DNR News Releases

Show your support for the outdoors while enjoying a day at the ballpark

4/11/2023 2:19:00 PM
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Join the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Iowa Cubs, for Outdoors Day with the Iowa Cubs, on April 29.

Conservation officers push safety, target ID messages during first shotgun deer season

12/6/2022 9:01:00 PM
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Hunter safety and target identification were the top messages by Iowa’s state conservation officers over the weekend during the first shotgun deer season.

Banner and Olofson Shooting Ranges offer programs this fall

8/23/2022 12:10:00 PM
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The Banner and Olofson Shooting Ranges have classes, leagues and events scheduled this fall for shooters of all skill levels.

Martens Lake not open to boat traffic for hunting this fall

7/26/2022 12:49:00 PM
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Tripoli, Iowa - Waterfowl hunters scouting shallow lakes and marshes ahead of the season should be aware that Martens Lake on the Sweet Marsh Wildlife Area is in the process of a dike repair and channel excavation project and will not be open to boat traffic for hunting this fall.

July 17 is Outdoors Day at the Ballpark, presented by Outdoors Dan Radio Show

7/13/2022 7:40:00 AM
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Des Moines - Show your support for the outdoors while enjoying a day at the ballpark watching the Iowa Cubs vs the Buffalo Bison this Sunday at 1 p.m.

Learn to Hunt program opens registration for dove hunting for beginner’s webinar

6/14/2022 2:30:00 PM
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DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a program to teach skills needed to hunt, field dress and cook mourning doves to individuals who have little to no dove hunting experience.

2022 hunting, fishing license on sale Dec. 15; duck, goose and dove hunters now required to register with HIP

12/8/2021 2:20:00 PM
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Resident hunting, fishing and other licenses for 2022 are available beginning Dec. 15. The menu of license options includes the popular Outdoor Combo annual resident hunting/fishing/habitat combo license for $55; the Angler’s Special three-year fishing license for $62; and the Hunter’s Special three-year hunting license with habitat included for $101.

Teaching outdoor skills courses scheduled this summer

3/23/2021 1:23:00 PM
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The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is sponsoring four how to teach outdoor skills courses for K–12 teachers, naturalists and other educators this summer.

Hunter ed, outdoor skills courses now available on Go Outdoors Iowa system

1/20/2021 6:37:00 AM
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The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is launching a new event registration site that is part of the Go Outdoors Iowa system currently used for hunting and fishing licenses.

2021 hunting, fishing licenses on sale

12/29/2020 11:32:00 AM
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2021 resident hunting, fishing and other licenses are now on sale. The menu of license options includes the popular Outdoor Combo annual resident hunting/fishing/habitat combo license for $55; the Angler’s Special three-year fishing license for $62; and the Hunter’s Special three-year hunting license with habitat included for $101.

2021 hunting, fishing licenses on sale Dec. 15

12/8/2020 7:15:00 PM
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Iowans can buy 2021 resident hunting, fishing and other licenses on Dec. 15. Licenses purchased for 2020 expire on Jan. 10.

Donated deer hides benefit disabled veterans

11/18/2020 6:46:00 AM
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Hunters donated more than 4,100 deer hides to Elks Lodges across Iowa last year, which was a slight decrease from the 2018-2019 season. The deer hides are used by the Veterans Leather Program to make professionally-crafted leather gloves for veterans in wheelchairs and also turned into leather used for therapy programs for recovering veterans.

Iowa's popular shotgun deer seasons are just a few weeks away

11/18/2020 6:39:00 AM
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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.

Bowhunters encouraged to practice the ABCs of tree stand safety

9/29/2020 1:04:00 PM
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Tree stand incidents can happen to deer hunters regardless of skill level or experience and result in serious injury or even death. Unfortunately, in nearly every case, these incidents were preventable.

DNR reopening Banner and Olofson shooting ranges

8/19/2020 7:11:00 AM
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The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will begin a phased in reopening of the Banner and Olofson shooting ranges with new social distancing protocols customers will need to follow.

Space available in upcoming hunter education classes

2/11/2020 2:06:00 PM
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Hunter Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must attend all sessions and pass the final exam.

DNR conservation officers respond to hunter shot, property damage during opening weekend of shotgun deer season

12/10/2019 12:00:00 PM
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LOGAN, Iowa - On December 8, 2019, DNR conservation officers were notified about a property damage incident in Logan and later determined a hunter in hunting party was shot during a deer drive.

DNR conservation officer and park ranger rescue duck hunters

11/29/2019 2:40:00 PM
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MONONA COUNTY, Iowa - DNR Conservation Officer Gary Sisco and DNR Park Ranger Katie Hoeppner responded to a stranded boat with duck hunters on West Blue Lake, a marsh off of Blue Lake in Monona County in the evening hours of November 26.

DNR and several agencies find missing deer hunter

11/25/2019 3:07:00 PM
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MONROE COUNTY, Iowa – Iowa Department of Natural Resources conservation officers and park rangers responded to a report of a missing deer hunter on November 24 at the Tyrone State Game Management Area in Monroe County.

