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Three men charged with illegally taking trumpeter swan

Three men charged with illegally taking trumpeter swan

  • 11/20/2019 4:16:00 PM
  • View Count 10307
MUSCATINE COUNTY, Iowa -- On November 17, 2019, DNR Conservation Officers received a TIP that a trumpeter swan had been shot at Cedar Bottoms Wildlife Management Area in Muscatine County.
DNR Conservation Officer helps rescue duck hunters

DNR Conservation Officer helps rescue duck hunters

  • 10/20/2019 4:17:00 PM
  • View Count 3428
MONONA COUNTY, Iowa -- On Sunday October 20, at approximately 10:57 AM, Monona County dispatch received a call that Decatur Fire and Rescue was en-route to Tieville Bend Wildlife Management Area for a call of two hunters whose boat was sinking. 
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 4491
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.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Media Advisory Highlighting hunting access at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge and across the country

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Media Advisory Highlighting hunting access at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge and across the country

  • 10/8/2019 11:51:00 AM
  • View Count 3037
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are proud to expand access to quality hunting and fishing at national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries across the country. Please join us on Thursday October 10, 2019 as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Principal Deputy Director Margaret Everson and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon highlight recent successes in expanding hunting and hunter retention in Iowa and across the country.
Water pump repaired at Riverton Wildlife Area

Water pump repaired at Riverton Wildlife Area

  • 9/3/2019 12:23:00 PM
  • View Count 2474
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 2738
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 4322
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 3165
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.
A Day in the Life of a Working Dog for Conservation

A Day in the Life of a Working Dog for Conservation

  • 7/30/2019 4:03:00 PM
  • View Count 7029
It has all the elements of a good science fiction novel—an invasive species that hides in darkness and tries to take over native species using deception and disguise. It has all the elements of a good superhero movie—superheroes that work under the light of the moon and a veil of fog using superpowers that go beyond human ability.
Southwest Iowa hidden treasure boasts nature

Southwest Iowa hidden treasure boasts nature

  • 7/10/2019 11:26:00 AM
  • View Count 4240
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 5076
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.
Restoring ruffed grouse habitat makes Falcon Springs Wildlife Area unique

Restoring ruffed grouse habitat makes Falcon Springs Wildlife Area unique

  • 6/25/2019 12:48:00 PM
  • View Count 6641
Decorah - Northeast Iowa’s towering bluffs and cold water streams are like nowhere else in the state. Add in a popular river that is on endless national lists as one of the best places to paddle in the country and it’s easy to see why Winneshiek County is a destination for outdoor recreation.
Partnership project leads to diverse wetland

Partnership project leads to diverse wetland

  • 6/18/2019 2:04:00 PM
  • View Count 3520
FAIRBANK, Iowa - Fans in the stands of the Wapsi Valley Warriors football stadium have taken notice of the large birds with long necks and grinding, raspy calls flying overhead during games in recent years. The once rare sight has become more common as the local sandhill crane population at Aldo Leopold Wildlife Management Area continues to expand.
Transformation taking shape at Rathbun Wildlife Area

Transformation taking shape at Rathbun Wildlife Area

  • 6/11/2019 3:37:00 PM
  • View Count 5283
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 3405
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.
Leave wildlife babies where they belong --- In the wild

Leave wildlife babies where they belong --- In the wild

  • 4/30/2019 11:44:00 AM
  • View Count 6693
It's as predictable as May flowers - from border to border, the Wildlife Baby Season has arrived in Iowa. From now until at least mid-June, DNR field offices across the state will be inundated with hundreds of phone calls and scores of deliveries regarding "orphaned wildlife."
Annual spring wildlife survey underway

Annual spring wildlife survey underway

  • 4/9/2019 12:07:00 PM
  • View Count 3231
Ordinarily, a slow moving vehicle at night in the Iowa countryside spotlighting deer, raccoons or coyotes would send Iowans to their phone, speed-dialing their local conservation officer, but in this case, it may be the officer doing the shining.
Prairie Chicken Restoration Efforts in Iowa

Prairie Chicken Restoration Efforts in Iowa

  • 4/2/2019 2:03:00 PM
  • View Count 9717
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.
Iowa DNR to begin annual spring burning

