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Prairie Strips Help Iowa Farmers, Land and Water

Prairie Strips Help Iowa Farmers, Land and Water

  • 2/4/2015 9:47:00 AM
  • View Count 7122
“Conservation with a purpose” is how Tim Smith describes his newest farming venture that builds on past work to protect water quality on his Wright County farm.
Go Calling Under the Owl Moon

Go Calling Under the Owl Moon

  • 2/3/2015 8:57:00 AM
  • View Count 24095
February’s full moon is nicknamed the owl moon, as the crisp night air is filled with the calls and hoots of mating owls. Trek into the woods with the young and young at heart to practice calling owls.
What's the Difference Between a Groundhog and a Woodchuck?

What's the Difference Between a Groundhog and a Woodchuck?

  • 1/29/2015 9:08:00 AM
  • View Count 24456
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? We’ll never know because the Marmota monax’s common name (woodchuck) is not representative of this mammal’s habits or habitat, but reflects the early English pronunciation of the Cree word for this creature—wuchak.
Winter Photo Tips from One of Iowa's Top Nature Photographers

Winter Photo Tips from One of Iowa's Top Nature Photographers

  • 1/29/2015 8:46:00 AM
  • View Count 9117
Don’t let winter weather keep your camera up on the shelf, as the season can provide excellent opportunities for shooting picturesque winter landscapes and photographing Iowa’s wildlife at a time when they’re most visible and easy to find.
Trout in the Classroom

Trout in the Classroom

  • 1/27/2015 4:52:00 AM
  • View Count 6835
Some classes have a pet hamster or guinea pig. But some northeast Iowa classes have trout—and they’re raising them from eggs and releasing them in Iowa streams. A national Trout Unlimited program, Trout in the Classroom, allows students to raise fish and learn about their habitat and the importance of clean water.

Cooperation builds lasting results at North Bear Creek

  • 1/26/2015 5:48:00 AM
  • View Count 6315
When the hit film A River Runs Through It was released in 1992, it helped rejuvenate local economies and waterways in northeast Iowa, as the beauty and skill showcased so vividly in the film helped inspire more than half a million trips to trout streams, injecting more than $14 million into Iowa’s economy every year.
Tips for Better Winter Bird Feeding

Tips for Better Winter Bird Feeding

  • 1/15/2015 10:37:00 AM
  • View Count 20032
If winter cold and snow drive you indoors, open a colorful cold-weather window with hours of bird-watching entertainment. Iowans spend more than $300 million annually watching wildlife, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Much of that comes from feeding birds, especially through our cold weather months. Use these tips to attract the most birds.
Tips for Spotting Bald Eagles this Winter

Tips for Spotting Bald Eagles this Winter

  • 1/9/2015 10:18:00 AM
  • View Count 11975
Winter is the best time in Iowa to spot a majestic bald eagle soaring overhead or swooping down to the water to catch a fish.
Make Your Own Winter Survival Kit

Make Your Own Winter Survival Kit

  • 1/9/2015 9:58:00 AM
  • View Count 8669
Winter outdoor lovers should take extra travel precautions as rural and natural areas can put you alone against the elements during emergencies. A skid into a ditch, mechanical problems, black ice, drifting snow or sudden storms can lead to unplanned, dangerous situations in areas where passersby are rare.
What Do Snakes Do in the Winter?

What Do Snakes Do in the Winter?

  • 1/9/2015 5:43:00 AM
  • View Count 17205
Snakes, being cold-blooded, rely on their surroundings to regulate body temperature. Like other ectothermic animals, they bask in the sun to warm up, seek shade or water to cool down. So, when conditions are not conducive for temperature regulation, they brumate.
Cool Things You Should Know About Deer

Cool Things You Should Know About Deer

  • 1/9/2015 4:56:00 AM
  • View Count 23296
Even though the white-tailed deer is one of Iowa’s most well-known critters, here are some cool facts you may not know about deer.
Iowa Winter Treks and Trails to Test Those Fitness Trackers

Iowa Winter Treks and Trails to Test Those Fitness Trackers

  • 1/7/2015 8:59:00 AM
  • View Count 12173
If you’re looking for a way to put that new fitness tracker to the test and you’re sick of walking circles at the gym, take it outside and try some of these top winter trail activities in Iowa’s state parks, recreation areas and forests.
Four Animals You Didn’t Know Lived In Iowa

Four Animals You Didn’t Know Lived In Iowa

  • 1/7/2015 4:04:00 AM
  • View Count 87554
Before Europeans began settling in Iowa, our landscape looked much different – not just the vista views of prairies and oak savannas, but the wildlife that called it home. You’d be hard pressed to find many elk, bison, black bear or lynx in the Iowa wild today, but not that long ago, they roamed our state.
Myth Busters: Do Cold-blooded Animals Get Cancer?

