Turkey Season is Just Weeks Away

We've about made it through the long stretch in between deer season and turkey season! It wont be long now until we can get outside and see the woods magically turn from dormant winter brown to a vibrant emerald green. Thunderous gobbles will echo across the still morning valleys, and morel mushrooms will wait to be plucked from the forest floor. One of my greatest joys afield is watching the woods wake up with all the sights, sounds and smells on a spring morning. Combine that with the anticipation of a hunt and spring turkey season has become a hallmark of spring. Weather is a critical component to turkey's behavior and as we head through the next several weeks, we'll break down the stages of spring and talk about how the weather patterns will influence that gobbler's movements. The official opener is less than two weeks away, check in with the DNR's website on the right for season dates and license information.

Warming Weather Makes Ice Unsafe

Whether it's the peace and quiet in the dead of winter, the excitement of hauling a big fish through an 8 inch hole or the taste of fresh fish after a day on the hard water, ice fishing a popular outdoor winter sport in Iowa. Although there is no official end date to ice fishing season, the recent temperature trend is making the ice unsafe. ABC 5 News has received several reports of people falling through the ice over the last week. Four people fell through the ice near New Albin in northeast Iowa when their ATV pulling a trailer broke through. Fortunately, they were able to build a fire while awaiting rescue. Thin ice turned deadly for one teenager in southeast Iowa who drowned after trying to retrieve arrows off of a pond near Bloomfield. This time of year the ice is thinning, and due to the complex nature of heating fluids, the ice melts unevenly. Certain spots may still have ice thick enough to support a truck, while surrounding areas thin to just a few inches. Ice expansion and contraction also creates fissures or weak points making the ice even more unstable. The average temperature in central Iowa has gone from 28.4 F two weeks ago, to 34 F last week. So our environment which has acted like a freezer has now turned into a weak heater. This is all thanks to the seasonal change in the sun angle. Every day it gets stronger which helps to warm the frozen winter ground as we approach spring. This will lead to a rapid breakup of most of the ice covering Iowa's waterways within the next week. So it wont be long before we can get out the casting rod and reel. In the meantime, take care and stay off the ice.

Very Successful Deer Classic

For the second year in a row I had the pleasure of stopping out at the Iowa Deer Classic! What a great way to break up the lull between deer hunting and turkey season! Not to mention catching up with old friends, meeting some new friends and seeing all the sights brought right to central Iowa by one of the largest outdoors shows in the region.

So if you didn’t make it, what did ya miss? Not much- only thousands of fellow hunters, hundreds of vendors and several outdoors celebrities offering great seminars and loads of gear for the outdoor lifestyle. I spent several hours staring in awe at all the antlers and newfangled gadgets our hunting industry produces. From brand new camera mounts for videoing your own hunts, to the latest in archery equipment, it could be found at the Classic! Innovative outdoorsmen and women offered neat new contraptions like unique shed traps, roomy box blinds and even all-terrain electric wheelchairs for our friends with disabilities. I felt like a kid in a candy store, but my wallet weathered incredibly well losing only $15 to my new friends with Campfire Stories TV for some great hunting dvds http://www.campfirestoriestv.com/

My only complaint this year was the seminars were separated from the main floor of vendors. Oh yeah, and there was so much to see, I flat ran out of time! So make it a point to jot down the Classic on the calendar for next year. It’s kind of a long forecast, but I’ll give it a 90% that I’ll be going back ;-)

Perfect Weather for Shed Hunting

Snowfree ground in late winter is actually a great time to go deer scouting! Whitetail patterns in late season are pretty similar to the early season, revolving around food and security cover. A lot of hunters stay out of the woods until turkey or mushroom season, but scouting now could help get the jump on a big buck for next year. One tell-tale sign that a bruiser is in the area is finding a shed antler. Searching for these can involve a lot of walking, and it can be frustrating to come up empty-handed, but it can also be a lot of fun. As with most things, more experience usually equals better success. Some good areas to start a search are on main trails immediately to and from bedding areas. One nice thing about the barren winter landscape is muddy hoofprints on the forest floor will reveal the preferred deer travel locations like scars on the ground. Once you find some main trails, antlers are often found on fencelines or in creek crossings. Locating a late-season food source is key and I've found many sheds where a major trail entering the field intersects a fenceline. I keep a journal on noteworthy finds during these late winter excursions. This can sometimes help me pinpoint an ambush spot for early season when the thick vegetation can often mask subtle deer sign. Of course if you strike out, you can always see others' shed antlers and other outdoor attractions at the Iowa Deer Classic Feb. 25th - 27th Info at:   http://www.iowashows.com/Shows/index.cfm?Show_ID=43