Iowa DNR to begin annual spring burning

  • 3/18/2019 12:42:00 PM
  • View Count 2769
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be conducting prescribed burns this spring on wildlife management areas managed by the Iowa DNR’s Black Hawk Wildlife Unit in Sac, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Crawford and Ida counties.
Iowa DNR to begin annual spring burning

Iowa DNR to begin annual spring burning

  • 3/18/2019 8:31:00 AM
  • View Count 3184
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be conducting prescribed burns this spring on wildlife management areas managed by the Iowa DNR’s Prairie Lakes Wildlife Unit in Buena Vista, Clay, Emmet, Palo Alto and Kossuth counties.
Sport the plates that support the resources

Sport the plates that support the resources

  • 2/20/2019 7:58:00 AM
  • View Count 4149
Iowans can put their support for conservation on cruise control by purchasing a natural resources license plate when it’s time to renew their vehicle registration.
How Iowa's wildlife deals with extreme cold

How Iowa's wildlife deals with extreme cold

  • 1/29/2019 10:34:00 AM
  • View Count 13595
When wind chills dip so low that they can lead to frostbite in just minutes - you might be wondering how Iowa’s wildlife survives such brutal cold. Step back from the bread, eggs and milk aisles to learn how everything from mice to deer ride out the storm!
Iowa citizens playing key role in tracking bald eagle nests and frog and toad populations

Iowa citizens playing key role in tracking bald eagle nests and frog and toad populations

  • 1/22/2019 11:40:00 AM
  • View Count 4591
It’s 10 o’clock on a summer night along a gravel road anywhere in Iowa. In the farm pond next to the road a raucous chorus of male frogs are making themselves heard as they vie for mates. A volunteer stands clipboard in hand, ear cocked, mentally sorting out each of the calling species which are using this seemingly ordinary pond. 
Hawkeye Wildlife Area Refuge Opens Dec. 18

Hawkeye Wildlife Area Refuge Opens Dec. 18

  • 12/11/2018 10:19:00 AM
  • View Count 3570
The wildlife refuge at the Hawkeye Wildlife Area in Johnson County will be open for public use, including hunting and trapping, on Dec. 18. 
Wildlife Notes

Wildlife Notes

  • 12/4/2018 3:54:00 PM
  • View Count 6058
Brief updates on wildlife and hunting news
Iowa DNR to discuss deer diseases at Iowa City public meeting

Iowa DNR to discuss deer diseases at Iowa City public meeting

  • 11/6/2018 11:01:00 AM
  • View Count 2800
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be in Iowa City on Nov. 14 to discuss issues related to deer diseases in an urban deer herd, the recent restrictions on wildlife rehabilitators accepting deer and hunter participation in the battle against chronic wasting disease (CWD).
Did you know that Iowa has nine species of bats?

Did you know that Iowa has nine species of bats?

  • 10/25/2018 8:24:00 AM
  • View Count 26767
Two of the most common bats in Iowa are the little brown bat (Myotis lucifigus) and the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). Like all of the bats in Iowa, they are insectivores and are critical for keeping Iowa’s insect populations in check.
Hunter, dog rescued after kayak capsized

Hunter, dog rescued after kayak capsized

  • 10/25/2018 8:21:00 AM
  • View Count 3322
JACKSON COUNTY, Iowa – On October 20, around 9:00 a.m., the Sabula Fire and Rescue were dispatched to Browns Lake near Green Island Wildlife Management Area for a hunter in the water holding onto a capsized kayak.
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 3278
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 5300
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 5868
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.
Meet Iowa's smallest carnivore

Meet Iowa's smallest carnivore

  • 8/15/2018 9:54:00 AM
  • View Count 28932
Though they be but little, they are fierce! The least weasel (Mustela nivalis) is the smallest species of true carnivore, coming from the order Carnivora.
Eldon, Fox Hills Wildlife Areas still wild after all these years

Eldon, Fox Hills Wildlife Areas still wild after all these years

  • 7/3/2018 11:46:00 AM
  • View Count 9814
Ottumwa - Iowa’s newest bird conservation area includes two public wildlife areas steeped in pioneer history and important to generations of Sac and Fox tribes. The Eldon Wildlife Area and Fox Hills Wildlife Area, near the Des Moines River southeast of Ottumwa, provide nearly 2,700 acres of public land to hike, hunt, birdwatch, fish and camp.
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