Outdoor Connection - October 2019

UTDOOR CONNECTION

OCTOBER 2019 ESTHERVILLE NEWS Find this publication online a t w w w. e s t h e r v i l l e n e w s . n e t under ʻSectionsʼ

STORIES, ADVICE AND INFORMATION FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS

For the Love of the Hunt

BY STEVE WEISMAN OUTDOOR EDITOR

O

ne of the most enjoyable parts of hunting pheasants is hunting with a good hunting dog. Without one, it’s like trying to find the proverbial “needle in a haystack,” especially when hunting some of the massive public hunting areas around here. Filled with lots of good habitat, I’ve often wondered, “Why would a pheasant ever fly with only a two-footed human being who, compared to a good hunting dog, has poor eyesight, hearing and sense of smell. A wily rooster can literally run rings around a human being and never be in any danger.

It’s a different deal, though, when the rooster is faced with a welltrained hunting dog. I know this is old hat to many of you, but I also know there are hunters out there who have never had a hunting dog or are weighing the options on whether to make the leap or not.

From my perspective, I’ve hunted both ways (with and without a dog) and there’s no comparison.

Watching a good hunting dog unravel the trail of a pheasant is one of the greatest hunting thrills I have ever experienced.

When the dog catches the scent of a pheasant, its nose goes down, its tail starts wagging madly and the chase is on. Straight ahead, sharp left, sharp right, straight back, in a circle, back and forth, forward and backward, over and over again… this will go on until the bird races far ahead and takes flight, tries to slip behind and takes

The beauty of a mature tall grass prairie and forbes.

Photo by Kiley Roth

REASONS FOR NATIVE GRASSES, WILDFLOWERS

BY KILEY ROTH DCCB COMMUNITY RELATIONS COORDINATOR

Iowa was one of the first states to establish an Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management program. Since its inception in the 1970s, more than 50,000 acres of federal, state, county and city roadsides have been planted to native grasses and wildflowers.

Dickinson County began its IRVM program in 2015, and additional staff have been hired in 2019 to expand the program.

But why? Your taxpayer dollars support this program, and Dickinson County Conservation thinks it’s important that you know why we’re making the changes that we’re making.

1.Native plants help the Iowa Great Lakes - The Iowa Great Lakes are the lifeblood of Dickinson County, and it’s important that we all work hard to preserve them. By planting native species in the county rights-of-way, we’re creating natural landscape

Mandy after a morningʼs work of wood duck hunting and pheasant hunting.

Photo by Steve Weisman

flight or finally is chased into a corner where it sits hoping the dog will go by it. If the dog holds true to the scent, the chase ends in flight and the hunter has a good chance of bagging a wily rooster or watching a hen safely fly away.

As I think about the previous scene, it’s pretty obvious that this search, track and flush is the dog’s game. It is what it has been bred to do. As hunters, it is our job to train and refine those basic instincts so that the dog doesn’t take off on a

dead run and leave the hunter far, far behind.

Patience must be learned, or the hunter becomes frustrated with wild out-of-range flushes. Taught in a consistent, yet patient way from the time the dog is a tiny puppy, a Turn to HUNT, Page 2B

sponges. Prairie plant roots grow anywhere from 6-9 feet below the surface — compare that to the 4-inch root system of Kentucky bluegrass — and those roots can absorb 9 inches of rainfall per hour before any kind of runoff occurs.

That means that instead of runoff going into the storm sewer and directly into our lakes, taking with it pesticides, fertilizer and sediment, the water then moves through the natural watershed. As it does, the water is decontaminated and cleaned, making the water that ends up in our lakes pure.

2.Roadside plantings are a long-term plan for cost savings - Although the first few years of implementing native plantings can be timeconsuming, after three-five years, native roadsides provide low maintenance weed and erosion control. The amount of time needed to care for these areas, once established, will decrease through the years, saving the taxpayers money in the longterm.

Turn to GRASSES, Page 2B

Looking at the 2019 upland data

BY STEVE WEISMAN OUTDOOR EDITOR

The 2019 upland data for the DNR’s August roadside count has been collected and analyzed. After the snowy winter, late winter ice and rain followed by a wet and cold spring, there was fear that the pheasant and quail numbers would be down.

