TURKEY CONTEST RULES!!!

Here are the rules to this years turkey contest. If you want to sign up go to:http://www.iowasportsman.com/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=485836

RULES

1. (2)two person teams. You can choose your teammate or just be randomly placed with and individual. Please let me know if you want to chose your teammate and team name if you want one. All teams will be announce on the HARVEST page under the Turkey Forum. You don't have to hunt with with your teammate.
2. All participants must be an Iowa Sportsman Website Member.
3. A limit of 3 birds will be scored.
4. Teams that score 3 birds have to have harvested birds by both members. (One teamate can't shoot all the birds.)
5. You can cull birds.
6. Only bearded birds, obviously.
7. Out of state birds ARE allowed.
8. NWTF scoring will be used. Here is the link to score your bird: http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/turkey_score.html
9. Report score at HARVEST page under the Turkey Forum.
10.. A picture of the harvested bird must be posted with beard visible.
11. No bonus points for archery kills or any other reasons.
12. Multiple bearded birds will be scored by the longest beard/Same goes for spurs.
13. Last day to sign up is March 31st.
14. Contest begins April 1st and end May 16th.
15. If it is your child, son or daughter sign up is allowed as a team. Updated 3-3-2010

Teams will be announced in the harvest page. If you are waiting for a teammate I will update them daily so make sure to check out the harvest page. If by chance we have an odd number I will join the competition...this may hinder your chances of winning though

Prizes will go to:

Top Scoring Team
Top Scoring Bird
Top Scoring Bird Harvested By A Youth (18 and under)

If there are any questions please send me a PM. This is a contest but the main thing is to HAVE FUN! Thanks for participating.

Press release from the IDNR


DES MOINES – The winter that seemingly wouldn’t quit is finally beginning to show signs of weakening as the thick crust of snow and ice covering Iowa lakes, ponds and streams begins its slow retreat. Once the ice is gone, the evidence will be seen in shallow lakes and ponds as fish that died during the hard winter will be found along shore.

Linn County Conservation Department release

The Linn County Conservation Department and the Cedar Amateur Astronomers Club are hosting a program entitled, "The Case for Pluto," on Saturday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center near Mt Vernon.

Never again can Pluto be the smallest or the ninth planet. Can't dwarf planets be planets, too? In "The
Case for Pluto," MSNBC Science Editor Alan Boyle shows that the history of planetary science never did run smooth, previews the wonders at the edge of the solar system and beyond, and makes the case that Pluto and its little pals deserve to be restored to an honored place in the planetary lineup. As MSNBC's science editor, Alan Boyle writes about space, the physical sciences, archaeology, and anthropology.

The Observatory is located on Ivanhoe Road, two miles east of Hwy 1, south of Mt Vernon.

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Featured in The Iowa Sportsman magazine February issue
The Art of Shed Traps
By: Nick Jedlicka

Deer season is over and even though you might not have harvested that monster on the trail camera, you still have another chance to walk away with a token from him. The only problem is that any hunter who has went out looking for sheds knows that it really is looking for a needle in a haystack.

Hunters can easily walk hours in a day to find only a few sheds, if any. I’ve known some hunters who have gone the whole shed hunting months without being able to walk out of the woods with a single one. To the people who just don’t have the shed hunting luck and even for the people who do, but would like to better their odds… there are shed traps.

The best time for sheds is often debated, but truthfully it depends on the year, area and individual buck. Bucks drop their antlers when the level of testosterone in their body drops. So depending if it has been a really hard-weather year, if the area has lots of does that have yet to be bred or if the buck itself is older or younger, dominant or non-dominant, wounded or healthy- all these things affects when the antlers will drop. I’ve seen bucks drop their antlers as early as December and as late as March. However, January and February, the coldest months of Iowa winters, are typically known as the best months for sheds.

If you own your own land, that is a great place to start shed hunting and setting up shed traps. It is even a great idea to ask permission from neighboring landowners as the same deer that walked your land, likely walked theirs. If you do not own your own land, a great place to start walking is a nearby state park. Also ask permission from local landowners and since you don’t have your own land to put a shed trap, explain your shed trap(s) to them and see if it would be okay with you putting any on their property. Be specific and let them know when putting any man made materials or feed on another person’s property for trapping antlers.

It is okay to use food to attract deer for the purpose of collecting antlers, but you cannot use it during any deer hunting season because it is illegal to hunt over or near food. The most common food used for shed traps is corn since it is readily available and inexpensive. Corn is low in protein but high in carbohydrates, making it an energy source for deer during cold winter months.

Deer pellets are another popular food usually made with a mixture of milled grains, alfalfa and a mineral supplement. Even though pellets are a well-balanced feed for deer, they easily get wet during the winter, causing deer to lose interest.

Mixed grain is an all-around good deer feed. Mixed grain usually consists of whole grains like oats and corn to provide energy, as well as ground oil seeds like soybeans to provide protein. This mixture also fares better than pellet feed in inclement weather while giving deer the best balance for optimal health during harsh winter months.

