Iowa Furharvester Season Begins Nov. 7

CLEAR LAKE – More than 15,000 fur harvesters are expected to head to the streams, timber and fence lines when Iowa’s fur harvest season begins Nov. 7. While bobcats and otters grab the headlines, other species, like raccoons, make up the bulk of the harvest.

Most drivers in Iowa can relate to the heart pounding near miss of a deer that came out of nowhere to appear in front of them on the road then disappears as quickly into a field, timber or the darkness. It is a reminder that deer are out there, and to slow down and pay extra attention to avoid a collision.
Deer are on the move in the fall because instinct and diesel fuel has changed their normally mundane routine. The breeding season is in full bloom by early November, causing bucks to temporarily loose their normal reclusiveness and look for does ready and willing to breed. If that was not enough, then add in the annual crop harvest with combines and tractors working the fields all hours of day and night, pushing deer from their usual feeding and bedding areas.

By Joe Wilkinson
Iowa Department of Natural Resources

The forecast is pretty well known. This weekend across Iowa, we find out where the pheasants are...or aren’t.
Iowa’s premier game bird still draws a crowd. Even last year, with preseason counts at near record lows, 86,000 hunters were in the field. They took an estimated 383,000 ringneck pheasants. Pre-season counts were basically about the same this summer; down in the northern third of Iowa and up a bit in the lower two-thirds. “When all is said and done this season, we should harvest about 300,000-350,000 birds,” estimates Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife research biologist for the Department of Natural Resources.

Many Iowans are finding themselves drifting away from traditional outdoor pursuits, including hunting, because of an increase in the time demands ranging from children’s activities to demands from work.
When there is competition between activities that which is easiest and less time consuming usually wins out. For those who love the outdoors, that does not bode well for the future.
But there is hope. Parents are increasingly recognizing this shift away from the outdoors. There is an effort by conservation groups to bring kids back to the outdoors. Groups like Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Whitetails Unlimited, Izaak Walton League as well as the DNR and county conservation boards and others are working through these mentored hunts to bring the kids back to the woods and fields.

Each year, Drury TV Producers from all over the country gather for meetings and an annual awards banquet. Last year, Mossy Oak was honored to participate in the banquet and present the Mossy Oak Passion Award to Steve "Coon Dog" Coon. Continuing the tradition this year, Mossy Oak recognized John Frank.

"The Passion Award is given to an individual that exhibits passion for the outdoors, who always works to their fullest capacity and with great excitement, and strives unselfishly to be the best at what they do," said Ben Maki, Vice President of Marketing for Mossy Oak. "It's not about taking trophy animals and having a successful hunt every time they step in the field or get behind the camera. It's about passion for the outdoors, respect for Mother Nature and unwavering energy in everything they do."

Frank is from Richland, Iowa where he owns his own flooring company. He has two children. Frank's hobbies include photography, videography and Harley Davidsons. He enjoys hunting caribou, turkey and whitetail.

According to Frank, "Hunting with my grandfather from age 12 provided the beginning of my hunting interests. My love for the sport has branched from well-trained hunting dogs flushing ringnecks to the gobble of a mature tom on a cool spring morning. In the last decade, my hunting sights have evolved further to include the elusive P&Y class whitetail deer. Photographing buck in velvet combined with shed antler hunting helps me to pattern mature bucks. In the future, I'd like to harvest an elk with a bow.

"Recently, my son started hunting and I love to film him learning to hunt and discovering all the outdoors has to offer," he added.

Nov 14 - Saturday – Tri-state Rod Builders Workshop
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center - FREE Admission, good will donation for lunch

CHARITON - Iowa’s early muzzleloader deer season begins Saturday for the 7,500 residents who purchased a license before the season quota filled. Early muzzleloader season is preferred by some hunters for its moderate temperature and the solitary experience with fewer firearm hunters in the field.

DECORAH, Iowa – Northeast Iowa draws thousands of anglers from across the state to its cold water streams and excellent trout fishing. But anglers can expect to see a few more non residents sharing the stream in Iowa’s Trout County because on September 30, Wisconsin and Minnesota stream trout seasons were closed.

One of Iowa’s best kept secrets is the excellent fishing that takes place here each fall season. Now, the secret of where to fish this time of year is easier to access in a new interactive map created by the Iowa DNR.

By Lowell Washburn
Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Although it was more than five minutes into legal shooting time, the skies above Rice Lake remained nearly pitch black. The weatherman’s “Thirty percent chance of scattered showers” was becoming four hours of steady rainfall and the predawn temperature was on a downhill slide. A sudden gust of wind grabbed a nearby tree branch and slapped it across my face, providing an instant reminder of how eye glasses can become a real hindrance on rainy autumn days.