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Unplug at Pictured Rocks Park

Unplug at Pictured Rocks Park

  • 3/10/2017 2:58:00 PM
  • View Count 17164
The first oar through the cool clear water sends ripples of excitement down my spine. I’ve never canoed the Maquoketa River from Monticello to Pictured Rocks Park/Indian Bluffs, but trust the stream will get me there safely.
Go south for spring break - in Iowa

Go south for spring break - in Iowa

  • 3/1/2017 2:14:00 PM
  • View Count 14146
In Keokuk—Iowa’s southernmost city—it’s always numerous degrees warmer, so cozy up with eagles, ducks and pelicans and a fancy bed in Lee County.
Action cameras: a user's overview

Action cameras: a user's overview

  • 2/16/2017 3:36:00 PM
  • View Count 9525
Walk through many outdoor stores and videos are playing non-stop—skiers in powdery snow on a mountaintop, divers swimming in crystal clear water or incredible views of wildlife from unusual perspectives. The videos are outstanding and help sell action cameras. But, for the ordinary person, do the cameras justify the expense? Are the cameras worth the trouble? What should you look for in an action camera?
Warden's Diary: Wild Things

Warden's Diary: Wild Things

  • 2/3/2017 3:54:00 PM
  • View Count 21174
“Welcome to Wild Things,” I told the group, “You will find that Wild Things is different than school. Here, it’s okay to get dirty. It’s okay to get muddy. It’s okay to get wet.” A big grin broke out on every kid’s face. And so began the first session of “Wild Things,” my new after-school program. 
Get creative with venison cabbage rolls

Get creative with venison cabbage rolls

  • 2/3/2017 3:20:00 PM
  • View Count 11929
Cabbage rolls are pure comfort food. Savory meat, grain and seasonings wrapped in a slightly sweet, slightly bitter cabbage leaf that absorbs other flavors well—baked, simmered, slow cooked or fried—nestled in a sweet, savory, tangy or creamy sauce. So pull out some ground venison, and try out this traditional cabbage roll recipe.
Bellevue: A winter escape between the bluffs

Bellevue: A winter escape between the bluffs

  • 2/3/2017 2:22:00 PM
  • View Count 17006
Think there’s nothing to do in Iowa in deep winter? Bellevue’s abundant bald eagles, active main street and quirky lodging may change your mind.
Be bold and try winter camping

Be bold and try winter camping

  • 1/11/2017 8:47:00 AM
  • View Count 17673
Let’s face it—winter camping has some initial challenges, but the rewards are silence, serenity and having big places to yourself. Create active daytimes with hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, then be prepared for winter’s long nights with good lighting gear to illuminate camp. Breaking into winter camping isn’t hard, but you’ll rely on good gear and solid skills. Here’s a  few basics.
How do plants come back each year if they die in the winter?

How do plants come back each year if they die in the winter?

  • 1/10/2017 10:23:00 AM
  • View Count 25727
As the wind grows cooler, leaves drop and snow begins to fall, it’s easy to look at a shriveled, brown plant in the yard and think it’s dead. But that’s just what’s above the surface. Below ground, the plant is still alive, just settled in for a long winter’s nap.
Take a winter retreat at Lake of Three Fires

Take a winter retreat at Lake of Three Fires

  • 12/8/2016 4:22:00 PM
  • View Count 18377
For a weekend getaway with friends, where nothing will interrupt relaxation or quiet connecting, this southern Iowa park, 25 miles east of Clarinda, is ideal.
Why do bats hang upside down?

Why do bats hang upside down?

  • 12/8/2016 3:06:00 PM
  • View Count 75182
Unlike birds, bats have trouble with takeoffs from the ground. Their wings are not as strong as those of birds and they cannot run fast enough to build up flight speed. Bats have an easier time flying when they start already in the air. They use their front claws on their wings to climb to a high spot and launch themselves to achieve flight.
Why is fire red and yellow?

Why is fire red and yellow?