Sadly enough, the roadside count numbers show those fears have been verified. It just seems that our upland game can’t get a break when it comes to the weather. The other part of the survival equation comes from habitat. As always, where there is a good mix of prairie grasses, food plots and water, the bird numbers remain steady.

Over the 57 years that the survey has been conducted, certain aspects have proven true: Iowa pheasant numbers increase with mild winters (less than 19 inches snowfall) followed by warm, dry springs (less than 6 inches rainfall). They decline with snowy winters (30 or more inches of snow-

fall) followed by cold, wet springs (8 or more inches of rainfall), and remain generally stable with average weather conditions, winters with 20–30 inches of snow and springs with 6–8 inches of rainfall.

Unfortunately, last winter’s state average snowfall was 39.1 inches withnorthwest Iowa receiving 36 inches. The total spring state rainfall average (April 1MY 31) was 11 inches with northwest Iowa receiving an average of 11.3 inches. Of course, we know that after May there were some incredible rains and flooding in northwest Iowa.

2019 Upland Survey Let’s take a look at key points from the 2019

August Upland Survey. The survey is prepared by Todd Bogenschutz, Upland Wildlife Research Biologist, and Mark McInroy, Upland Wildlife Research Technician. The August roadside survey generates data from approximately 218, 30-mile routes on ringnecked pheasants, bobwhite quail, gray partridge, cottontail rabbits, and white-tailed jackrabbits. Counts conducted on cool mornings when the sun is shining, with heavy dew, and no wind yield the most consistent results.

Historical survey data indicates overwinter hen survival, brood survival and This white sparrow has recently frequented the backyard of Jan Greig in Estherville.

A white sparrow?

Turn to DATA, Page 2B

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA

2B

OUTDOOR CONNECTION

Rice Lake use soars after lake renovation LAKE MILLS — Trevis and Kris Erickson saw as business opportunity emerge 150 feet from the front of their new home.

The couple had moved to a place on a busy blacktop about halfway between Rice Lake and Silver Lake where they watched a steady stream of boats go back and forth between the lakes. Fishing had been on the uptick at Rice Lake since the lake renovation in 2015 and anglers had to drive to either Clear Lake or Albert Lea, Minn. to get live bait.

Why wasn’t there a local bait shop?

Because before the renovation Rice Lake suffered from poor water quality, a fish population dominated by bullheads and little use.

To fix Rice Lake, the water was lowered before ice up, its fish population was eliminated and the outlet structure was replaced.

Once the lake filled, aquatic plants returned.

A mix of yellow perch, bluegills, largemouth bass and walleyes were stocked. Ducks and geese found the high quality vegetation and were drawn like magnets.

Each year since, fishing got better, fish got bigger, ducks poured in and the word got out.

“We got tired of driving to Clear Lake or Albert Lea for bait,” said Trevis Erickson.

So, in 2017, they opened Tie 1 on Bait Shop on their acreage offering minnows and night

crawlers in the summer and spikes, wax worms and minnows in the winter.

And area anglers are glad they did.

There’s a logbook in the bait shop signed by anglers from surrounding towns, from Northwood and Buffalo Center, from Austin and Albert Lea, Minn., and from Des Moines.

There’s an energy that’s been here since the renovation: fishing, duck hunting, deer and pheasant hunting. Paddling and pleasure boating has increased and bird watchers converge during the spring and fall migration.

“It’s attractive to a lot of people,” said TJ Herrick, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, who along with fisheries biologist Scott Grummer are responsible for managing Rice Lake and the surrounding wildlife area. And, Herrick said, the excellent water quality has been the driver. “We see a lot more people using the lake since the project and that was the goal,” he said.

Today, Rice Lake can get more use in one day than it did in an entire season before it was fixed. The improved water clarity has benefited aquatic plants above and below the water surface to the point that even on the windiest day, there are no whitecaps. It’s common to hear reports of 12-inch perch and

an occasional walleye coming through the ice.

“Winter is big for Rice Lake,” Erickson said.

Disappearing Lake Rice Lake pulled a vanishing act in the early 1900s. The lakebed was deemed too valuable to remain underwater by the State Highway Commission and was drained so it could be farmed. For nearly 15 years, area farmers struggled to till and crop the former lakebed.

