Shed Hunting Begins at Timber Life

The time has come to get out and search for the antlers that had been gracing the stately bucks of the timber just a couple week ago...Yes, it's shed hunting season!

I was viewing my Facebook thread around the 3rd when I saw that Tiffany Lakosky posted that her little Lab/shed hunter had starting finding sheds at their place in southeast Iowa. My thoughts had shifted in that direction about that time when the deer were showing up without bucks being evident any longer and the bunching up behavior had begun .

The last picture I took of a buck still carrying was of this guy the evening of December 30th, when he was on his way out of the timber for the evening browsing in the neighborhood.

I have been a little slow in getting out, because of the snow depth we still have around from the storm that arrived not long before Christmas.

Being short in stature I find the drifts to be a challenge to navigate even with the melting that has occurred the last few days. That being said I have been out looking around in an attempt to find the trophy sized tines this year before all the little creatures use them for chew sticks. High coyote activity in our area has them gnawed up before I can get to them.

                                                      Some Examples of Shedding Rubs
These are just a few of the shedding rubs I discovered on my second day of searching. My total hunting experiences in the past and so far today haven't automatically led to the immediate reward of finding antlers.

  
I usually find sheds along trails, beside fences, tucked under bushes, or tall grass and occasionally on the remains of mature bucks too tired to leave the comforts of home.

Our forecast for the next couple of days is rain and warmer temperatures. My hope for the short-term future is that the leftover antlers will be revealed once this snow has been washed away and I can see their contrast to the landscape.

I enjoy the time out looking around the timber, not only for the sheds, but for the birds flitting by and identifying tracks of animals that passed sometime ago.

It is my hope to be able to bring some pictures of "where-it-lays" soon, to let you know of the possibilities you could search in your situation.



Do you find shed collecting to be a hobby you pursue every year?

Golden Tongued Orators

Question of the day...Who do you consider to be down to earth individuals using their everyday existences to provide an entertaining point of view?

I digress a bit here to build my thought process.

Turning on the television  early A.M. Sunday I found the US Farm Report just getting started. I watched the reports for the crop markets and continued drought forecast. Although I am not a producer myself part of my income is derived from the success of my cropland renter. So I see it as a good thing to keep informed of the current news in farming.

Getting back to the program - a little while later another part of the show brought a smile to my lips.We need some humor in our lives to temper the difficult moments...

It was time for Baxter Black to bring his cowboy poetry to us. Maybe you know of Mr. Black? My first exposure to him came when he used to provide his humor to local Public Broadcasting Systems on late Saturday evenings,they would use his quotes for the day as lead-ins to the next show.

Please find one of his take on the rigors of a rancher borrowing money from the banker.


Another man whose humor I found to keep one thinking was Garrison Keillor of "A Prairie Home Companion" fame.I was first introduced to his story telling skills also on the Iowa Public Broadcasting system a long time ago.

Our trips back and forth to Jamestown,ND. over Interstate 94 passed the Anoka, Minnesota  exit brought my memories back to Mr. Keillor's " The News from Lake Wobegon."

Here is one of his monologues about the fictitious little town he calls home,  Lake Wobegon.

                                            The Lake Wobegon Philosophy by Garrison Keillor

I hope I could add something to your listening enjoyment during these winter months when a change of pace may be what the Dr. ordered...

Iowa Weekly Fishing Report

Today I want to share The Iowa Department of Natural Resources  weekly fishing report which comes out on Thursdays in an effort to provide the latest information heading into the weekend. The weekly fishing report is put together with information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys, county and state parks staff. For current information, contact the district fisheries office at the phone number listed at the end of each district report.

We have been experiencing some extreme cold giving us a great start to some ice layers and time for Ice Fishermen to drill holes to sink lines...at least until today. The weather forecast for thawing temperatures in the next 6 days could convert those layers in our neighborhood back to slush in the daytime.  Please check out some Ice Fishing Safety tips from my local Bass Pro Shop in Altoona, IA. 


NORTHWEST
 
Yellow Smoke Park Lake

Yellow Smoke has around 7 inches of good ice.  Water clarity is excellent.  Fishing has been very slow.

Brushy Creek Lake

There is around 7 to 8 inches of ice between shore and 100 yards out from shore.  Avoid the main body of the lake as geese are keeping an area open.  Most anglers are targeting the north end of the lake.  The panfishing has been fairly slow with anglers catching around half a dozen crappies or less per trip.  The fish are in the 9 to 10-inch size range.

Bacon Creek Lake

Bacon Creek has about 6 inches of ices with 2 inches of snow cover.  Trout fishing has been excellent with waxies on a small jig head or a Kastmaster spoon.  A family fishing event and trout stocking is scheduled for Jan. 12.

Black Hawk Lake

Black Hawk Lake was renovated in November 2012 so there is no fishing to be had.  Ice is around 7 inches thick.  Waterfowl are keeping a small area open in the Town Bay.

Arrowhead Lake

Arrowhead Lake has 6 to 7 inches of ice.  Anglers have reported catching some bluegill in the 7.5 to 8.5-inch size range and a few large yellow bass.

Black Hawk Pits

Black Hawk Pit has around 6 to 7 inches of ice.  Anglers have been fishing Black Hawk Pit pretty hard, but are having difficulty locating fish. Keep moving around to locate fish.  The fish are likely stacked into a small area of the pit.

Moorland Pond

Moorland Pond was stocked with trout in mid-November.  Anglers should experience good trout fishing through the ice there right now.  The next stocking is scheduled for January 18.

Most lakes are frozen over around the Black Hawk District, with a few exceptions where waterfowl are still keeping small pockets of water open.  For more information or questions contact the Black Hawk Fish Management Office in Lake View at  712-657-2638 .

Maynes Grove Lake

6 to 8 inches of ice.

Lower Pine Lake

Pine Lake has 5.5 to 7 inches of ice. Geese are keeping a hole open on the north side to the island.   Bluegill - Good:   Crappie - Good:

Lake Smith

Thickness at Smith Lake near Algona is 8 to 12 inches. A winter aeration system is in use, so anglers need to stay away from that area.  Bluegill - Fair: Anglers are having good luck on bluegills and crappies. A little sorting required for both.

Lake Catherine

Bluegills biting before dark on wax worms at Lake Catherine at Thorpe Park. 10 inches of ice.  Bluegill - Good: Bluegills biting before dark on wax worms.

Clear Lake

Ice is 11 inches thick at McIntosh State Park. Ice by Farmers Access on the main lake is 8-10 inches. Be careful around the aerators.  Crappie - Fair: Some crappies and perch are being caught in the little lake.  Walleye - Fair: Some small walleyes are being reported on the little lake.  Yellow Bass - Good: Anglers are concentrated on the little lake and having success fishing with wax worms or a small jigging spoon tipped with cutbait. Some anglers are doing good by Farmers Access in 6-8 feet. Drill lots of holes and move around in the shallower water.

Crystal Lake

Bluegill - Good: Bluegills biting good on black and white jigs with wax worms. Walleye - Fair: Occasional walleye or pike. Try a jigging spoon with a minnow head.

Bluebill Lake

8.5-11 inches of ice.  Bluegill - Fair:   Yellow Perch - Good: Yellow perch are biting on wax worms in 12-15 feet of water.

Interstate Park Lake

8 inches of ice.

For ice condition updates and fishing information in the north central area contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at  641-357-3517 .

