The 1,350-acre Aldo Leopold Wildlife Area in southeast Bremer County has experienced significant flooding from storms that rolled through northeast Iowa last week. The area is popular with dove hunters and with the season opening on Thursday, hunters who were planning to hunt the area are advised to scout it again before heading out.
“We’re not telling hunters to not use the area, but they need to be aware that the area was covered with water and that it is slowly going down. Because of the flooding, we did not get the opportunity to prepare the dove fields,” said Jason Auel, wildlife biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
The DNR placed four dove fields on the area that has attracted hunters from Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan and Fayette counties in 2015.
“Most of my phone calls prior to the flooding were about dove hunting on the Leopold area,” Auel said. “My concern is that if hunters scouted the area last week and they are going by that information, what they find on opening morning will be completely different.”
Hunters looking for public hunting areas with dove plots can go to www.iowadnr.gov/doves.
While excess water on the Leopold area will not be good for dove hunters, it could be a great spot for teal hunters. Iowa’s special teal season opens September 3.