In 1917, the commission referred to the draining of Rice Lake as a failure and wrote that it would be more valuable if the lake was returned and used as a breeding area for water birds. With 800 acres still under the state, they would need to reacquire 300-400 additional acres to secure the land that would be impacted by holding water. Engineers began placing dikes between specific islands to return the 1,200-acre lake to the landscape. n Rice Lake Wildlife Area covers about 2,000 acres, including the lake. The timber component consists of shagbark hickories and all of the oaks. That mast production supports a quality deer herd and the small, but ferocious, red squirrel. Red squirrels are

GRASSES, Continued from Page 1B

HUNT, Continued from Page 1B strong bond develops between dog and hunter. Soon, it becomes a team effort with hunter praising the dog for its close flush and the dog proudly returning the downed rooster to the hunter.

I’ve been part of this scene over and over as I reflect on the three hunting dogs, I have been lucky enough to own: a German shorthair, a black lab and a yellow lab. All three are up there in my mental hall of fame. Any shortcomings they possessed were actually my own shortcomings when it came to training them. The best part, though, was they were still mine and we bonded well together.

When my yellow died a few years ago, I chose not to get another hunting dog. It was the right thing to do because of the travel my wife and I do, and – don’t kid yourself – owning a hunting dog (any dog for that matter) is work and it ties a person down.

Plus, at age 71, I simply cannot hunt the way I used to. I tire more easily, and it’s not fair to the hunting dog.

So, now I hunt with other hunters who have a hunting dog. Maybe it’s an excuse, but that’s the way it is.

For those thinking about making that initial jump into hunting dog ownership, do some research. Find the breed of hunting dog that meets your needs. Then once that choice is made, find a reputable breeder. Visit the breeder, look at the bloodlines and pedigrees and see what the litters look like and how they act and inter-

about half the size of fox squirrels and are protected – no hunting allowed. n Rice Lake was one of the original locations to receive starter flocks of Canada geese as part of the reintroduction program. Today, Canada geese numbers can reach and exceed 10,000. n The western quarter of the lake is a waterfowl refuge, closed to all hunting from Sept. 1 through the end of the duck season. n In the spring, tens of thousands of speckle-bellies and every species of waterfowl pass through Rice Lake, along with bald eagles, pelicans, cormorants and others on the migration route. Sandhill cranes are nesting here. n Rice Lake Golf Course is a semi private 18 hold golf course on the southwest side of the lake, offering a restaurant and full clubhouse services. n Rice Lake State Park, near the golf course, extends along the lake shore to the west. It has an open air shelter available for reservation, including a fireplace and picnic tables, a small swimming beach and a new courtesy dock. n Including Joyce Slough, there are 32 islands on the complex. n Rice Lake was named after the acres of wild rice growing on the area. The wild rice is gone, but the name stuck.

act with other dogs and humans.

Then, it becomes you and your family’s choice…and the journey of “firsts” together is on! And what a journey it will be…from playful puppy mastering the commands of sit-stay-come, to learning what a wing is all about, to retrieving. Of course, there will be the terrible two’s and chewing up some house stuff. I remember when my German shorthair plucked the petals off the bouquet of roses from our wedding! Thankfully, my wife is probably more of a dog love than I am. That’s just the nature of how things go.

I must share what I did with my black Lab Mandy. She was a couple years old, when my two children, Stephanie and Curt were 12 and 10 years old, respectively. They were both pitchers, but to protect the windows and the grass, I had them pitch to me in the street. Of course, in my late 30s, I was not going to crouch in the catcher’s position for an extended period. So, I sat on a five-gallon bucket. If their pitches were within my reach as I sat on the bucket, we were good. If too high, too wide or too low, the ball went to the end of the block.

They didn’t appreciate chasing down the ball and didn’t want to retrieve for each other, so we got Mandy out. She knew her commands very well: sit, stay, fetch and come, both by voice and whistle. So, they had her sit in the driveway and watch.

I gave her the command to sit and there she sat following the path of the ball from them to me and back to them over and over. Then came the errant pitch. Mandy watched it bound down the street and wanted to get that ball so very, very badly. However, I held her with the command-sit/stay until the ball hit the curb at the end of the block about 100 yards away.