  • 12/8/2016 2:35:00 PM
  • View Count 40991
While you might first think of the reds and yellows in a campfire, a flame can encompass many colors of the rainbow.
Special $10 offer for Iowa Outdoors magazine

Special $10 offer for Iowa Outdoors magazine

  • 11/29/2016 11:39:00 AM
  • View Count 4305
Do you know someone who loves the outdoors? Give the gift that lasts all year long. Iowa Outdoors is an award-winning magazine filled with beautiful photography, compelling articles and expert tips about hunting, fishing, nature destinations, hiking, camping, outdoor cooking and much more! 
Take a

Take a "Kid" Fishing

  • 11/16/2016 2:00:00 PM
  • View Count 12651
The first day of November looked to be a promising day. I had the morning off to go trout fishing and the weather was cooperating. Like most people, I don’t go fishing nearly often enough so I wanted to share my outing with someone. My husband and kids would all be at work. The grandkids were in school or at the sitter’s. As I considered my options, my husband’s uncle came to mind. 
Why don’t we have earthquakes in Iowa?

Why don’t we have earthquakes in Iowa?

  • 11/7/2016 1:19:00 PM
  • View Count 38573
For most of us living in Iowa, we’re much more familiar with snowstorms and tornadoes. What we do know about earthquakes we’ve likely learned from movies or textbooks, but earthquakes do occasionally rumble in our state.
Meet Wapsipinicon, one of Iowa's most unique state parks

Meet Wapsipinicon, one of Iowa's most unique state parks

  • 11/4/2016 3:31:00 PM
  • View Count 49556
Thus endures one of the many stories, myths, legends and even proven historical facts about Horse Thief Cave, a well-known feature of what is now Wapsipinicon State Park, and, though its tale-inspiring caves are definitely a main draw, Wapsipinicon is so much more. 
A Halloween night fishing on the Turkey River

A Halloween night fishing on the Turkey River

  • 10/27/2016 4:15:00 PM
  • View Count 10046
As boredom and tedium creep into my weary mind, may I reflect back to the hard strike of that big-eyed creature, and the glorious excitement and the deep pull of something new, yet playfully familiar.
A place of your own: grown-up treehouses

A place of your own: grown-up treehouses

  • 10/25/2016 3:48:00 PM
  • View Count 13488
A tree big and strong enough for a treehouse is a tree worth saving. Here’s advice from arborists and treehouse building experts and what three treehouse owners did to minimize impacts on their trees.
Pheasant hunting: The perfect day

Pheasant hunting: The perfect day

  • 10/18/2016 1:49:00 PM
  • View Count 15235
For a lot of hunters, there is one special time among all of your hunting trips that stands out as having been perfect, a day of pure bliss when all the stars line up just right and everything connects at just the right time and in just the right place.
Quail on the rise in Iowa

Quail on the rise in Iowa

  • 10/13/2016 8:52:00 AM
  • View Count 25282
Loren Zaruba looked on in excitement—it was the wildlife identification section of the annual Youth Hunter Education Challenge. He and his wife, Ellen, had spent the last three months working with a handful of young competitors, so when the speaker played a familiar “bob-white” call, Loren beamed. But as the teenagers’ faces turned blank and unsure, he realized that question wasn’t easy anymore—hunter or not, none of the youngsters had seen or heard a bobwhite quail.
Colors of the Driftless

Colors of the Driftless

  • 10/7/2016 3:14:00 PM
  • View Count 15763
Far up in the northeast corner of Iowa lies a tiny gem of a town called Marquette. The town proudly proclaims to be “Iowa’s Best Kept Secret.” In fact, if it wasn’t for the congenial welcome sign that reads “The People of Iowa Welcome You. Iowa: Fields of Opportunities,” most Iowans would never know they were still in the Hawkeye State. Yet, in this area of Iowa, the sign almost seems like a misnomer as there are few fields to see.
Out of the way fall color

Out of the way fall color

  • 9/30/2016 11:17:00 AM
  • View Count 10260
Autumn brings a welcoming crispness to the air. It’s officially fall in the Midwest, and fun abounds statewide for those in search of color and good times outdoors. Yes, northeast Iowa is the top hotspot for fall color, but here are some less trod places with everything from fishing to paddling and hiking. So get out—there is much to explore!
So you think you can mulch