Myth Busters: Do Cold-blooded Animals Get Cancer?

  • 1/6/2015 10:29:00 AM
  • View Count 9048
Cold-blooded animals like snakes, fish and sharks do get cancer, likely from polluted waters and foreign substances. While many questions still surround this issue, scientists hope the unique ways these animals deal with cancer might give hope for cancer treatments and possible cures in humans.
New Year's Iowa Checklist: Where to Go, What to Do Month By Month

New Year's Iowa Checklist: Where to Go, What to Do Month By Month

  • 1/6/2015 7:42:00 AM
  • View Count 23032
It’s a New Year. I don’t do resolutions. So, call this a New Year's Outdoor Checklist; places or events across Iowa for each month. Most are return trips for me; worth a second or seventieth visit. A couple, I haven’t taken the time yet to check out. Maybe it will remind you of a few special outdoor ports of call, in the months ahead.
Do you know Iowa's largest fish?

Do you know Iowa's largest fish?

  • 12/26/2014 9:58:00 AM
  • View Count 21840
While Iowa anglers have reeled in a 93-pound bighead carp and a 101-pound blue catfish, neither of those can dethrone Iowa’s largest official state record fish.
Mush your way through Iowa with dogsledding this winter

Mush your way through Iowa with dogsledding this winter

  • 12/23/2014 7:31:00 AM
  • View Count 13114
Grab a pair of mukluks and hit the trails, towed by a team of hard-working huskies. Hunkered down under a toasty pile of blankets provided by avid musher Ginger Plummer, families can taste travel adventure at its best with a 3-mile jaunt down the Great Western Trail in Warren County.
Explore Iowa's Palaces on Ice - Ice Fishing Shacks

Explore Iowa's Palaces on Ice - Ice Fishing Shacks

  • 12/19/2014 5:22:00 AM
  • View Count 31028
For these ice anglers, the best way to beat cabin fever just means getting to their own cabin of sorts – the ice shack. And today’s ice shacks are swank ways to get away in the winter.
What's the Best Iowa Fish for the Dinner Plate?

What's the Best Iowa Fish for the Dinner Plate?

  • 12/18/2014 10:53:00 AM
  • View Count 15210
For many anglers, there’s nothing better than a shore lunch or a good old-fashioned fish fry. But as to which fish are the best to eat, as opposed to the most fun to catch, is another debate altogether. Here are some facts and recipes for three of Iowa’s favorite fish to grace the dining table.
Create Your Own Gift Bags from Stunning Iowa Outdoors Photos

Create Your Own Gift Bags from Stunning Iowa Outdoors Photos

  • 12/12/2014 10:22:00 AM
  • View Count 8777
Expert crafter Shelene Codner wanted a way to show off the fantastic nature photography featured in the calendar issue of Iowa Outdoors magazine - so she turned the pages of last year's calendar into reusable gift bags, perfect for the holidays or any gift-giving occasion.
Four Creative Ways to Use Venison

Four Creative Ways to Use Venison

  • 12/10/2014 8:24:00 AM
  • View Count 16539
If you harvested your first deer this season or maybe are just looking for new ideas to put on the table, try our time-tested favorite recipes, pulled from the pages of Iowa Outdoors magazine and the Iowa Game Wardens’ Cookbook.
Take a Winter Getaway in an Iowa State Park Cabin

Take a Winter Getaway in an Iowa State Park Cabin

  • 12/5/2014 9:11:00 AM
  • View Count 7067
From November through April, you can rent cabins at state parks for two-day minimums (instead of the week-long requirement during peak season). And you’ll still get to take advantage of hiking trails (many allow cross-country skiing and snowmobiling), wildlife watching (deer and birds aplenty!), ice fishing and more.
Why Don’t Fish Freeze in the Winter?