Then I would say, “Mandy, fetch!” It was like she was shot out of a cannon. She was so excited and equally proud to bring back that softball or baseball to hand. I’d say, “Take it to Steph or Take it to Curt.” Of course, it was a little bit slippery with Mandy drool, so Steph and Curt used a big towel to dry off the ball.

Mandy was a great waterfowl retriever, but her real game was figuring out a pheasant trail. It was truly her life, and it gave her great satisfaction to solve the puzzle and flush the pheasant. If it turned out to be a hen and there was no shot, she’d look back at me, “Like really?” If it turned out to be a rooster and I missed, it was, “Like REALLY!” A downed bird and she was gone and soon returning back to me proudly carrying the bird.

Should you get a hunting dog? It’s your choice, and I’m not here to tell you what decision you should make.

However, I do know if I were 10 years younger, I’d have another lab pup in training!

3.Native plants help drivers in the winter - Native vegetation acts as a snowbreak in the winter, the longer grasses and wildflowers stopping the snow from constantly blowing over roadways and providing better visibility to drivers. In Iowa’s wide-open spaces, this is incredibly important and also helps landowners by reducing the need for natural or plastic snow fences.

4.Native plants are important to pollinators and other wildlife - Monarch butterfly populations have decreased by more than 90 percent in the last three decades, and native bee populations are also struggling due to many factors, including a lack of native habitat and food sources. Native roadways offer habitat and food sources for pollinators and are important way that we can help bring pollinator populations back. In addition to pollinators, native plantings are important habitat for voles, turkeys, rabbits, ground squirrels, hawks, foxes and other Iowa wildlife.

5.Roadside plantings beautify the landscape - Tallgrass prairie is a beautiful land-

scape that blooms in different colors throughout the season. You will see the purple of spiderwort and pink of wild roses in June, the vibrant orange of butterfly milkweed in July and August, the cheery yellow of goldenrod and the blue-violet of big bluestem in the fall.

Roadside plantings offer a beautiful view along your commute in different seasons.

6.Native plants resist the spread of invasive species The highly-diverse ecosystem provided by IRVM programs are more resistant to invasive species, because it is hard for invasive species to take root in an area that is full of healthy, diverse natives.

Controlling invasive species is always a positive for the environment.

7.Native plantings preserve our natural heritage - Less than one-tenth of one percent of Iowa’s tallgrass prairies remain today, and Iowa is the most developed state in the entire country. By planting sections of native tallgrass prairie in Iowa’s roadsides, we help to preserve some of the natural heritage of our beautiful state for future generations.

Photo by Roger Hill – Photo courtesy of the Iowa DNR

DATA, Continued from Page 1B nest success are the major factors influencing annual changes in pheasant numbers. Statewide, the total hens (-16 percent) and chicks (-21 percent) counted on routes this year were significantly lower than 2018, suggesting poor overwinter hen survival, nest success or chick survival compared to 2018. From a statewide perspective, poor winter hen survival and nest success contributed to most of this year’s decline as chick survival metrics were similar to 2018.

Statewide averages This year the statewide pheasant index is 17.4 birds per route, which is lower than the 2018 estimate of 21 birds/route. Even so, his year’s statewide pheasant population index is still 21 percent above the 10- year trend but remains below the long-term average of 38.7 birds per route.

Regionally only pheasant counts in the SC and SE regions were statistically lower than 2018. All other regions reported numbers comparable to 2018 with counts up or down slightly, but none were statistically significant, meaning there was no consistent trend in the counts, some routes increased, while others decreased in those regions.

In the past two years, the Central

region has replaced the Northwest region with the highest bird counts in the state. In 2019, the Central region’s count was 28.2 birds per route with the WC region a close second at 27.2 birds/route and the NW at 24.1 birds per route.

Counts in the C region are 30 percent above the 10-year average while counts in the WC region were 100 percent above the 10year mean.

Northern county averages Counts in the northern regions were unchanged from last year.

Counts were down slightly in NW, up slightly in the NC and unchanged in the NE compared to 2018. Counts in all three regions were near or above their 10-year averages. Numbers for cocks, hens, and chicks in all three regions were unremarkable with about two-thirds of routes showing declines with the other third showing increases. The NW region averaged 24.3 birds per route, the third highest average of any region. Parts of NW and NC Iowa should offer good pheasant hunting, particularly around public and private lands with good winter habitat. Better counts in NW came from Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Palo Alto, Plymouth and Osceola counties, while Humboldt, Kossuth, and

Winnebago reported better numbers in the NC region.