So you think you can mulch

  • 9/28/2016 3:34:00 PM
  • View Count 11757
Mulching can be the best thing you can do to promote the health of trees, shrubs and plants. It can also be the worst, if done improperly. 
Find Public Hunting on Private Land with IHAP

Find Public Hunting on Private Land with IHAP

  • 9/1/2016 4:01:00 PM
  • View Count 18358
Hunting can be a great family activity or a solo adventure. Stroll through tall grass, hear the explosive rising cackle of pheasants, thrill at the thunderous gobble of a male wild turkey, see a few majestic deer—and maybe get the chance to take one home. That opportunity already exists on scores of acres near you, thanks in part to landowners who open their property through the Iowa Habitat and Access Program, or IHAP.
Iowa's Bullseye Boys

Iowa's Bullseye Boys

  • 8/26/2016 3:08:00 PM
  • View Count 13703
Archery requires rigorous concentration and is steeped in history, but two Iowa teens are starting a new chapter—Nick Wright of Spencer will be the first Iowa archer from a national after-school program to receive a collegiate athletic scholarship this fall, and David Machart of Anamosa is the first Iowan, fifth in the nation, to score a perfect 300. 
Campfire Cooking: Dutch Baby Pancakes

Campfire Cooking: Dutch Baby Pancakes

  • 8/17/2016 3:29:00 PM
  • View Count 15412
This sweet, hearty breakfast will please young and old alike. And just by chance, if you have a tiny slice left over at the end of the day, a scoop of ice cream alongside, a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of chocolate makes a mighty fine dessert. 
Tales From the Sundown Club

Tales From the Sundown Club

  • 7/29/2016 1:47:00 PM
  • View Count 12139
A familiar pond takes on a surreal new world as darkness settles and an angler’s senses rely more on sound and feel than eyesight.
June is Great Outdoors Month

June is Great Outdoors Month

  • 6/7/2016 1:32:00 PM
  • View Count 3878
The 2016 summer recreation season is just getting started and there are plenty of days ahead to enjoy the outdoors.
Fishing the Graveyard Shift

Fishing the Graveyard Shift

  • 5/26/2016 4:11:00 PM
  • View Count 18368
Ultimately, I think the lure of the riverbank and flathead fishing is that life slows down so much. It is so very simple, so basic and elemental, almost like a form of asceticism. Life is reduced to its simplest terms.
Edible Outdoors Coming to Des Moines Social Club March 24

Edible Outdoors Coming to Des Moines Social Club March 24

  • 3/10/2016 7:45:00 AM
  • View Count 4990
DES MOINES - A new venture in the metro is connecting adults with Polk County’s natural resources where they learn to forage, hunt and fish. Edible Outdoors Des Moines is kicking off on March 24, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Des Moines Social Club for anyone interested in learning more about the program. Join us and try your hand at fly tying, build a seed ball to attract pollinators to your neighborhood, and create a beeswax candle all while enjoying delicious wild game hors d’oeuvres.
Spring Outdoors Woman Workshop Ready for Registrations

Spring Outdoors Woman Workshop Ready for Registrations

  • 3/8/2016 6:38:00 AM
  • View Count 4553
The popular Iowa Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program is taking registrations for its third annual workshop at Honey Creek Resort State Park. The two-and-a-half-day event will be held April 28 - May 1, 2016.
Iowa Outdoors Begins its 75th Year

Iowa Outdoors Begins its 75th Year

  • 2/5/2016 8:59:00 AM
  • View Count 8885
Launched Feb. 15, 1942 in the dark early years of WWII, the Iowa Conservationist magazine was born.
Give the Gift that Lasts All Year: Iowa Outdoors Magazine

Give the Gift that Lasts All Year: Iowa Outdoors Magazine

  • 12/8/2015 7:07:00 AM
  • View Count 9493
Take advantage of a special 30 percent off the regular subscription price, and give Iowa Outdoors Magazine to your friends or family this holiday season! Six issues (one-year) are just $10 and will include the 2017 calendar.
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