Great Question

Recently, I was asked about the firearms that Iowa allows in the hunt for the white-tailed deer. Myself, I have only used a 20 guage shotgun for the deer, pheasant, and turkey hunts. Following is a synopsis of what I found posted on the Iowa DNR website: http://www.iowadnr.com/law/files/07huntingregs.pdf Pages- 5, 21-29, 36 Page 5- gives us a chart of the different 2007 seasons and 2007 Anterless Quotas for Resident Hunters. Page 36- tells about the Nonresident Deer Hunting Zones and allowed Nonresident Anterless-only license Quotas if you are able to get one. So, what I have found is that the only exception allowed to use a crossbow or handgun is if you have some disability making it impossible to use a shotgun, muzzleloader, or compound bow. It is possible to use a center-fire rifle,.24 guage or larger in certain circumstances. The special January Anterless-only season in the following lower tier counties gives you a chance to use higher powered equipment. The following counties are eligible for this special waiver: Mills, Fremont, Montgomery,Page, Adams, Taylor, Union, Ringgold,Clarke, Decatur, Lucas,Wayne,Monroe, Appanoose, Wapello, Davis, Jefferson, Van Buren, Henry, Lee, and DesMoines.The map on Page 36 gives you location information if you should have an interest to explore the possibilities ... ; )

Marsh Count

Hmmm, 1-2-3-4-5-6 Canadian Geese, 1-10-25 American White Pelicans. Today is rainy and cool. Only supposed to get to be a high in the middle 50's. I'd send some cooler temps south to our friends there if I could so the hunts wouldn't be so steamy... Passed the Marsh going into town , decided to take a bird count after going home to get the binoculars and a couple of my Bird Identification books. Really nothing spectacular to see. Didn't stick around for hours to see if the population would change. The pelicans did seem to tuck their heads more as the rain fell more briskly. Later today I am planning another check to see if the waterfowl have taken the chance to head off or will stay to wait out the weather...