Central counties The WC region had the most routes reporting higher bird numbers. This region also had the most favorable winter and spring weather of any region. The region’s better hen and chick numbers reflects this more favorable weather. Reproductive parameters, particularly hens with brood, showed statistically lower trends in the C and EC regions. The WC and C regions should offer good to excellent hunting this fall where good quality pheasant habitat exists. The WC region reported better counts in Calhoun, Crawford, Sac, and Woodbury counties. The Central region reported good bird numbers in Hamilton, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Story and Webster counties.

What it all means The Iowa DNR forecasts that pheasant hunters will harvest between 200,000 to 275,000 rooster pheasants in 2019.

However, the early pheasant hunting success could be difficult because of the heavy May rainfall, which significantly delayed corn and soybean planting in Iowa this year. As a result, hunters can expect many unharvested/standing

crop fields on the pheasant opener this fall. Birds will quickly move to standing crops and make early season hunting more difficult, but hunting should improve later in the season as the crop harvest progresses.

At the same time, pheasant hunter numbers continue to decrease with only around 50,000 hunters afield in 2019. Obviously, better success will occur in areas with the better upland habitat.

Bobwhite quail 2018 was an exciting year for bobwhite quail hunters as numbers greatly increased. However, 2019’s survey shows a huge decline. Iowa’s statewide bobwhite quail index was 0.86 birds per route, a significant decrease over last year’s 1.37 birds per route. This decline was expected given the month of ice cover and subzero temperatures most of southern Iowa experience from late January thru the end of February. High winter mortality was expected with these weather conditions. Hunters reported harvesting more than 45,000 quail last fall, the state’s highest quail harvest in 11 years.

Unfortunately, Iowa’s 5-year string of mild winters in this region disappeared last winter.

The SC region reported the best

overall quail numbers in 2019 followed by the SW region.

Gray Partridge Gray partridge are found in the northern two-thirds of Iowa and prefer the wide-open agricultural lands. The 2019 gray partridge count was 1.3 birds per 30 miles and was statistically lower than last year’s 2.1 birds per route.

Counts showed downward trends in all regions except the NE; however, only the decline in the EC region was statistically significant, which means a few routes increased in each region, but most others decreased and there was no consistent trend among routes.

This year’s statewide estimate is 27 percent below the 10-year mean and 64 percent below the long-term mean.

Like pheasants and bobwhite quail, partridge numbers increase following mild winters and when spring/summer precipitation is below normal. In addition to the harsh winter and heavy spring rains, DNR data shows that icy conditions this past winter prevented snow burrowing and likely impacted reproduction this year.

Better counts in 2019 came from Bremer, Buchanan, Floyd, Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton, Howard, Mitchell and Story counties.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA

3B

OUTDOOR CONNECTION

The shed, which sat only 40 yards from the Weisman home, now sits alone with a large slough of water to the south that once contained a shelterbelt and a 30acre pasture.

Photo by Steve Weisman

A Trip Down Memory Lane

BY STEVE WEISMAN OUTDOOR EDITOR

In late September, my wife and I traveled to her hometown of Redfield, SD for her 50th year class reunion. The kids of ’69 were now in their late 60s, and as a friend of mine and I watched the Redfield homecoming parade, we cheered as the Class of 1969 passed by on their flatbed. So much had happened to those “kids” over the past 50 years, and that evening as more than 20 members of the class gathered at Crystal’s Lounge, I witnessed lots of laughter, smiles and, yes, a few tears of both joy and sadness.

It was also a reunion of sorts for me. Although I was a farm kid from the neighboring town of Tulare, I actually spent more time with Redfield kids than with the Tulare kids. It all happened during the summer after my junior year, when the Tulare Legion baseball team did not have enough players and our season was cancelled. However, the local Legion commander called up the Redfield commander and asked if any Tulare kids that wanted to could try out for the Redfield Legion team. He said yes, and three of us tried out and made the 1965 Redfield Legion baseball team.

Lucky contact I didn’t know any of the players on the team, but something that happened during our season opener

was a true ice breaker for me. We were playing Aberdeen, one of the top teams in the large class (A), while Redfield was in Class B. Since it was the season opener and we had arrived just that week, none of us Tulare players played.

