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Must-Have Summer Fishing Tips

Must-Have Summer Fishing Tips

  • 7/1/2015 6:18:00 AM
  • View Count 10372
Making plans for summer outings with family and friends this summer? Add fishing to your list. Whether it’s part of your camping trip or just a day trip, schedule time to go fishing. Try these simple tips to get you started.
21 Outdoor Experiences Every Iowa Kid Needs to Try

21 Outdoor Experiences Every Iowa Kid Needs to Try

  • 7/1/2015 5:24:00 AM
  • View Count 31056
From something as simple as chasing fireflies or hiking a trail to bigger adventures like camping and skiing, there are lots of ways to get kids outdoors in Iowa. Use this as a checklist through the rest of the year to guide your outdoor explorations! Be sure, too, to help your kids make a connection between the activity and protecting Iowa’s natural resources. For example, explain how clean water helps the fish when you’re angling. Talk about habitat when chasing butterflies or frogs. Creating these connections ...
6 Tips for Foraging Wild Raspberries and Strawberries

6 Tips for Foraging Wild Raspberries and Strawberries

  • 7/1/2015 4:03:00 AM
  • View Count 35407
Ripe berries taste like a pop of sunshine, even out of a grocery store box. But in Iowa, anybody can go find the real wild thing, and the taste is incredible. The only hard parts are identifying the berries and finding them before wildlife and other foragers do. Use these tips to collect your share of wild berries!
7 Tips to Prevent Drowning

7 Tips to Prevent Drowning

  • 6/26/2015 5:43:00 AM
  • View Count 31306
Each year, drownings affect a wide swath of outdoor users, from people swimming in lakes and rivers, standing on docks and wading in rivers to warm-weather anglers, ice anglers and boaters. As hotter summers push more Iowans toward water, drownings can increase. Luckily, many of these deaths are preventable.
7 Things To Do in Iowa's Outdoors This Week

7 Things To Do in Iowa's Outdoors This Week

  • 6/26/2015 4:21:00 AM
  • View Count 7424
If you’re looking for some new or different ideas to explore Iowa’s outdoors, we have a suggestion for each day of the holiday week:
Leave It As You Found It: 6 Camping Tips

Leave It As You Found It: 6 Camping Tips

  • 6/26/2015 3:47:00 AM
  • View Count 14386
A weekend camping in the woods is a great way to reconnect with the outdoors. Thank your host - Mother Nature - by leaving your campsite as you found it or even better than it was when you set up camp with these tips.
Wildlife Rehabbers: What it Takes

Wildlife Rehabbers: What it Takes

  • 6/19/2015 11:07:00 AM
  • View Count 25133
A summer storm. A crack of lightning. A thick tree limb crashes to the ground. From a cavity, once 20 feet above ground, high pitched “chirring” and scratching can be heard. A couple whiskered noses poke out, just ahead of the oh-so-familiar black masks. A litter of raccoons is displaced. Now what?
Paddle Up To These Secluded Campsites

Paddle Up To These Secluded Campsites

  • 6/19/2015 11:02:00 AM
  • View Count 58136
The self-reliant can take advantage of several remote paddle-in primitive campsites, get surrounded by nature and leave other humans behind. The locations make for a Boundary Waters-like experience in Iowa.
Learn How to Fish By Depth

Learn How to Fish By Depth

  • 6/19/2015 9:09:00 AM
  • View Count 134545
Ever wonder why you're not catching a certain fish? You might be trying at the wrong time of day at the wrong depth. Check out our infographic below to make the right call.
Father's Day Fishing Coupons

Father's Day Fishing Coupons

  • 6/17/2015 4:11:00 AM
  • View Count 9403
Print off these fishing coupons for a quick, easy and fun gift for Dad this Father's Day! (Be sure, though, that Dad has his fishing license before he goes.)
Go Afloat with the Corps of Discovery: Lewis and Clark State Park