Why Don’t Fish Freeze in the Winter?

  • 12/5/2014 8:40:00 AM
  • View Count 28634
Stepping out into the deep freeze that is Iowa in the winter, it can be hard to believe that much can make it in the often below-zero temperatures. And with ice so thick that heavy-duty trucks can drive out on a lake, how can a fish possibly survive below?
Take a Winter Getaway in an Iowa State Park Cabin

Take a Winter Getaway in an Iowa State Park Cabin

  • 12/5/2014 5:16:00 AM
  • View Count 11544
From November through April, you can rent cabins at state parks for two-day minimums (instead of the week-long requirement during peak season). And you’ll still get to take advantage of hiking trails (many allow cross-country skiing and snowmobiling), wildlife watching (deer and birds aplenty!), ice fishing and more.
Four tips for calling geese

Four tips for calling geese

  • 12/3/2014 10:00:00 AM
  • View Count 6637
If you’re looking for ways to improve your goose calling before the season ends, check out these tips.
Six tips for cold-weather trout fishing

Six tips for cold-weather trout fishing

  • 12/3/2014 9:29:00 AM
  • View Count 36115
If you want to fish this winter in Iowa without stepping out on the ice, check out northeast Iowa’s trout streams, which rarely freeze and are open for fishing year-round. Or if you’re not able to make the trip, we stock a number of urban lakes statewide with trout for a new fishing experience through the ice.
Cool Things You Didn’t Know About Otters

Cool Things You Didn’t Know About Otters

  • 11/26/2014 6:42:00 AM
  • View Count 24733
They may look cute and cuddly, but don’t let the playfulness of Iowa’s river otters trick you. Otters are serious swimmers and fearless, voracious predators. Here are some cool facts you may not have known about Iowa’s swimming weasels.
Get Creative This Thanksgiving with Wild Game

Get Creative This Thanksgiving with Wild Game

  • 11/19/2014 5:49:00 AM
  • View Count 13416
Not all Thanksgiving turkeys come from the grocery store. If you’re preparing your own wild turkey this Thanksgiving – or living on the extra wild side and trying goose, duck or other wild game instead – you’ll want to check out these recipes, favorites of DNR staff.
Tips for Cold Weather Paddling in Iowa

Tips for Cold Weather Paddling in Iowa

  • 11/18/2014 6:47:00 AM
  • View Count 31035
Not even cold temperatures are enough to keep the hardiest kayakers and canoers inside. If you can find open water, use these tips for safe cold-weather paddling to enjoy a trip on the water any time of year.
Best Iowa State Parks for Fall and Winter Wildlife Viewing

Best Iowa State Parks for Fall and Winter Wildlife Viewing

  • 11/14/2014 9:18:00 AM
  • View Count 8794
Cooler temperatures in Iowa don’t have to mean hibernation – if you like watching Iowa’s wildlife, there are still sights to be seen in late fall and winter! Grab the binoculars and camera and get ready for a quiet drive or crisp hike to watch birds, waterfowl, deer and turkey.
Tips for Selecting the Right Bow

Tips for Selecting the Right Bow

  • 11/13/2014 3:39:00 AM
  • View Count 15487
If you’ve decided to take up bowhunting or bowfishing – or maybe you’ve been inspired by Katniss Everdeen to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow – you’ll need to have the right equipment. If you’re just starting, the best way to find a bow is to take an experienced archer or hunter with you to an experienced archery shop. Use these tips to find the right bow for you.
6 Cool Things You Should Know About Spiders

6 Cool Things You Should Know About Spiders

  • 10/30/2014 9:05:00 AM
  • View Count 33527
Possibly the creepiest and crawliest of all Iowa’s critters, spiders are an often misunderstood and undervalued part of nature in Iowa.
6 Cool Things You Should Know About Bats in Iowa

6 Cool Things You Should Know About Bats in Iowa

  • 10/28/2014 10:39:00 AM
  • View Count 39059
Bats show up everywhere this time of year as people decorate for Halloween, but bats are nothing to be afraid of. Really, we just think they’re scary cool, and here’s why.
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