people know about it.
Remnant prairie is the jewel of Blackmun Prairie

Remnant prairie is the jewel of Blackmun Prairie

  • 8/4/2020 11:38:00 AM
  • View Count 2437
Ackley, Iowa - Two miles northeast of Ackley off 320th Street blacktop is one of the rarest of Iowa’s habitat - roughly 60 acres of high-quality remnant prairie that is part of the Blackmun Prairie Wildlife Area – and is a popular site for prairie enthusiasts.
A quiet wild place

A quiet wild place

  • 6/30/2020 2:42:00 PM
  • View Count 3228
Mt. Sterling, Iowa - The Fox River Wildlife Area is about as far off the beaten path as person can get without getting totally lost. The public hunting area in southern Van Buren County is on the way to nowhere and except for some nonresidents who show up each deer season, it doesn’t get too many visitors.
Forney Lake Wildlife Area offers outdoor recreation all year long

Forney Lake Wildlife Area offers outdoor recreation all year long

  • 6/9/2020 3:21:00 PM
  • View Count 4796
Thurman, Iowa - Sitting 30 miles south of Council Bluffs is a been-here-forever, old school kind of place that has been attracting duck hunters from across southwest Iowa for more than 100 years. Forney Lake Wildlife Area, acquired by the State of Iowa from the Forney family in 1943, has become a 1,317-acre public land mix of natural wetlands and Loess Hills bluffs, bisected by Bluff Road, in northwest Fremont County.
Volunteers step in to clean up popular shooting range

Volunteers step in to clean up popular shooting range

  • 4/21/2020 12:42:00 PM
  • View Count 2509
Swisher, Iowa - One of Iowa’s most heavily used shooting ranges was the recipient of a cleanup project led by volunteers who stepped in after the local range manager was sidelined with a non-work related injury.
Otter Creek Marsh Wildlife Area refuge opens Dec. 13

Otter Creek Marsh Wildlife Area refuge opens Dec. 13

  • 12/5/2019 9:00:00 AM
  • View Count 2177
The 450-acre wildlife refuge section of Otter Creek Marsh Wildlife Area in Tama County will be open for public use, including hunting and trapping, beginning Dec. 13. 
Turin Wildlife Area is another Loess Hills treasure

Turin Wildlife Area is another Loess Hills treasure

  • 10/15/2019 11:32:00 AM
  • View Count 3876
Turin, Iowa - Just north of the small town of Turin in central Monona County is a place where the threatened plains pocket mouse lives with legendary Iowa stags, rare plants and animals can be found, and volunteers come to help restore the landscape to more closely resemble what was here when western Iowa was settled.
Water pump repaired at Riverton Wildlife Area

Water pump repaired at Riverton Wildlife Area

  • 9/3/2019 12:23:00 PM
  • View Count 2234
Riverton, Iowa - The main pump at the Riverton Wildlife Area began pumping water again to the wetland on Aug. 27, after staff with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Nishnabotna Unit was able to clear the pump intake and get it running.
Water pump repairs underway at Riverton Wildlife Area

Water pump repairs underway at Riverton Wildlife Area

  • 8/27/2019 11:54:00 AM
  • View Count 2467
Riverton, Iowa - Hunters planning to go to the Riverton Wildlife Area for the September teal season will need to adjust the way they plan to hunt. The main pump used to flood the wetland has been offline for the past two weeks.
Archery range closes at Princeton Wildlife area, gun range still open

Archery range closes at Princeton Wildlife area, gun range still open

  • 8/20/2019 12:38:00 PM
  • View Count 3936
The Princeton archery range at the Princeton Wildlife Area in Scott County has been closed due to concerns regarding the existing range infrastructure and ongoing maintenance costs. Range use had declined over the years to the point where the cost to keep it open outweighed the benefit to the community.
Wildlife, prairie thrive on Schrader Wildlife Area