Aberdeen had a hard throwing lefthander and since I was a left handed batter, I was kind of glad I didn’t get to play.

Then in the last inning, Coach Gary brought me in as a pinch hitter. Lefty on lefty…I knew this wouldn’t be good. We only had one hit for the entire game going into the last inning. So, to save face, I thought to myself, “I’m going to bunt.

At least, I can make contact and not be another strike out victim.”

So, on the first pitch, I squared around to bunt, the third baseman came charging in and I made contact with the ball. Oops! The ball hit the barrel of the bat, and I lined it over the third baseman’s head. The bunt was soooo bad; yet there I was with the only other hit of the game!

That broke the ice, and I became one of the “boys of summer.” By the end of season, we were the 1965 Class B State Champs. I played again my senior year and then seven years of amateur/town team baseball after that. I actually became a Redfield kid, and in the summer of 1969, I met Darial Scheffel, and we have now been married for 48 years. So, this was kinda

Then I thought of the neighbors who were facing this same dilemma, and I was filled with sadness. How? How could a farmer make it under these conditions?

And it’s not like this was a one-year deal. The land is so saturated and the land so flat that an inch or two of rain means another inch or two of water in the sloughs.

They just keep growing and expanding. So, they still own the land, pay taxes on the land and get no crops!

What a mess. like my class reunion, too.

To top it off, last weekend one of my wife’s classmates asked me at the reunion, “What year did you graduate from Redfield?” I said with a smile, “I actually didn’t. I was a Tulare kid.” I thought that was pretty funny.

Back to the farm Before heading home on Sunday, we drove out to the old Weisman farmstead four miles west and two miles south of Tulare. My parents moved off the farm in 1987, selling the farmland and buildings to the neighbor to the north and then relocated down to Estherville, IA to be near us. As a result, except for reunions or a pheasant hunting trip, we never traveled back.

As I approached the farm from the north, I knew that things would be different and that most of the buildings had been torn down, but I was shocked by what I found.

Growing up, my dad raised

a hundred cattle and a hundred pigs. After the fall harvest, the yard was crowded with several corn cribs of harvested corn, grain bins filled with oats and wheat and a couple dozen stacks of hay set for feeding the cattle in the winter. The three quarters of land were planted to alfalfa, wheat, oats, sorghum and corn along with about 100 acres of pasture. Of course, I knew it wouldn’t be like that today.

BUT, the changes were stark and had been caused

by Mother Nature. As I looked across the landscape, I found only one field of corn barely surviving, and the rest was water, water, water and cattails, cattails, cattails. Rains in recent years and especially this past summer had turned everything into true “duck country.” As we drove into the weed covered lane that once took me to the home place, all I could see was water…water lapped at the south side of the old machine shed and further to

Five ways to celebrate hunting and fishing this fall DES MOINES - Discover new and exciting ways to enjoy Iowa’s outdoors this fall with these simple suggestions. Invite someone to come along to share the fun and memories. n Fall fishing – one of Iowa’s best kept secrets.

The fish are feeding like crazy to prepare for the spawn next spring. Go in the middle of the day when water temperatures are warmer. Use live bait, particularly minnows, small tackle and fish slowly. Find a new fishing hole to explore with our interactive Fishing Atlas. Check conditions before you go with our weekly fishing report.

n Dove hunting – an easy sport for hunters of all ages and experience levels. You don’t need a lot of equipment - a bucket and a lot of shells. Doves can be found in all 99 counties. They like bare ground and prefer open landscapes and larger food plots. If a sunflower plot is not available, try a weed patch or harvested grain field. Brush up on Iowa regulations for hunting migratory birds before you go. n Bow fishing – a great outdoor activity that’s easy to learn. It takes a quick eye and a fast shot to have a chance to reel in a carp as they often surface the water only briefly. You need a

sport fishing license to bow fish in Iowa. Be sure you can identify the fish before you shoot. Only rough fish (such as carp and suckers) can be taken by bow and arrow. n Rabbit and squirrel hunting – an inexpensive way to introduce beginners to hunting with little competition. Experienced hunters can test out their equipment and sharpen their outdoor skills before pheasant and deer seasons begin. If you’re looking for land to hunt, try our interactive Hunting Atlas, which shows public land as well as private land enrolled in the Iowa Habitat and Access Program.