Lake Pahoja

Lake Pahoja is open to promiscuous fishing and a few bluegills and bass are being caught. 

Mill Creek (Lake)

Bluegills and bass have been a bit on the slow side but a few are being caught yet.

Big Spirit Lake

There is currently 8-10 inches of ice with ATV's and snowmobiles driving most areas on the lake.  Yellow Perch - Slow: Try a spoon or small jig tipped with wigglers, wax worms, or minnows for perch. Walleye - Slow: Early morning and late afternoon seems to be the best time to fish for walleye. Try a jigging spoon or jigging rap with a dead stick nearby.

Center Lake

The aerator is now on at Center Lake and there is 6-9 inches of ice.

Silver Lake (Dickinson)

Silver Lake currently has 9-11 inches of ice and the aerator is running on the east side of the lake.

West Okoboji Lake

There is currently 5-7 inches of ice and ATV's are driving on much of the lake. Be aware there are goose holes in a few areas; avoid discolored ice and when in doubt turn back or test the ice with a spud.  Northern Pike - Fair: Setting tip ups with chubs on weed lines or over standing weeds should produce pike.  Bluegill - Fair: Look for bluegills in the bays (Emerson and Millers seem to be the best) in or near standing weeds. Sight fishing has been the most popular method but a few choose to hole hop.  Try small jigs tipped with wax worms or wigglers but don't overlook some of the finesse plastics.  Yellow Perch - Fair: Look for perch in 20+ feet of water along drop offs or on mudflats.  Try spoons tipped with live bait such as wigglers, wax worms, or minnow heads.

Alton Roadside Park Pond

A few gills are being caught try using small jigs tipped with live bait.

For more information contact the Spirit Lake Hatchery at  712-336-1840 .

NORTHEAST

Volga Lake

Volga Lake has 10 inches of clear ice.  Lots of folks have been out and are scattered over the lake.  Fish seem to be hanging around structure in deeper water.  The bite this week seems to be around mid-day.  Bluegill - Fair:   Crappie - Good: Anglers are finding fish in 16 feet of water near structure.  Try small jigs tipped with wax worms.

Lake Hendricks

The lake has 8 to 10 inches of ice.  Anglers are fishing in the bay by the pier and off the point with great success.  The bite remains strong. Bluegill - Good: Bluegills have been found in 8 to 9 feet of water.  Small jigs tipped with wax worms continue to work well.  Largemouth Bass - Slow: A stray largemouth has been caught while fishing for bluegills.  Crappie - Excellent: Anglers are catching crappies up to 10 inches in about 8 feet of water using small jigs tipped with wax worms.

Lake Meyer

Lake Meyer continues to make ice.  The water is very clear.  The bite has really slowed this week.  Bluegill - Slow: Anglers have been fishing in a variety of depths on small jigs tipped with wax worms.  Crappie - Slow:

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)

We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.

Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)

We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.

Yellow River

We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.

Turkey River (below Clermont)

We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.

Cedar River (above Nashua)

Reports of 4 to 9 inches of ice on some of the backwaters and slack water areas are coming in.  Be sure to check ice depths as you go to the spot you want to fish.  Current can make ice depths vary.  Anglers are reporting a slow bite this week.

Decorah District Streams

Morning midge and afternoon baetis hatches still occur occasionally even as colder weather approaches - #24 dry fly patterns have been successful for trout rising to small surface flies.

Ice conditions on area lakes continue to improve with temperatures running in the low teens at night.  Very little snow is sitting on the ice and in many areas the ice is very clear.  Trout streams remain in excellent condition and are accessible in many instances.  For more information or to let us know what's been biting, contact the Decorah Fish Hatchery at  563-382-8324 .

Casey Lake (aka Hickory Hills Lake)

Ice conditions are reported as 6-7 inches of good ice across the lake. Concentrate efforts near structure towards deeper areas of the dam.  Bluegill - Fair: Try a wax worm on a small ice jig near sunken brush piles for decent bluegill.

Big Woods Lake

Some crappie are being caught but be cautious of uneven ice on this lake.  Crappie - Fair: Try fishing a wax worm or small crappie minnow under a jig, fish heavier jigs in deeper water.

Brinker Lake

Anglers have been concentrating efforts near habitat structures and reporting 7-8 inches of good ice.  Crappie - Fair: Try fishing a wax worm or small crappie minnow under a jig, fish heavier jigs in deeper water.

George Wyth Lake

Anglers are reporting 7-8 inches of ice. Fishing has been fair for crappie and bluegill.  Bluegill - Fair: Try a wax worm on a small ice jig near sunken habitat for decent bluegill.  Crappie - Fair: Try fishing a wax worm or small crappie minnow under a jig, fish heavier jigs in deeper water.

North Prairie Lake

North Prairie Lake in Cedar Falls will be stocked with trout on Jan. 5. Forecast are for temps in the mid-20s, bring the entire family for an enjoyable outing.

South Prairie Lake

Bluegill fishing has been fair; concentrate efforts near submerged structure. Decent bluegill of size are being reported taken from the lake.  Bluegill - Fair: Try a wax worm on a small ice jig near sunken habitat for decent bluegill.

Martens Lake

Anglers have been fishing on Martens Lake (a.k.a. Sweet Marsh Unit); ice thickness is being reported as good throughout the lake.

Ice thickness reports have vastly improved with the arrival of arctic temperatures across Iowa. Black Hawk and Bremer County lakes are reporting anywhere from 6-8 inches of good ice, use caution as ice thickness can vary on lakes. North Prairie Lake will be stocked with trout this coming Saturday, January 5. Bring all of the family for a wonderful time! For more information contact the district office in Manchester at  563-927-3276  for additional information.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Mississippi River Pool 9

Lansing river stage is 7.9 feet and is expected to remain stable over the next week. Backwater ice thickness is 6-10 inches.  Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are biting well in Shore Slough, the marina and Village Creek boat ramp, near Lansing.  Nice sized bluegills are being caught with some sorting. Crappie - Fair: Some nice sized crappies caught in Shore Slough but bite is inconsistent. Yellow Perch - Fair: A few smaller yellow perch being caught.

Mississippi River Pool 10

Lynxville river stage is up slightly to 12.7 feet and expected to remain at this level over the next week.  Ice thickness in 6-10 inches in most areas. The boat ramp at Lynxville is blocked by ice. Anglers are able to cross Johnsons Slough in the Sny Magill area, but stick to the well travelled path.  Northern Pike - Good: Tip up fishing for pike is good in Bussey Lake.  Bluegill - Excellent: Nice sized bluegills biting well in Joyce Lake by Harpers Ferry, Norwegian and Ice Lake in the Sny Magill area, Greymore Lake by Prairie Du Chien and Bussey Lake.  Largemouth Bass - Fair: Bass hitting tip ups in Bussey Lake.  Crappie - Good: Some good catches of crappie reported in Sand Bar Slough in the Sny Magill area as well as Bussey Lake.