Wildlife, prairie thrive on Schrader Wildlife Area

  • 8/7/2019 11:32:00 AM
  • View Count 2839
Vail, Iowa - The Schrader Wildlife Area in Crawford County has been transformed from highly productive west central Iowa farmland into a highly productive prairie that has attracted a unique mix of wildlife, including being one of very few locations in Iowa that has bobwhite quail, pheasants and Hungarian partridge at one site.
Southwest Iowa hidden treasure boasts nature

Southwest Iowa hidden treasure boasts nature

  • 7/10/2019 11:26:00 AM
  • View Count 3797
Hamburg, Iowa –Eli Slusher Wildlife Area, south of Waubonsie State Park in Fremont County, offers a wild and rugged get-away-from-it-all kind of experience.
Habitat rich Cardinal Marsh offers visitors year round outdoor fun

Habitat rich Cardinal Marsh offers visitors year round outdoor fun

  • 7/2/2019 11:37:00 AM
  • View Count 4504
Cardinal Marsh Wildlife Area checks a lot of the outdoor recreation boxes in its nearly 1,200 acres. With its mix of hardwood timber, native prairie, network of marshes and a winding river, this public area on the west edge of Winneshiek County offers a high quality natural getaway away from the crowds.
Transformation taking shape at Rathbun Wildlife Area

Transformation taking shape at Rathbun Wildlife Area

  • 6/11/2019 3:37:00 PM
  • View Count 4659
Change is coming to the west end of the Rathbun Wildlife Area, along the south fork of the Chariton River that has long been sought out by deer and turkey hunters for excellent habitat along the river corridor.
Dudgeon Lake wildlife area remains popular despite 2011 storm

Dudgeon Lake wildlife area remains popular despite 2011 storm

  • 5/7/2019 2:34:00 PM
  • View Count 2871
It’s been nearly eight years since the Derecho blew through Benton County, but the impact of that storm on Dudgeon Lake Wildlife Area is still easily visible off Hwy. 150. The popular 1,800-acre public area on the north edge of Vinton was in the path of the powerful storm packing 110-130 mile per hour winds, knocking down buildings, powerlines and trees on July 11, 2011.
Prairie Chicken Restoration Efforts in Iowa

Prairie Chicken Restoration Efforts in Iowa

  • 4/2/2019 2:03:00 PM
  • View Count 8735
Greater Prairie Chickens (Tympancichus cupido pinnatus) commonly nested in Iowa until about 1900. In the 1880s prairie chickens were the most abundant gamebird on Iowa’s prairies.
Hawkeye Wildlife Area Refuge Opens Dec. 18

Hawkeye Wildlife Area Refuge Opens Dec. 18

  • 12/11/2018 10:19:00 AM
  • View Count 3368
The wildlife refuge at the Hawkeye Wildlife Area in Johnson County will be open for public use, including hunting and trapping, on Dec. 18. 
Hunters enjoy diverse experiences at Madison County wildlife area

Hunters enjoy diverse experiences at Madison County wildlife area

  • 10/9/2018 1:02:00 PM
  • View Count 2985
East Peru, Iowa - Heather Jobst arrived for a tour of a potential new wildlife area and was immediately struck by the uniqueness of the parcel’s size, lack of internal roads and its location less than an hour from Des Moines.
Badger Lake offers an easy nature stop off I-29

Badger Lake offers an easy nature stop off I-29

  • 9/11/2018 1:13:00 PM
  • View Count 4967
Whiting, Iowa - Sitting not quite halfway between Sioux City and Council Bluffs with I-29 going right through it, it’s easy to think that Badger Lake Wildlife Area would be overrun with bird watchers, duck hunters, kayakers and nature lovers 24/7/365. While it does get busy when the duck migration is on, many days the only visitor is a wayward cormorant or a neighbor stopping by to wet a line.
Ringgold Wildlife Area touts prairie, timber, ponds

Ringgold Wildlife Area touts prairie, timber, ponds

  • 9/4/2018 1:16:00 PM
  • View Count 5357
The Ringgold Wildlife Area, south of Mount Ayr on the Missouri border, is 2,600 acres of prairie, timber, oak savannas and floodplains with a handful of fishable ponds mixed in.
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