Through IHAP, Iowa

landowners receive help to establish habitat and in turn, open their land to public hunting. n Fall trout fishing – a great way to enjoy the cool weather and marvel at the amazing fall colors, including the trout (male brown and brook trout show off their most vibrant colors this time of year). Trout are starting their spawning rituals and seem to always be hungry as they try to bulk up for winter. You need a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout. Learn more about Iowa’s trout streams, including maps and stocking schedules.

the west the old barn had water almost at the foundation. There was no yard to put the corn cribs, the grain bins and stacks of hay, let alone the pigs and the cattle.

Weeds and brush stood where the pasture and alfalfa field used to be, but they were nearly submerged in water. Completely oblivious to our arrival, flocks of mallards and teal swam in contentment.

An avid duck hunter, it was an incredible display for me. Wherever I looked, I saw slough after slough with ducks flying aimlessly around only to suddenly cannonball and land on the water. Only once when I was in my early 20s had I seen a few temporary flooded low areas that held ducks.

That only lasted one season, and it was gone. Certainly, we had hard winters and spring flooding, but it most always went away by planting time because the land was quite sandy. Growing up, if we had a rain after the

first of June, we felt extremely fortunate. That was a total 180-degree swing.

My excitement left me though as I thought what these three quarters of land had once been and how proud my parents were of their farm. They were good stewards of the land and pretty much self-sufficient.

If they were alive today, I don’t think they could have survived on the farm. There is simply no they could make a living!

Then I thought of the neighbors who were facing this same dilemma, and I was filled with sadness.

How? How could a farmer make it under these conditions? And it’s not like this was a one-year deal. The land is so saturated and the land so flat that an inch or two of rain means another inch or two of water in the sloughs. They just keep growing and expanding. So, they still own the land, pay taxes on the land and get no crops! What a mess.

With nostalgia still surrounding us, I pulled out of the lane and headed south to the Iowa Great Lakes thinking thoughts of what had been and what now faced today’s farmers. I also thought of us here in Iowa and how the heavy rains have affected us…the flooded fields, the crops not planted, the levies breached…even here in Iowa we are definitely facing climate issues we have not faced in the past.

When it comes to your to-do list, put your future first.

To find out how to get your financial goals on track, contact your Edward Jones financial advisor today.

Doug Wagner Financial Advisor .

120 North Seventh Street Estherville, IA 51334 712-362-7744

Greta A Farley Financial Advisor .

504 Central Ave Estherville, IA 51334 712-362-4654

www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA

OUTDOOR CONNECTION

THREE TECHNIQUES FOR CATCHING FALL FISH

BY BOB JENSEN FISHING THE MIDWEST FISHING TEAM

Autumn is a wonderful time to go fishing for a good number of reasons: There is less fishing pressure in most places, the scenery and wildlife watching can be outstanding, the weather is generally very pleasant, and the catching can be fantastic.

Most species of fish go on the bite in the fall and they can be taken by a number of techniques. But if you want to get bit, following are three techniques that are tops for walleyes, largemouth and smallmouth bass.

The biggest walleyes I’ve ever caught have been caught in the fall, October and November. And the best days for numbers of walleyes were in the fall as well, October and November.

We’ve caught’em on crankbaits at night and livebait rigs during the day, but if I was limited to only one way to catch numbers of walleyes in the fall, it would be with a Fire-ball jig/minnow combination. Rigs with minnows are outstanding in the right situation also, but jigs can be fished vertically in deep water or cast to walleyes in the shallows.

Eighth ounce jigs are perhaps the size of jig used the most year ‘round, but in the fall, you need some in every size. In some lakes the walleyes will be shallow and a sixteenth ounce or eighth ounce size will be best, but in many lakes and rivers where the fish are deep or there’s current, a quarter ounce size will be the minimum.

When you’re looking for numbers, a three or four inch minnow will be best, but on big fish water, go with a larger minnow.

One of my all-time favorite places to fish for largemouth bass is in the Alexandria Lakes region just off I-94 between Fargo and the Twin Cities. This area is so good for so many species of fish, but it’s the largemouth bass

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that keep me coming back, The Speed Spool reel lets smallmouth swim it’s and it’s going to be a me work the bait quickly in become the go-to rig for Kabetogama Lake smallmouth guru Tim Snyder with a friend.