Mississippi River Pool 11

River stage at Lock and Dam 10 in Guttenberg is 4.2 feet and expected to remain stable over the next week. The DNR boat ramp in Guttenberg is still open but the city ramps are blocked with ice. Ice thickness is 6-9 inches in most backwaters. Bluegill - Good: Nice sized bluegills biting well in the Mud Lake marina and Zollicofers Slough as well as the lower part of Sunfish Lake on the Wisconsin side.  Crappie - Fair: Some nice crappie reported in Zollicofers Slough and Sunfish Lake but bite is inconsistent.  Yellow Perch - Fair: A few smaller perch being caught in Mud Lake Marina and Sunfish Lake.  Sauger - Fair: Vertical jigging with a minnow for sauger in the tail waters has been successful.  Walleye - Slow: Walleye are biting on jig and minnow fished along drop-offs in the tail water areas.

Now is a good time to take advantage of ice fishing opportunities on the Upper Mississippi. Ice thickness is a solid 8 inches in most areas but anglers should always use caution in any areas that may have current.  Boat ramps are beginning to freeze up limiting tail water fishing access. Water levels remain low on the Mississippi River.

Mississippi River Pool 12

Right now at the Dubuque Lock and Dam the water level is 4.5 feet and steady.  The tail water is completely socked in with ice.  Boat ramps are unusable right now. For ice fishing, the best ice should occur in most stagnant backwater areas but take care and never go on any ice if unsure of the thickness.  White Bass - Fair: Small white bass are mixing in with the bluegills being caught at O’Leary’s Lake and various other backwater areas.  Bluegill - Good: Many folks reporting catching small fish mostly from the various harbors on Pool 12. Some activity is being reported also on Frentress and O’Leary’s lakes.  Crappie - Fair: Some crappies are also being caught with the gills but they too have tended to be small. In some place very small 3-inch type fish are pestering anglers. 

Mississippi River Pool 13

Water Level at Bellevue dam is at 4.1 feet which is very low.  The tail water ramp at Bellevue is open.  Take care to not back off the end of this ramp due to low water levels.  Ice fishing is taking place at many locations on Pool 13. Most popular spots have been Michelson’s Landing and the Sabula lakes.  Bluegill - Good: A lot of bluegills are being reported from various places on Pool 13 but the size has been small.  Most anglers using various tear drop type lures tipped with grubs.  Crappie - Fair: Crappie fishing has been excellent all year in Pools 12 to 14. A few are being taken by ice anglers but most of the reported fish are small.  Yellow Perch - No Report: Although no yellow perch have been reported to us yet we expect some nice creels of yellow perch this season.  Although perch can be hard to find, when you do it can mean great fishing. Near state record sized 14-inch perch have been reported by fall anglers.  Have fun and try to find one of these monsters under the ice! Sauger - No Report: Prior to the large snow fall and bitter cold temperatures, numerous smaller saugers were being caught in the tail water areas with anglers using a jig and minnow. 

Mississippi River Pool 14

Water levels at Fulton are very low at 4.0 feet. Ice fishing is occurring at Rock Creek and Cattail Slough. The boat ramps in Clinton as of today are socked in with ice.  Bluegill - Fair: Some bluegills are being reported out of Rock Creek. We expect also some pressure in the Cattail Slough area on the Illinois side of the river. Anglers using wax worms and teardrop type lures.  Ice thickness was reported at 4.5 to 5.0 inches although that can vary greatly depending on where you fish. Crappie - Slow: A few smaller crappies are biting at Rock Creek by anglers using wax worms and teardrops. 

Mississippi River Pool 15

We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.

Ice fishing is in full swing throughout the district.  Take care on the ice and never cross into places where you are uncertain of the ice depth.  Low water conditions persist in the district.  Low water will affect where to fish and potentially the health of the fishery if winters become sever.

Mississippi River Pool 16

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 3.66 feet. Anglers are beginning to venture out on the ice. We have received reports of around 4-5 inches of ice in Sunset Marina and around 4 inches of ice in the Credit Island harbor. Anglers should use caution when venturing out on the ice. Check ice conditions often and avoid areas with current. Bluegill - Fair: Some bluegills are being caught in the backwaters using small jigs and wax worms. Try fishing around the commercial docks in Sunset Marina. Crappie - Fair: Some crappies are being caught in Sunset Marina using small jigs and wax worms or using minnows. Try fishing around the commercial docks.

Mississippi River Pool 17

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 2.88 feet. The boat ramps in Muscatine are frozen. Big Timber (The Breaks) has around 4 inches of ice. Anglers should use caution if venturing out on the ice. Check ice conditions often as you move and avoid areas with current. We have received no ice fishing reports for this pool this week.

Mississippi River Pool 18

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 2.70 feet. We have received no fishing reports for this pool this week. We have received no ice condition reports for this pool.

Mississippi River Pool 19

Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 1.15 feet. We have received no tail water information for this pool this week. We have received no ice fishing information for this pool this week.

Mississippi River Pools 16-19: The backwaters have frozen and a few ice anglers are beginning to get out. Most reports are saying 4-5 inches of ice. Anglers should use caution when venturing out on the ice and check ice conditions often as you move around and avoid areas with current. For more fishing information contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at  563-263-5062 .

SOUTHEAST

Lake Geode

Thin ice, won’t hold anybody. Don't try.

Lake Belva Deer

Bluegill - Good: Go early. The bite seems to kind of wrap up by about 10:30 a.m. Come in the middle of the day and the bite will be really slow.

Pollmiller Park Lake

Lake has about 5 inches of ice.  Bluegill - Good: Work the brush piles out in deeper water.

Lake of the Hills

Ice about 5 inches thick.  Bluegill - Good: Fish the deeper brush piles and you'll find the bluegills.

Crawford Pond

Anglers have been getting out on to the ice for a little over a week now. Ice around 4 to 5 inches thick.  Bluegill - Fair: Work the deeper habitat out from the boat ramp.

Wilson Lake

Ice is about 5 inches thick.  Rainbow Trout - Good: Anglers are picking up a fair number of trout.  Target the cedar tree piles in the deeper sections of the lake.

Big Hollow Lake

Anglers just started getting out on the ice at the end of last week. Mixed reports.

Lake Darling

The lake remains drained for renovation but there is lots of good fishing in the watershed ponds that were built in the park.  Most of them have about three inches of ice.  Some of the ponds do have thinner ice because of spring flows in them so be careful and drill test holes as you work your way out.

For more information on the above lakes call the Lake Darling Fisheries Station at  319-694-2430 .

Hannen Lake

Ice thickness is about 6-7 inches. Remember, no minnows are allowed here.  Bluegill - Good: Look for submerged brush piles. Most fish are 7-8 inches. Best results have been in water less than 15 feet. Crappie - Good: Fish around submerged brush piles. Most fish are 9 inches with some bigger fish mixed in.

Iowa Lake

There is about 6 inches of ice but no fishing reports are available.

Kent Park Lake

The lake has about 6 inches of ice.  Bluegill - Good: Fish early and late in the day around submerged brush piles.

Lake Macbride

The majority of the lake is covered with 6 inches of ice.  Bluegill - Good: Bluegills can be caught on most structure but size is usually less than 7 inches. Crappie - Slow: A few anglers are finding the right brush piles and catching some 10-12-inch crappies. Depths of 10-15 feet seem to be producing best.

Central Park Lake

Ice thickness is reported as about 6 inches, but no fishing reports are available.

Pleasant Creek Lake

Most of the lake has 6 inches of ice on it. Bluegill - Fair: Fish along the dam in 15-20 feet of water with small jigs/waxies.  Yellow Perch - Slow: A few perch are also being picked up by bluegill anglers along the dam. Walleye - Fair: Most walleyes are being caught along the dam in 15-20 feet of water using bluegill tackle but small spoons are working as well.