Go Afloat with the Corps of Discovery: Lewis and Clark State Park

  • 6/10/2015 9:51:00 AM
  • View Count 11978
“Cast away! Cast away!” With that resounding command, bellowed stem to stern o’er land and water, the stunning 55-foot reproduction of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s Missouri-wending keelboat, Discovery, gingerly takes leave of the shores at which the explorers’ expedition arrived on Aug. 10, 1804.
7 Iowa Fish With Open State Records: How to Catch a Record Fish

7 Iowa Fish With Open State Records: How to Catch a Record Fish

  • 6/9/2015 10:51:00 AM
  • View Count 12931
Put your name as the first entry in the history books by catching one of these seven fish species we added to the eligible State Record Fish species list in 2013. With no records for these fish currently,you can be the first to set the record! Try these tips to help you catch a record fish.
Rediscover the Joy of Creek Walking

Rediscover the Joy of Creek Walking

  • 6/3/2015 4:55:00 AM
  • View Count 21596
The pair of soft, blue eyes peered deep into the gin-clear depths of the tiny pool, straining to make out anything that wasn’t rock or rubble. Not even a decade old, those eyes were young and fresh and untested—yet the vibrant, cheeky 10-year-old worked them like a hawk eyeing its next meal. And with a quick thrust of her net into the knee-deep water, she brought up her “treasures” from the deep.
A Walk on the Wild Side: Preparation Canyon and Iowa's Loess Hills

A Walk on the Wild Side: Preparation Canyon and Iowa's Loess Hills

  • 6/3/2015 4:34:00 AM
  • View Count 16554
Visiting western Iowa’s razor-ridged Loess Hills on a hot, breezy summer afternoon that eventually succumbs to the ruling grandeur of a moonlit night is surely as intense an experience today as it was for renowned naturalist and University of Iowa professor Bohumil Shimek as he describes it in a section of the 1909 Iowa Geological Survey Annual Report.
7 Ideas to Celebrate Great Outdoors Month in Iowa

7 Ideas to Celebrate Great Outdoors Month in Iowa

  • 6/3/2015 4:01:00 AM
  • View Count 8426
Grab the kids or your friends, and get the bike, kayak or fishing pole - June is Great Outdoors Month! Throw the tent in the car and explore some Iowa state parks this month – and if you need a few ideas, here are some great activities and events going on in Iowa state parks this month. For more ideas, visit the DNR events calendar.
Free Fishing Weekend: What to Know Before You Head Out

Free Fishing Weekend: What to Know Before You Head Out

  • 6/2/2015 11:11:00 AM
  • View Count 8368
Free Fishing Weekend (June 5, 6 and 7, 2015) is the perfect time to take kids fishing or introduce someone to fishing. DNR staff will be at popular fishing spots across the state to assist with setting up fishing poles and distribute free fishing packets to kids that include tips for fishing, bobbers and right-sized hooks for best catching success.
Avoid These Top Tree Killing Practices

Avoid These Top Tree Killing Practices

  • 6/2/2015 10:47:00 AM
  • View Count 13922
Trees add beauty, increase property value, clean the air, provide shade and create habitat. Get the most from your leafy wonders with these simple steps to ensure your trees avert an early demise.
Three Off-The-Beaten-Path Places to Camp in Iowa

Three Off-The-Beaten-Path Places to Camp in Iowa

  • 6/2/2015 10:14:00 AM
  • View Count 73010
Iowa’s state parks and forests offer many beautiful and relaxing campgrounds, but if you’re looking to feel like you’re escaping civilization for a while, here are some top places to rough it in Iowa.
 9 Tips for Training Hunting Dogs

 9 Tips for Training Hunting Dogs

  • 5/27/2015 10:49:00 AM
  • View Count 122941
If you’ve brought home a new puppy this year or want to teach some new skills to your hunting companion, check out these tips on training dogs for hunting.
How to Build a Campfire [Tutorial]

How to Build a Campfire [Tutorial]