Photo by Bob Jensen

To see new and vintage episodes of Fishing the Midwest television, fishing articles and videos, go to

fishingthemidwest.com crankbait on the end of my line that I’m first going to show those largemouth at this time of year.

In my mind, the best way to fish these bass is to find a deep weedline, position the boat a medium to long cast from it, and start throwing the crankbait. Most of the time I’ll start with a Strike King 5XD crankbait in a blue/chartreuse color, but natural colors are productive also. Long casts are good, so a 7 foot medium action Lew’s casting rod teamed with a Speed Spool reel will be favored.

search of active fish. Tactical fluorocarbon in 15 pound test is very good for this tactic.

It’s tough and doesn’t stretch too much. Back off a bit on the reel’s drag with this minimal-stretch line.

Last idea: Kabetogama Lake in northern Minnesota has the reputation of being a world-class walleye lake, and it is, but it’s also a worldclass smallmouth lake in the fall, and drop-shot rigs are the way to catch those smallmouth. Actually there are several ways to catch’em, but a drop-shot is so good on Kab and everywhere else that

many successful anglers.

A drop-shot rig is constructed so the hook is above the sinker. There are lots of diagrams available that describe a drop-shot rig so much better than I can with words.

Attach a KVD Dream Shot or Drop Shot Half Shell to the hook and use enough weight to maintain good bottom contact. In deep water fish vertically, in shallower water you can pitch the rig. Fish quickly until you find the smallmouth, then fish the area very thoroughly. If you catch one there will almost always be others nearby.

There are so many more ways to catch fall fish, but the methods just highlighted will give you an outstanding opportunity to be successful in your fishing in the next few weeks. All you need to do is get on the water.

Meetings set to discuss waterfowl season, zone structure DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has scheduled five meetings across the state in October to present its proposed waterfowl season and zone structure for the 2021-2025 waterfowl hunting seasons.

Staff will present information including the results from the statewide hunter survey, the federal rules and guidelines that govern waterfowl hunting and the proposed season and zone structure.

All meetings are scheduled from 6-8 p.m. The meeting in western Iowa will be held on Wednesday, October 23 at

Successful turkey hunters encouraged to participate in disease monitoring study this fall DES MOINES - Attention turkey hunters – the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for a few good turkey legs. Well, actually, any wild, lower turkey leg will do.

The Iowa DNR, in partnership with Iowa State University, is continuing a study looking for the presence of lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV) in wild turkeys. This relatively new disease, involving wild turkeys has been found in other states and may be making its way to Iowa.

The study is designed to look for the presence of the disease in Iowa and, if it’s here, where is it and at what extent.

Successful hunters are asked to save one lower leg for disease testing. Simply cut the leg at the joint between the feathered portion of the leg and the scaled part of the lower leg, wrap the scaled portion in a paper towel, place it in a zip top bag and freeze it.

Step 2 is to request a mailing envelope through the Iowa DNR webpage under the Hunting/Turkey section.

You will receive a questionnaire along with a postage paid envelope to submit the sample.

“Hunters will need to write down their DNR Customer ID number and the tag registration number - both found on their tag or they can simply use the leg with the transportation tag as the sample,” said Jim Coffey, forest wildlife

research biologist for the Iowa DNR. “Our goal is to collect samples from across the state and we will not be able to do this without hunter participation.”

LPDV is not a human health issue.

Iowa’s fall turkey season runs from Oct. 1 to Dec. 6 and Dec. 23 to Jan. 10 for archery only license hunters and Oct. 14 to Dec. 6 for gun/bow license hunters.

More information about the fall season can be found in the hunting regulations booklet located online at www.iowadnr.gov.

Successful turkey hunters, we could use your help!

Find out more:

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the Alta Community Center in Alta.

Feedback collected at these meetings will be reviewed before an official proposal is submitted to the Natural Resource Commission for consideration. If approved, the rule would have an open comment period before going in front of the commission again for a final vote.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allows states to make changes to their waterfowl zones and boundaries once every five years.

Any changes will be reflected in the 2021-2025 waterfowl seasons.

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