Diamond Lake

The lake has about 5-6 inches of ice. Remember, no minnows are allowed here.  Bluegill - Fair: Fish brush piles with small jigs/waxies.  Crappie - Fair: Fish brush piles with small jigs/waxies. Most fish are about 9 inches.

Otter Creek Lake

The lake has 5-6 inches of ice. Bluegill - Slow: Fish around brush with small jigs/waxies.  Yellow Bass - Slow: Yellow bass can be caught on small jigs or spoons tipped with a waxie or minnow head. These fish tend to roam, so keep moving until you find them.

Union Grove Lake

Ice conditions should be about 6 inches. The aeration system will be turned on Jan. 4. Caution should be used down towards the south end of the lake as there will be open water. No fishing reports are available.

Coralville Reservoir

Ice depths are extremely variable (3-6 inches). Bays and protected areas may be safe, but main channel areas, especially under Mehaffey Bridge are not safe. Crappie - Slow: Most fish have been small at this point. Look for fish around submerged trees, pallet structures, or docks.

Most areas are ice covered, but much of it may be unsafe. Use extreme caution during early ice. For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at  319-624-3615 .

Lake Wapello

Ice conditions are variable. There are several spots on the lake with open water.

 Red Haw Lake

Ice conditions are variable across the lake.  Use caution if venturing out. There is some open water out from the beach and the dam.  There is about 4 inches of ice in the campground bay.  Use small jigs to catch bluegill.

Albia (lower)

Ice thickness is about 4 inches. There is some open water near the dam. Use small jigs tipped with a wax worm for bluegills.

Rathbun Reservoir

The lake level is 903.72 feet with 904 feet being normal. The surface water temperature is 33  degrees.  The lake is starting to ice over but there is still some open water. Bays and coves will freeze up first. Don't forget Lake Rathbun contains zebra mussels so make sure to clean, drain, and dry equipment before transporting to another water body.

For questions regarding fishing in south central Iowa, call the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at  641-647-2406 .

SOUTHWEST

Beaver Lake

Bluegill - Good: Anglers are finding actively feeding bluegills and crappies near the wood structure.

Rock Creek Lake

Crappie - Fair: Crappie are being picked up in 10 – 12 feet of water. The better size fish are running 10 to 12 inches.

Roberts Creek Lake

Crappie - Good: Ice anglers after crappie are doing well on the lower portion of the lake.

Big Creek Lake

As water levels continue to drop in Big Creek anglers should use caution on the ice, especially near shore, as seams form when the ice follows the water level down.  Bluegill - Good: Anglers are catching good sized bluegills over brush piles.

Hickory Grove Lake

Bluegill - Good: Hickory Grove has about 8 inches of ice.  Ice anglers fishing over pallet and brush piles are doing well on bluegills from 7 to 9 inches with an occasional crappie mixed in.

Lake Petoka

Rainbow Trout - Good: Rainbow trout can be caught through the ice using wax worms on jigs and jigging spoons or small live minnows.

Banner Lake (south)

Rainbow Trout - Good: Rainbow trout can be caught through the ice using wax worms on jigs and jigging spoons or small live minnows.

Ice fishing is going strong in central Iowa.  Ponds and lakes in central Iowa are averaging 6 to 8 inches of ice and gaining.  For questions on central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd or Andy Otting at  515-432-2823 .

Greenfield Lake

Greenfield has 6 inches of ice. The lake is 6 feet low. Use extreme caution when venturing out on the lake as geese are keeping a portion on the west side open.  Bluegill - Fair: Small jigs and wax worms are catching 7-8-inch fish.

Nodaway Lake

Nodaway is 7 feet low. The lake has 6 inches of ice and a good bluegill and crappie population.  Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are being caught using wax worms in 8 to 10 feet of water. Fish average 7.5 inches.  Crappie - Fair: Crappies average 10 inches. Fish minnows around deep structure. Late afternoon has been the best time to target crappies.

Lake Anita

Anita has 7 inches of good ice. Geese are keeping a large area of open water near the dam. Anita has 9-inch bluegill and 10-inch crappie.  Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are being caught in the north arm of the lake on wax worms. Crappie - Slow: A few crappies have been caught in the late afternoon on minnows.

Willow Lake

Willow has 6 inches of ice.  Bluegill - Fair: Anglers are catching 8-inch bluegills on wax worms.

Big Lake (Including Gilbert's Pond)

Rainbow trout will be stocked on Jan. 18. A youth fishing event is scheduled for the 19th pending good ice conditions.  Rainbow Trout - Slow: Trout can be caught on a variety of ice fishing jigs tipped with wax worms or minnows.

Lake Manawa

Manawa has 7 inches of good ice.  Channel Catfish - Fair: Catfish can be caught on wax worms north of the beach.  Crappie - Good: Crappies up to 12 inches are being caught on minnows. The best locations have been Tin Can dyke and north of the beach.

Hacklebarney East

Haclkebarney is reported to have 6 inches of ice. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills can be caught using wax worms. Fish average 8 inches.  Crappie - Fair: Crappies are being caught in 18 feet of water using minnows.

Cold Springs District Farm Ponds

Farm ponds in the southwest district have 5-7 inches of good ice. Remember to always get permission to fish private ponds.  Bluegill - Good: The deepest part of the pond is usually the best location to start fishing for bluegills.

Ice conditions are good in the southwest district. Lakes have 5 to 7 inches of ice. For more information call the district office at Cold Springs at  712-769-2587 .

Little River Watershed Lake

The water level is down about 12 feet to allow completion of a shoreline stabilization project.  The fish have been restocked and are growing fast.

Fogle Lake S.W.A.

The water level is down about 6 feet to allow boat ramp repairs and crowd the fish to increase predation.  The repairs are complete.  The water level will be allowed to rise as run-off occurs.  Anglers are fishing the flooded trees for panfish.  Bluegill - Fair: A few medium sized bluegills are coming from the creek channel and flooded trees.

Lake of Three Fires

Most of the lake has 4 inches of ice.  A few geese had a small spot near the west cove open.  Bluegill - Good: Several bluegills are being caught from the tree pile 150 yards north of the center of the dam.  Crappie - Good: Some nice crappies are biting from the cedar tree pile just north of the center of the dam.  Wax worms are working but minnows are best.

Sands Timber Lake (Blockton Reservoir)

The lake has been drained to allow the construction of a wetland and shoreline stabilization to be completed.

Green Valley Lake

Most of the lake is ice covered but some areas will be too thin to support people.  The water fowl are keeping two areas open.  Check the ice thickness frequently.  Bluegill - Fair: Some nice sized bluegills can be caught from the deeper cedar tree piles located just south for the main ramp and immediately north of the center of the dam.

Summitt Lake

The spillway replacement project is complete but run-off has not refilled the lake.  Restocking and boating will occur when water levels rise.

Three Mile Lake

The water level is down about 4 feet.  The lake is mostly frozen over.  It is possible a few areas will have ice too thin to support people.  Check ice thickness frequently.  Crappie - Fair: A few nice sized crappies are coming from the creek channel edges in the upper portion of the lake and from around the deeper tree piles in the mid and lower portion of the lake.