  • 5/27/2015 10:39:00 AM
  • View Count 14648
It’s just not a campout without a crackling fire (and the s’mores and hot dogs to roast over it). If building a solid campfire has always eluded you, here are some simple tips to make sure your next campfire keeps blazing bright.
Build Rain Gardens to Hold Water, Beautify Yards, Help Wildlife [Tutorial]

Build Rain Gardens to Hold Water, Beautify Yards, Help Wildlife [Tutorial]

  • 5/22/2015 10:54:00 AM
  • View Count 14589
While rain storms are natural, storm water runoff is not. Flowing from rooftops and surging out downspouts, across the yard, into the street and down the storm sewer untreated, rainfall is routed to the nearest stream or lake. Runoff is often polluted. In its rough and tumble downhill journey, rain picks up heavy metals, oils, fertilizers, soils, sediment, and pesticides.
Why We Camp

Why We Camp

  • 5/22/2015 9:11:00 AM
  • View Count 10077
Struggling to set up his fold-down camper, my brother-in-law asks, “Tell me again why we do this?”
Great Escapes: 7 of Iowa’s Best Hikes

Great Escapes: 7 of Iowa’s Best Hikes

  • 5/22/2015 7:55:00 AM
  • View Count 107840
Whether you’re looking to get away from civilization for a weekend or just take in some beautiful scenery for an hour or two with the family, Iowa – yes, Iowa – offers some incredible hikes in our state parks and forests.
Prepping Your Boat for Summer: Four Tips

Prepping Your Boat for Summer: Four Tips

  • 5/15/2015 10:03:00 AM
  • View Count 6596
As many Iowa boaters get ready to take to the water for the first time this year this coming weekend, be sure to brush up on these basic boating safety and maintenance tips.
7 Things To Do in Iowa's Outdoors This Week

7 Things To Do in Iowa's Outdoors This Week

  • 5/15/2015 10:01:00 AM
  • View Count 7616
While the cool weather forecasted for this week doesn’t seem to herald in the unofficial start of summer, it’s still a great time to get outside. If you’re looking for some new or different ideas to explore Iowa’s outdoors, we have a suggestion for each day of the holiday week:
Tutorial: Learn How to Compost at Home

Tutorial: Learn How to Compost at Home

  • 5/13/2015 5:54:00 AM
  • View Count 20862
Yard waste is the second major waste generated in cities and towns – and since it’s illegal to place yard waste in the trash in Iowa, it needs to be composted. While you can send off yard waste for municipal composting, it’s also easy to do in your own backyard, saving you money and helping your yard and garden. Use this tutorial from DNR staffer Karen Grimes to start your own compost heap at home.
6 Great Iowa State Parks for Spring Fishing

6 Great Iowa State Parks for Spring Fishing

  • 5/12/2015 11:41:00 AM
  • View Count 19809
Spring is a great time to head out fishing, so grab a buddy, call up Dad or Mom, or load the kids into the car and get out there. Plan a day trip or spend the entire weekend at one of Iowa’s great state parks. Enjoy the beautiful weather and “hook” some memories that will last a lifetime.
7 Native, Easy to Care For Plants for Your Yard

7 Native, Easy to Care For Plants for Your Yard

  • 5/12/2015 11:15:00 AM
  • View Count 27075
Natives are resilient and pest resistant, take less watering and care, and will reward you with an April through October blooming season. With some 250 native prairie plants (translate prairie as “sun-loving”) to choose from, which plants are the must-haves for the average garden?
8 Surprising Memorial Day Camping Getaways

8 Surprising Memorial Day Camping Getaways

  • 5/1/2015 10:22:00 AM
  • View Count 20533
Not all hope is lost when it comes to finding a place to camp this Memorial Day weekend, May 22-25. For those who like a little more quiet, don’t mind more primitive camping or are willing to take a chance on a first-come, first-served or “walk-in” campsite, here are some nice possibilities. Try kicking off the summer season with one of these lesser-known state parks:
5 Awesome Tips for Spring Panfish Fishing