For Iowa’s deer hunters, the wait is nearly over, shotgun deer seasons begin Dec. 7

11/19/2019 2:02:00 PM
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Heading into Iowa’s busiest outdoor ‘opening day,’ shotgun deer season hunters should expect to see about the same number of deer in the timber as last year – with the possible exception for hunters in southcentral Iowa, where local deer populations were impacted by an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease.

The wait for November is nearly over - for Iowa deer hunters, this is prime time

10/22/2019 3:49:00 PM
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Iowa’s deer hunting intensity will ratchet up in the next few weeks as the peak of the rut approaches and archery hunters cash in vacation days to spend as much time as possible in the timber.

Pheasant hunters hoping for a repeat of 2018 season

10/22/2019 3:40:00 PM
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Last year, Iowa pheasant hunters bagged more roosters than they had in the last decade. With that fresh in their memory, how will the 2019 pheasant season measure up?

Duck hunters are optimistic with the main season underway

10/22/2019 3:37:00 PM
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The September rain was a game changer for Iowa duck hunters, improving habitat conditions across most of the state by creating a number of shallow water areas where food is available.

Body of missing kayaker, hunter recovered

10/20/2019 4:20:00 PM
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HARRISON COUNTY, Iowa – On Saturday, October 19, at approximately 9:13am, divers with the Midwest Regional Dive Team recovered the body of a Nebraska kayaker and hunter that was missing since Friday evening.

Waterfowl hunters reminded of rules for hunting in flooded crop fields

10/15/2019 11:45:00 AM
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Iowa’s unusually wet spring and fall has created a unique situation in certain parts of the state where floodwaters are reaching crop fields and causing issues regarding what waterfowl hunters can and can’t do in these areas.

Space available in upcoming hunter education classes

8/13/2019 4:13:00 PM
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Hunter Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers.

Outdoor groups sponsor open house for novice, lapsed hunters

7/23/2019 12:39:00 PM
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A coalition of outdoor organizations is hosting an open house showcasing opportunities to get involved with the outdoors through hunting, shooting sports and fishing. The event – Hunt Iowa Social – is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m., Aug. 19, at the Saylorville Fire Department, 211 NW 54th Avenue, in Des Moines.

Space available in upcoming hunter education classes

4/9/2019 12:06:00 PM
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Hunter Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must attend all sessions and pass the final exam.

Volunteers donate over 200,000 hours to Iowa DNR in 2018

3/26/2019 1:10:00 PM
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Each year, the Iowa DNR relies heavily on volunteers through partnerships and other avenues to keep Iowa’s natural resources in pristine condition.

Upcoming hunter education classes

10/30/2018 1:36:00 PM
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Hunter Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must attend all sessions and pass the final exam.

Dedicated group of bowhunters provide high quality data to Iowa DNR

10/2/2018 1:50:00 PM
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A unique relationship between Iowa bowhunters and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Research Section is entering its fourteenth year of partnering to collect observation data on wildlife they see while sitting in their tree stand.

Space available in upcoming hunter education classes

8/28/2018 11:35:00 AM
View Count 4320

Hunter Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must attend all sessions and pass the final exam.

Space available in upcoming hunter education classes

6/6/2018 9:33:00 AM
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Iowa law requires that anyone born after January 1, 1972 must be certified in hunter education before they are eligible to purchase an Iowa hunting license.

Space available in upcoming hunter education classes

5/1/2018 2:33:00 PM
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Hunter Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must attend all sessions and pass the final exam.

Hunter education classes available before turkey season

2/20/2018 12:03:00 PM
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Hunters who need to satisfy the hunter education requirement can search for and sign up for a course at www.iowadnr.gov/huntered.

Space available in upcoming hunter education classes

2/20/2018 11:59:00 AM
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Hunter Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must attend all sessions and pass the final exam.

Two hunters injured while hunting in Audubon County

11/28/2017 12:38:00 PM
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AUDUBON COUNTY, Iowa – Iowa Department of Natural Resources conservation officers responded to a hunting incident around 3:30 p.m., on Nov. 25.

Rule change allows bow hunters with permit to carry to have a handgun during archery season

10/17/2017 12:36:00 PM
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A rule change approved by the administrative rules committee during 2017 Iowa legislative session allows hunters who have a valid permit to carry to carry a handgun while hunting deer under an archery tag. The change was included as part of a gun rules package approved by the committee.

Space available in upcoming hunter education classes

9/12/2017 4:07:00 PM
View Count 4090

Hunter Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must attend all sessions and pass the final exam.

Space available in upcoming hunter education classes

7/3/2017 11:18:00 AM
View Count 4270

Hunter Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must attend all sessions and pass the final exam.

Space available in upcoming hunter education classes

5/9/2017 3:02:00 PM
View Count 4337

Hunter Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must attend all sessions and pass the final exam.

New law allows approved pistol cartridges for use in rifles to hunt deer

4/18/2017 12:14:00 PM
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Iowa hunters will have a new option this fall while hunting deer during the youth season, disabled hunter season and both shotgun seasons – rifles that are capable of shooting straight walled cartridges.

Space available in upcoming hunter education classes

2/28/2017 12:46:00 PM
View Count 6630

Hunter Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must attend all sessions and pass the final exam.

Space available in upcoming hunter education classes

1/17/2017 1:10:00 PM
View Count 3855

Hunter Education classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must attend all sessions and pass the final exam.