Twelve Mile Creek Lake

The water level is down about 3.5 feet. Ice has formed over the most of the lake. Some areas will still be too thin. Check thickness frequently.  Bluegill - Fair: Anglers are finding some bluegills near the flooded trees near the creek channel; 10 to 16 feet down is a good depth to start.  Crappie - Good: Anglers are finding some nice crappies from around the creek channel of the west shore and  the deeper edges of the fish mounds; 12 to 16 feet down seems to be the best.

Most lakes are covered with 4 inches of ice. Activity is strong and anglers are finding a lot of fish.  A few larger lakes have a few spots of open water.

My plan for the future is to maintain this as a weekly post to inform anglers of what conditions they will find on Iowa waterways.Check back next Thursday...

Happy New Year!

Sending to you and yours around the world a heartfelt wish for a wonderful New Year 2013 from Timber Life.

My Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

I wanted to share my post Christmas greetings with you... My hope is that you were able to spend time with those who make your holidays special.

Sadie Says - "Let's Play!"

We have spent Christmas Day away from home for many years. So this was the year to bring it back and share the snow with our kids and grand-kids.

Now and then I travel back in time to pursue memories of or maybe resurrect a tradition I would like to continue from my childhood. One thing that made Christmas, Christmas is the tree my Mom would go cut out of the road ditches in southwest Iowa. At the time I was a child the Red Cedar was a common occurrence along our country roads.The cedar scent released by the tree when it came to room temperature would fill the room. I would often rub the scaly leaves to release the oils onto my hand and sniff the refreshing pungent unguent.

Until last season we had some very nice trees in close proximity. The weather remained fair through the winter and our county had the road-crews cutting down roadside trees in our immediate vicinity, providing a task to be done since the roads weren't in need of scraping.

When our kids left home we rarely put up a Christmas Tree,because our current situation lacks in space.. I do like the trees you find on the tree farms, or at the local grocery store, but it just didn't mean the same.

Thanks to the help of my hunting mentor I was able to go about  finding a tree in our neighbor's horse pasture, I found several potential trees dotting the landscape. Decisions! Decisions!

However, what I needed was to make sure I was able to handle it by myself once I got home. Finding one that stood about three feet taller than me,my mentor sawed through the trunk. I caught it as it came loose and pulled it up the hill to load in the pick-up. Eventually, I whittled a couple feet off the bottom and trimmed up some sparse branches to reach the best shape.

The afternoon light left the center of the tree in the shadow since the wall was still a support.

Once Hubby helped me tackle the task of straightening the the poor little tree, I went about getting out the decorations.

My taste in decorations isn't extravagant...more rustic you might say.

I have this notion that you can create a pleasing display with mementos from the past. It was fun pulling them out of the storage tubs to see the sunlight reflect off them again.

My tree topper was an artistic creation - a snowman sack that once delivered a gift to my Hubby , tucked away into my storage tub to call upon once again.

Do you see that green object under the snowman? That was a 2nd graders rendition of a reindeer. Our oldest grandson, now 14 yrs. old, needed to borrow the foot of someone bigger to trace to make the head, but his hands were the models for the antlers. What a nice way to remember when he was a little guy!

Under the tree are items I hold dear ...some special people gave them to me as gifts.

I have given my tree a name this year,"My Charlie Brown Tree." I liken the transformation from sprig to pleasing as it happened for Charlie Brown and Linus on their search for just the right one.It took the help of Charlie and Linus' friends to make their project complete.

Christmas has passed-the message is one that remains the same from one year to the next. 



Thank you Charles Shultz for your timeless message shared by Linus. Still touching no matter what time of year we hear it. I hope it will touch your inner child too...

My Iowa Shotgun Season Two

Saturday morning, December 8th, the first day of shotgun season two,I was rousted out of bed by my dog Sadie, around 5:00 AM. She was ready for a trip outside and eat her breakfast to get her day in motion.

Our 8 year old granddaughter who had come with her brother to participate in the morning deer hunt, took the air mattress in the living room last night. So, it wasn't hard to wake her up since the front door wasn't far from where she lay. Sadie couldn't resist the temptation of showing affection to a little person, so she pounced as we passed, even though the little person wasn't ready to give the attention back.

Granddaughter, didn't climb out of bed right away, but we talked awhile before it was time to get the guys up so they could get ready before the sun got up too far. All three of them wrapped up,the guys donned their hunter orange even though they would be sitting in the blind. Time passed, the deer passed. The morning hunt ended without bringing home a deer. My  hunters came inside to defrost since the temps were in the mid 20's and they had been sitting about 45 minutes in wait.

I didn't participate in the hunt - instead  I remained inside to prepare breakfast. We ate some freshly made deer sausage from my deer I had gotten on Monday of that week, and a few pancakes served with Maple Syrup.

The guys finished up and went on to do other things. I was still working on frying up the leftover batter when granddaughter and I talked about what I saw for my future whitetail deer hunting experiences. I referred to a post You're Never Too Old to Hunt on a friend's blog of an 85 year old woman who still enjoyed being apart of the  hunting activites in her neighborhood. I smiled at granddaughter's reaction as our conversation continued.

 Granddaughter, still sitting at the table eating her sausage and pancakes, the topic moved  to her desire to learn to use the bow. We touched briefly on how we would go about getting her started in that direction due to her age and stature.

Subsequent hunts didn't happen for me until Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings.

Thursday - December 13th

I went out at  3:30  to get situated about an hour and a half  before what has been considered the normal  evening deer movement out of the timber lately. Getting all my hunting garb on and heading for the blind I kept running through my mind where it would be good to go...Sitting there for a few minutes, and second guessing my choice, considering another location, planning an ambush on an east/west transition ; I hurriedly unzipped the door and took off for a spot closer to the drive-way/soybean field.

The family tractor, which sits outside in the same place most of the time allowed for a good place to camouflage my position right by the front tire, eventually becoming my gun rest.

About an hour and ten minutes later I got restless and I couldn't see any deer, so I went into the house for a few minutes after taking a brief survey of the area to check for activity. After my momentary absence,I decided to get back out there a second time.

Returning to the same spot I waited another ten minutes, came around the back of the tractor and was busted by deer standing watching me from the garden. A buck was in this group tonight, one that has been hanging close by the whole season. My buck tag already filled all I could do was watch him. I tried to smooth things over by hugging the big burr oak tree next to me and pretend I didn't move. I braced the shotgun  against the tree in case I should be so lucky as to have a doe continue in my direction, which by the way didn't happen.

Knowing my opportunity for further chances was slim to none before legal hunting hours were over, I  walked the short distance back to the house to put my gun away for the day.

I wasn't unhappy and even amused by the turn of events. The weather has been a plus, just to be able to be outside in almost 50 degree temps in December is unheard of in Central Iowa.


Friday - December 14th

Late Friday afternoon I used the same spot I had picked yesterday. I stood for probably a half an hour before seeing a deer sprint from the south to the north across the field, well out of range of my shotgun.

Hearing the deer conversing with one another behind my present location, I turned around to go look. My immediate reaction was an internal chuckle as they stood watching me from the tree line in the ravine. You guessed it! Today they didn't tarry long with all the gunshots that had recently been sent in their direction.

The weather was cloudy and the wind was out of the south.

Saturday - December 15th

 Late afternoon rolled around and I got all my hunting garb put on. Heading down the drive by foot I took a cut-off to the ravine on the outside of the fence. I didn't want to leave a scent trail in the area where I had witnessed the deer congregating yesterday. Weather conditions were reminiscent of yesterday so that is why I moved in this direction at the start of the hunt.