If you like deer and deer hunting, shed hunting and trapping is a lot of fun too. You might find sheds from bucks you hunted or a nocturnal monster that you never knew lived in the areas you hunt. Many hunters are also proud of their shed collection built over the years. Also if you have a dog, small sheds make the perfect chewing toy.

Shed Traps to Buy
There are many types of shed traps, some available for purchase. A main commercial trap is The Rack Trap Antler Trap. This tree-mounted, hanging bucket design with bungee cords, applies pressure to antlers to promote the natural shedding process as a buck feeds. This built in the USA product retails at $279.

Build It
For most people, shed trapping is all about do-it-yourself and being creative. While some people can afford to buy their own traps, there are many shed trap designs that can easily and inexpensively be made, but work just as well. The main thing when making a shed trap is not to use any material that could tangle and cause a buck’s antler to get caught before it is ready to drop.

One homemade shed trap I recently witnessed the success of was made out of a small section of corrugated metal culvert pipe with corn placed inside and two crossed bungee cords on the top. It has a large area the buck puts its head into while bungee cords allow the buck to push down and reach the feed while applying pressure so antlers will fall off only when ready.

A popular material for homemade shed traps is chicken wire. There are different ways and patterns to use. A simple way of constructing a shed trap with this material is by wrapping the wire around two close trees and connecting them. If there are not two trees close by, you can also stake two steel fence posts or rebar stakes to hold the wire. Then you’ll want to put the feed on the ground directly below the wire. The wire doesn’t have to be touching the ground. When the bucks come to feed, they will have to contact the wire with their antlers to eat. Chicken wire has small holes, so just the tips of the antlers are able to catch the wire, so bucks do not get caught in the trap while feeding and the antlers drop when ready. Construct these types of traps near heavily used trails for the best results.

Natural Shed Traps
There are also ways to make natural shed traps with as little as the feed you use to attract the deer. Find a large fallen tree near a heavily used trail. Then place your feed on the ground along the fallen tree and push it closer or somewhat under the tree. When bucks reach for the feed, their antlers will bump the tree or ground and fall off when ready.

If you don’t have the time, resources or permission to put in man made antler traps, Mother Nature can help you out. Since deer love to bed in and around stands of cedar and pine trees that have low branches and limbs, these are great areas to target, especially on south-facing slopes where the deer lay to warm up during the coldest winter days.

By using shed traps, you will be more efficient with your time during the bitter cold of Iowa’s winter, but more importantly, you’ll gain more opportunities to collect sheds. Try some of these options for shed traps and check them regularly. With persistence, patience and maybe a little luck, you’ll find some handsome whitetail deer head gear!

The Iowa Sportsman magazine February issue
Pro's Corner Department
Mobility is Key
By Bill Leonard

Boy! This winter sure has been something! Cold and snowy, the type of winter that makes you wonder if open water will ever come. However, aside from the Okoboji and Big Spirit lakes, late February and early March around the northern part of the upper Midwest still mean some great walleye action.

A lot of anglers have their “spots” for fishing and often go out, drill a few holes and fish that spot. During times when the air temperature is at zero or below, I certainly understand the reason for this. It’s tough to fish a lot of holes when they seem to ice up about as fast as you drill them.

Featured in The Iowa Sportsman magazine February issue
Fishing the Midwest Department by Bob Jensen

It’s that time in the ice fishing season when we really need to start fine-tuning our presentations if we want to experience ice fishing success. By this point of the season, the easy ones have been caught and the remaining fish have been pounded pretty good, especially on community holes or if you’re fishing out of a shelter that hasn’t been moved. This is when lure action becomes a very important consideration.

Press Release from the IDNR



DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Keepers of the Land Volunteer Program is holding a contest to pick a slogan that will be used to recruit new volunteers and retain current volunteers.
Slogans need to be 2 – 5 words and reflect what volunteering means to Iowa’s natural resources. Slogans may be submitted via Twitter at iowadnr; Facebook messaging to Iowa DNR; or email at dnr.volunteer@dnr.iowa.gov. Be sure to include your name, email address, phone number and indicate “KOL Slogan” with the entry.

Press release from the Iowa DNR.



Des Moines – Plan to attend the 2010 National Pheasant Fest this weekend, Feb. 26-28, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, and be sure to include a visit to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources while you are there. The DNR is a proud sponsor of Pheasant Fest, put on by Pheasants Forever, a leading conservation organization and DNR partner in conservation efforts in Iowa. The event promises to have something for the whole family

This hike will take place on Monday, March 1 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Wickiup Hill. Participants will build an owl call and then hike under the full moon to try to call in an owl. People are frequently surprised to learn that owls start nesting about this time of year. We may even read and owl book as a warm up. Register by February 23. Cost is
$2.50/adult, $1/child 16 and under, or $5/family


Linn County Conservation Department
Gail Barels
Conservation Education Specialist

Press Release from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources


CHARITON, Iowa – Iowa hunters harvested 136,504 deer in 2009, of which, 71,273 were does continuing a five year trend reducing the size of Iowa’s deer herd. This harvest is about 5,750 fewer deer than were reported in 2008. Although the totals would likely have been closer with perfect hunting conditions, some decline was not surprising given that there were fewer deer than in 2008.