5 Awesome Tips for Spring Panfish Fishing

  • 5/1/2015 8:54:00 AM
  • View Count 22353
Crappies and bluegills are biting in small ponds and lakes across Iowa. Spring panfish fishing is a great opportunity to introduce beginners of all ages to fishing. Panfish can be caught easily and are excellent to eat. Grab your fishing pole and tackle box and try these simple tips for a fun and successful spring fishing season.
14 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Recycle

14 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Recycle

  • 5/1/2015 8:28:00 AM
  • View Count 21348
Paper, sure. Plastic, cardboard, of course. But before you toss those old shingles or paint, or dump a box of Styrofoam packing peanuts in the trash, you’ll want to look up where you can recycle them.
Five Awesome Outdoorsy Spring Recipes

Five Awesome Outdoorsy Spring Recipes

  • 5/1/2015 5:34:00 AM
  • View Count 19023
Set the table, because spring in Iowa is a great time to fill the frying pan and warm up the grill for the best of Iowa's outdoors, from crappie and turkey to morels and wild asparagus.
Top Spots to Hunt Turkey This Spring

Top Spots to Hunt Turkey This Spring

  • 5/1/2015 5:10:00 AM
  • View Count 13752
While we’re not about to give away anybody’s prized hunting spot, there are areas better than others when it comes to turkey hunting. Use these tips to scout out your own site this year, And don’t forget to brush up on your basic turkey hunting safety tips:
6 Water Trails to Explore This Spring

6 Water Trails to Explore This Spring

  • 4/30/2015 10:36:00 AM
  • View Count 24156
If you’re looking to blaze a new trail this spring, consider hitting the water for something different. Iowa boasts a number of water trails, which offer a unique perspective on Iowa in spring.
Bee Beautiful – 5 Tips to Attract Pollinators to Your Backyard

Bee Beautiful – 5 Tips to Attract Pollinators to Your Backyard

  • 4/29/2015 10:29:00 AM
  • View Count 27399
One out of every three bites of food we eat relies on pollinators, mostly insects, to reproduce. Unfortunately, bees (colony and solitary), butterflies and moths, bats, birds and beetles are facing challenges due to habitat loss, disease, parasites and pesticides.
Take a Spring Wildflower No-Pick Scavenger Hunt

Take a Spring Wildflower No-Pick Scavenger Hunt

  • 4/24/2015 8:20:00 AM
  • View Count 15944
The colorful return of wildflowers to Iowa's woodlands each spring is a thankful sign that winter is (mostly) behind us. Head out to an Iowa state park or preserve to take in the show, and be sure to take along a guide or our no-pick scavenger hunt list.
Helping Kids Be Thankful for Nature

Helping Kids Be Thankful for Nature

  • 4/22/2015 9:35:00 AM
  • View Count 11185
Our modern lives are busy, with work, school, errands and all kinds of organized activities – often making it hard to find time in natural areas. Make sure your kids – or any of your friends or family, really – can foster a love of and respect for nature, with these tips.
Foraging for Wild Asparagus: Hunting and Cooking

Foraging for Wild Asparagus: Hunting and Cooking

  • 4/22/2015 9:33:00 AM
  • View Count 41954
When I was young, I did not like asparagus. But on a spring camping trip, I found a few spears of wild asparagus, and skeptically threw them into a pot of boiling water. The sweet, juicy, fresh taste changed my mind on the spot.
4 Lures You Need for Crappie Fishing in Iowa

4 Lures You Need for Crappie Fishing in Iowa

  • 4/22/2015 8:48:00 AM
  • View Count 111815
It’s that time of year that anglers across Iowa have been waiting for – crappies are biting. Crappies are one of the most frequently caught panfish. Add one of these lures suggested by our fisheries biologists to your tackle box and start planning your next spring fishing trip.
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