While I stood in a spot outside the fence on a trail in the vicinity of where I took my buck, the shotguns were sounding all around. I kept watch, because that usually meant the deer would be immediately on the run. Well, in this situation it didn't happen, it was longer for the deer to reach my location than I expected, and they didn't seem hurried by what was happening elsewhere.

I was standing at a north/south fence looking eastward, when I saw a doe hop the east/west fence to get on the northside and continue on her westward movement. Another deer was following, lagging a little further behind, still on the southside of the fence not in a hurry to move forward.

The first doe moved closer to the north/south fence, but stopped to assess the wind before reaching it. She moved forward a bit then retreated to a point where I am sure she was zoning in on my presence. I didn't move a muscle...However, the slight breeze most definitely wafted around me and carried my essence in her direction. That was the first time ever I saw first hand how important it is to have the wind straight in your face. This doe wasn't sticking around for a future show down and took the other deer with her back southeast from whence they had come.

I am no match for running deer so I headed home.

Reaching the homestead via the drive I froze in my steps. Does and fawns were scattered across my yard. There was one young doe who challenged me with her stomping and head swinging before she took off, taking all the others with her.

Time to go relay my hunting experience to my Hubby as he worked ...then to put the gun away until the last hunt tomorrow evening.

Sunday - December 16th

Sitting at the computer at 7:30 AM, working on a post, I turned around to look out the sliding glass door. It was time for the deer to be moving through the backyard on most days, but we haven't had a normal schedule since the end of  Bow Season. Today seemed back to normal because they were eating the dead flower foliage and grazing on the green grass.

Again, I had to chuckle. The smaller one had been closer to the edge of the flower bed chewing the grass, a sibling had been to the right...and the camera didn't want to focus in the low light. Mom Doe stood her ground until my activity, going back and forth , raising my arms with camera  in hand made her extremely nervous. I was glad to get this image to remember the morning of the last day of Iowa Shotgun Season II 2012.

One last late afternoon rolled around and I got all my hunting garb put on. My choice for hunting today would be in the timber north of the garden where the deer disappear beyond my view on a regular basis.

I was standing  inside the limbs of a fallen tree when Miss Kitty came sauntering up to get petted. This was not what I had hoped for at this point. She wouldn't leave me alone as long as I was  there, or anywhere I would try to hide. Sadie wasn't around,I was front and center to try to fill her attention meter.

My concentration on deer hunting wasn't what it needed to be. So, I came into the house to watch what would move passed.

Eventually, the deer arrived from the southeast. Three of them,a doe and two fawns, went charging beyond the house in expectation of being made targets...stopping to look back from a safe distance. Two more young does took their time, standing by one of the paths I had just returned back to the house on.

Standing at the window watching, a comic moment erupted in the animal kingdom. The two does became skittish as they stared down the path of my return. I wondered what had them intrigued? It was Miss Kitty running towards them full bore with tail high in the air doing her best Mountain Lion impersonation as she charged forward. The deer took two separate directions to try to avoid the little cat with a big  presence. Their shock didn't last long,they weren't sticking around, and took off back to the comfort of the timber,far away from this situation.

The day and shotgun season II came to a close here at Timber Life, as the light was waning on December 16, 2012 .

Pleased with this year's buck and looking forward to Bow Season next October 2013....

Iowa Shotgun Season One - Days Four and Five

The weather has been really nice for December. Deer hunting hasn't been as much of a challenge as in past years where snow and wind  created slippery footing, and -20 below windchills.

Other hunters say it makes the deer blend into the surroundings when we don't have snow on the ground, but I haven't had any troubles seeing where they think themselves invisible .

Day 4, of our first shotgun season found me making a road trip to southwest Iowa. My "BIG RIG" driving brother needed a little four wheeler to chauffeur him to a few business transactions where his 18 Wheeler wouldn't have been welcome.

He has babied his truck to keep him moving across the ribbons of highways,a purchase made on his return to trucking after almost calling it quits when he was placed on a heart transplant list 8 years ago.

With medication he improved enough to be taken off the list and was able to get back to doing the only thing he had done since graduating high school, driving a big rig.

My brother says that the engine has over a million miles on it, but notes it has been rebuilt once within that time.

It had been a couple years since I had been back to our hometown of Griswold.

The last time was when I took my Mom back to get things in order for the next step in her life, preparing her wishes for the time when she steps beyond the bonds of her earthly body. A wise choice to make...No second guessing by family members left behind.

While we were in town we stopped at the telephone office to get some information, visiting with two women - one who had been apart of our smaller community of Noble Center Twnshp. The other was a year ahead of us in school. However, I was apart of the same social circles, we both played flute in band, and sang in the same section in choir. It was nice to have made a brief reconnection on our stop and go day. To hear how the years had added to their families...

Mural on the side of local grocery store

I have started collecting pictures of murals painted on the sides of small town businesses.

Each one tells the story of the area residents that make- up the town and their surroundings.

The front of the semi-truck reminds me of one company in particular that I am aware of in town. I may be mistaken, but I believe it to be another one of my classmates who took over a family business when his father passed away .

The produce and fruits are representing what I knew as Glen Robins Orchard, now it is called
3 Bee Farms , owned by Mike and Donna Brahms who bought it three years ago.

Of course the tractor and cropland signifies a time honored occupation, farming. An important activity to many one way or another.

Our road trip took up the legal hunting hours, there wasn't a chance to be out waiting for the deer to pass, or out on a trail pursuing them to bring home.

Day 5, Wednesday, December 5th, I spent the day rendering the buck to get the meat in the refrigerator. Then the tedious job of cutting, chopping, grinding and blending began. Well worth the effort to have meat in the freezer. So, ended the first Iowa Shotgun Season for me this year.

I will be returning soon to share how the Second Shotgun fared for us here at Timber Life.Looking forward to your visit...

Iowa Shotgun Deer Season One - Day Three

Hunting the past two days of  deer season one left our tags still available to be filled.

Word of mouth information about day one had made a heavy decrease in the area deer population with groups hunting adjacent properties .
 
This morning I rambled out to the blind before the sunrise to get the day started. The difference this time  was the absence of a deer snort immediately alerting me to their presence , a change from the last two mornings.

The direction  of the morning deer movement shifted from a north/south direction at the start, to a south/north today.Which was curious because the wind was still coming out of the south. As I sat in the blind I saw deer of size just as the light of day was coming up, but of course they didn't stick around long enough for me to make sure the shot I would send in their direction made contact.

By 7:30AM,  with one last doe stopping to check the air long enough for me to finally send off a" first shot",  I sent her running without success...I closed up the blind windows, stepped out of the doorway, and headed back to the house. Getting back to the house I started my daily housekeeping activities, because I was scheduled to be away running errands for my Mom, and chauffeuring her to a Dr.'s appointment in the afternoon. 

Well, things took a different path about an hour later.

A call from my neighbor alerting me to a drive to flush out a big buck by other hunters west of us had me headed off to the ravine, just in case he ran this far...

I didn't immediately go clear out to the end of the ravine which is surrounded by open cropland, but stopped by a fence line, and hid behind a clump of trees. My initial decision allowed me to see a doe with a couple of fawns run across where I would later take a stand behind a fallen Cottonwood tree. Before I moved out I was visited by the sound of snapping and cracking ground debris under the foot of some creature in a hurry to get beyond it's current situation. Turning to look instead of holding my gaze forward , I saw a one antlered buck startled by someone standing on the path in front of him. He twirled around at which time I let go a shot. We were in a location where the brush and fallen limbs created a challenge for both man and creature to get around in a panic. His footing had him slipping and trying to gain his composure to high tail it out of there...I shot once more as he traveled back the way he came.

My first reaction was to follow him. Hearing the shots my neighbor who had come to try to move the big buck my direction in the event it arrived, came to see if he could help. I told him of my situation , it was then that  I moved out to the end of the ravine to wait for things to happen, since this was not the animal he had been told about.

After waiting and hearing shotguns go off to the west  it was decided the big buck probably wouldn't be headed this far east - time to go back and see if I could find that one antlered buck before I needed to get ready to leave for the afternoon.

Examining the trail the buck took there wasn't any blood to verify it had suffered any type of injury. However, I was still driven to see if it was okay, or if I could tag it. I kept going, surveying the terrain up and down . Sometimes you just have the feeling you need to keep looking.  Not changing trails, I came upon him laying down crosswise. He was slow to get up, but that he did. He was injured ...I followed him until he ran across the ravine with no signs of stopping. With other commitments looming in the time frame I had to make some choices.

I knew I wouldn't be able to get back before dark to continue my hunt, and I didn't want to leave him to the timber overnight. So, I contacted the neighbor who had been on the buck watch with me to see if he might be able to take a look around. He had some troubles locating him at first - there wasn't a blood trail. I am grateful to him and his son for bringing the one antlered buck back to the homestead for me to claim.

Hubby helped to get him suspended up off the ground until I could get him skinned. Had to keep him high or I would have been inviting the coyotes to a feast

I can't say how much he weighed. I don't have a way of checking that statistic.

 I can tell you this about him - he is an old buck. After checking to see  what the condition of his teeth were, it became evident that all his molars are missing. The only teeth left were in the front and they still looked to be in good shape.

The base of his antler and broken stub have good diameter.

When I first came in contact with him
on the trail it was hard to miss he no longer sported a matched pair of tines.
Then of course the question came to mind,"How did he lose it?"

Was it absent due to a battle with the younger, bigger bucks inhabiting the area, or had he been running in one of the groups over the weekend, getting too close to another hunter?


Whatever the case, I am happy to have as my "bring home" buck, a wizened warrior of the timber....

Iowa Deer Shotgun Season One

Whitetail Deer shotgun season one opened here in Iowa last Saturday, December 3rd.

The weather was cloudy with temps in the mid 30's at the start of the day, wind was headed out of the south.

This year I can say Hubby has picked up the bow, and the shotgun to try his hand at" bringing home" the deer to put in the freezer, and avoid losing them to the local predator populations, which has been my plight in the past.

We headed out the door at 6:30 AM on day one to get positioned in our respective locations,since it wasn't very far for us to go to try our luck at the morning deer movement back into the timber from their nightly grazing activities.

On the way to my spot I raised a startled deer snort, and wondered  how many were standing within my range just before the sunrise. I was trying to decide exactly where I wanted to get out of sight and out of the wind.

I waited for the does and fawns to come feed in the yard,which had been a ritual since about the middle of October, of course it didn't happen that morning. If a buck or two happened along I certainly wouldn't turn down the opportunity to put a deer slug in their direction. Ah, yes, and making a lethal connection to the whole affair would have made my day...

Hubby's observation for that morning from the hub-blind had the deer deviating from their normal path too, which seemed pretty constant during the now closed first archery season.

We had company in the vicinity and heard guns going off consistently throughout  the day.

During a lull in the afternoon I moved our pop-up blind to a spot where deer  travel in all four directions, during the morning it is usually a north/south  movement, and the evenings, east/west. However, as you well know variables do come into play and spur of the moment adaptations do arise.

The late afternoon, when many others were shooting whatever they saw, I didn't try. Instead I waited and headed for the blind on Sunday, the second day.

Day Two

The forecast for dense fog was extremely accurate for the second day of  Shotgun Deer Season One.

Both Hubby, and I headed for the blind to get out of the drippy, wet air hanging over the State.

We saw shadows passing as three deer, 2 does and one buck cast a silhouette when the wind shifted the heavy moisture at brief intervals.

As we watched you could see the buck with nose to the ground following a scent trail - one of the does that moved passed was wearing a provocative perfume; at least to a buck.

We ended our first  sitting session about 7:45, after we felt that was the end of the morning passage.The light came up; however,the fog remained  until almost 11:00.Throughout the rest of the day you could see residual effects of temperature and moisture hanging in the air, moments of  tree top clouds dotted the timber.

Onto the afternoon...in the 3:30 time period, I was trying to get Sadie satisfied with food and attention so I could escape awhile.

Four o'clock rolled around. I grabbed my gun and headed off to sit alone this time. Leaving Sadie with Hubby as he spent his time working on our new abode, still in the construction phase.

What I hadn't counted on was our Miss Kitty trying to get my attention shortly after I had pulled the doorway zipper closed half-way. She started batting at the bottom of the blind, testing the structure to find an entrance, or maybe to get a response from me. Well, I didn't attend to her advances at that moment. I didn't want to make any sound.  Whoops! Mistake!!! She came lunging through one of the open corner windows. The curiosity of a cat was  keeping her busy for a few seconds,ultimately I knew what she wanted. Time to eat! Silly me and keeping things to a schedule. Deviations are not allowed according to my animal charges, that is if I want peace and quiet.

So, I ended my extremely short evening hunt to feed the animals and get some knitting done on a project I need done by Christmas. (Hopefully done by Christmas)

Come back tomorrow and see the turn of events that happened during the second morning hunt on day three of Shotgun Season one.

The Turnip Patch

This past summer I had a suggestion made to me from my hunting mentor who brings wild game for my table, about what I could do with a patch hand seeded a year ago with deer plot products. There were some perennials rooted, but not enough to thwart the weed population that had a good foothold. I am not a proponent of chemical burn down, nor do I wish to plant GMO seeds.

A great organic cultivation method that was implemented to eliminate the biggest share of weeds was super heated, dry soil turned over with a disc once,left to sit a week ,or so before it was disced, and planted with turnips the middle of August.

Two weeks after planting

The plot had previously been used by a cropland renter a few years for a small addition to the adjacent farm field. However, more times than not the crop was pre-harvested by our wandering wildlife. Certainly, no pay back on investment of seed, time, machine fuel, etc...

I didn't find the giant foxtail that proliferated in the patch this past season to be a total detriment to the location.

Observations provided information of deer bedding, trails passing in all directions, and they fed on the sparsely sprouted clovers, knocking down the surrounding foxtail. Having walked the patch many times,and hunting out of the giant  foxtail, I found glacier planted rocks of various sizes scattered over the surface, a few of those were also translocated to facilitate a smoother surface for us two foots to traverse.

Farming over some big buried rocks brought them closer to the surface during tilling.

 I finally  had enough with one that was very evident; so I took some measures to move it totally out of the way.

As I moved the soil around the  perimeter of the rock, the shape reminded me of a tooth.

My mind started playing with the paralells between my activities, with a child's experience of losing their baby teeth. Admittedly the technique I needed was a bit more heavy duty to get the geo-dentistry accomplished. It took a few tugs to get it lifted up and out of the hole.

After I let my mentor know of my accomplishment...he mentioned there was another rock further on that made the disc jump out of place when he was busy tilling. I will look into it next spring when it's time to think about preparations for planting once again.I haven't seen that one yet.

Sadie Says,"Good Crop"!

We haven't had an abundance of moisture, but the turnips have turned out really nice. The variety that was planted is human friendly. I have raided the patch a couple of times for myself, and then a couple of times I found some for people I know who didn't have some to harvest of their own.

Now, the deer and turkeys can join in  harvesting the greens and bulbs to supplement their diets.

Cold temperatures keep popping up. Soon the grass may go dormant, the deer will lose one of their last nitrogen sources that I see them dining on as they eat outside my window. I wish they would pay more attention to it during the summer when I need to mow it to keep it in order. I should be thankful they have a head start on next season.

On our last visit to the "Turnip Patch", I saw evidence of some nibbling going on, an encouraging sign since this would be my first time to have such an opportunity as this to see just how they will react.

Eventually, I want to plant perennial deer plot mixtures in this area.

I have become acquainted with the Whitetail Institute forage products  in my sample plots - the imperial clover and mixtures with clover and alfalfa have been a great draw. This year was the first year that I saw the deer actually pay attention to some chickory...could be it was a source of moisture for which we were greatly lacking.

I am excited to see activity even if it isn't first hand at the moment.

My trail camera has been keeping an eye on another location where another addition to the Timber Life list of animals has made itself visible.Check back for more to be shared on that subject in the future...

Iowa Bobcat Hunting Season 2012

Today, I would like to get some information posted about the Bobcat 2012 trapping season for Iowa.

Our season opened on November 3rd, and will go to January 31, 2013 or until a quota of 450 cats total are taken between hunting and trapping . If you are interested in seeing some specifics please click here to be taken to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources regulations for more information. The current count can be found here.

The season is open in the following counties: Adair, Adams, Appanoose, Cass, Clarke, Davis,
Decatur, Des Moines, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Lucas,
Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Mills, Monona, Monroe, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren, Washington, Wayne and Woodbury

These counties are located on the southern 3 tiers of our 99 counties, and  north of Interstate 80 on the Missouri River corridor...with Guthrie county in the 4th tier up from our southern border also being included.

Even though we have a Bobcat population starting  to take root in our neighborhood we are not included in the yearly Bobcat hunts at this point, and it would be illegal for anyone to take an animal outside the shaded area you would see indicated on the Map on the IDNR site .(Page 21)

Below you will find the rules described in the regulations for becoming a trapper or hunter of  Bobcat, Otter etc...in the State of Iowa.
,

Fur harvesters - All residents and nonresidents regardless of age must have a Fur harvester License to 

trap or hunt fur bearing animals.  Residents 16 to 64 years old and all nonresidents regardless of age must 

also have paid the Habitat Fee.  A Hunting License is not needed to hunt furbearers.  Coyote and groundhog 

may be hunted with either a Fur harvester License or a Hunting License. Nonresident fur harvesters wanting 

to purchase an Iowa nonresident Fur harvester License may do so only if their state of residence also sells a 

nonresident Fur harvester/Trapping License to Iowa residents.(Page 9)

My Personal  Thoughts

Photo Courtesy of  Mr. Titus

I really appreciate the sharing of  a photo by Mr. Titus, of a family - mom, and kittens, wandering a central Iowa timber. I think it would be a great time filler if there was a chance to sit quietly and observe the family interacting.

Last year, I caught what I would believe to be the hindquarters of a Bobcat on my trail camera, for some reason the camera didn't get the whole cat while it stood right beside it. The event didn't repeat itself ...So, the  photo wasn't able to verify the possibility that Timber Life had been host to the spotted cat. Can you say frustrated? I can! 

Judge for yourself. What would you say the hindquarter in the picture to the left should be associated? The legs appear to be those of a well muscled feline...However, the variation in the tail from what you normally picture gave some individuals doubt to it's owners species.

Having a growing Bobcat population may not be beneficial to the Pheasant count which has struggled greatly in the last 4-5 years, and the Turkey flock numbers, which once seemed more visibly healthy in our timber - changed it's dynamic, and the rabbits have basically gone nocturnal in their appearances on the trail camera,their numbers have decreased significantly; to have another predator in addition to the coyote gaining territory on top of stresses from weather conditions has me questioning the balance.

Iowa State University at Ames has done studies on the Bobcat dietary habits and writes in their findings that only 2% of stomach contents include pheasant, hawk, crow , turkey and flicker. However, I certainly would think  they would hunt whatever is closest when they get hungry. It is my wish that they could give us a paw up in bringing the crow, and thirteen lined ground squirrel populations under control in our area.

While I have mixed feelings about the growth of sightings of Felis concolor (Mountain Lion) passing through(?) and increases of resident Bobcats(Lynx or Felis rufus)...What will it mean for the local ecosystems in the future? That can only be answered as time passes.

Certainly, I would affirm they are stealthy in their movements since I believe my first encounter came back on November 14, 2007...the last time I went out after a Pheasant, it had the same intention as me - make a meal out of the experience.  I shot at the rooster and went to check a known travel corridor out of this particular situation. When I reached the spot, crouching on the ground with prey in mouth was a  little Bobcat, it turned it's head to look at me and took off. My actions placed the bird right in the cats strong jaws. I went to look for the wildcat to make sure of what I had just witnessed, but the split second to mull over in my mind what I just seen was a second too long. Since that time I have heard of  trail camera sightings, but no encounters of my own until last fall.

 Bobcat numbers seem to be growing everywhere, any place they can find food and shelter, even within some large city limits; Los Angeles, CA., Chicago,IL,Boynton Beach, FL.are all places seeing populations thriving.

Every time I go looking for additional information about Bobcat characteristics I find a discrepancy in what is considered their normal weights. I will chalk it up to what part of the country they are in and how good their surrounding provide for them. What I have seen mentioned in Iowa, 15 - 26 lbs.,  compared to Los Angeles Animal Services placing the weights between 20 - 40 lbs., of their suburban wildcats. 

In closing, I would like to say by no means am I trying to be an authority on the feline species that are establishing populations nationwide, or finding their way across our State. I am just bringing to light some tidbits of information that I have found interesting and hope you will too, while I search to understand a population that was reintroduced by the Department of Natural Resources to our neighborhood.

Does Bigfoot Live in Provo Canyon?

This morning I came across this interesting Youtube video. Tell me what you think these young men saw during their camping trip.

Decorah Eagles Return

The Decorah Eagle couple of camera fame have returned to build a new nest away from cameras to rear their new family come February.

A report by Bob Anderson with the Raptor Resource Project, said they won't be able to move the webcam to the new nest 300 feet away from the old one until after the new eaglets hatch and leave the nest.

It is my understanding at this point that attempts to keep the public informed about the future family will be done by taking digital still photos.

I will miss the opportunity to see the close-up shots of the chicks from hatching to flying away to start families of their own.

A little research has brought to my attention that eagles may build more than one nest within their territories and will build new nests if they lose a mate.

Something I wonder about in this situation is if they are aware of the webcam that had been keeping an eye on them? Maybe they were tired of the peeping public...

In any event I hope to bring updates in the future when the expectation of the new family is announced.