IOWA DNR NEWS RELEASE Enjoy those easy-to-see large flocks of turkeys feeding in the fields while you can. In the next few weeks, the winter flocks will break up, and where you saw them last weekend is not where they’ll be when spring turkey season opens in April. Bagging a wild turkey is a challenge for even the most experienced hunters. Of the 50,000 licenses sold each spring, about 20 percent are placed on a bird. “Turkeys have home field advantage. We go where they live and use calls that try to mimic the sounds of a hen. We are … Continue reading Humbling and exhilarating, Iowa’s springtime turkey hunting seasons begin April 5

Iowa DNR news release Thursday, April 4 marks the first day to reserve a campsite for Fourth of July. Consider camping at an Iowa state park to enjoy the outdoors during the summer holiday! For those planning in advance, 75 percent of campsites are available and the rest are open for walk-up camping that week. More information about Iowa’s state parks can be found online.  Continue reading Make your camping reservation for Fourth of July

Iowa DNR news release Channel catfish move close to shore and are eager to bite in many lakes and the large reservoirs across Iowa just after the ice is gone. The bite starts sooner in the southern Iowa impoundment since they lose ice a week or two before northeast Iowa natural lakes. After eating light during the winter, channel catfish go on a feeding frenzy in early spring cleaning up small fish that died over the winter. Search for actively feeding fish on windblown shorelines and points where dead fish are piled up and the shallow water warms quickly. Keep … Continue reading Fishing Report: Ice-out channel catfish are biting

News Release Iowans can put their support for conservation on cruise control by purchasing a natural resources license plate when it’s time to renew their vehicle registration. The sale of Iowa’s natural resources license plates provides financial support for the Wildlife Diversity Program in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (REAP). After the initial $45 fee, the $25 renewal fee will be added to the annual registration bill. Each year when the registration is renewed, $15 goes to the Wildlife Diversity Program and $10 goes to REAP. Proceeds from the license plates are … Continue reading Iowa license plates can support natural resources

News Release For people interested in camping during Memorial Day weekend, the three-month window to reserve a campsite at an Iowa state park opens Sunday, Feb. 24. Memorial Day weekend begins Friday, May 24 through Monday, May 27. Campsite reservations can be made three months prior to visiting, making it a good time to start planning a trip to a state park. Information on Iowa’s state parks is available at http://www.iowadnr.gov including the link to make reservations. Campers can also log on directly to https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/welcome.do. Due to renovations to campgrounds and poor weather conditions, the following parks will not be … Continue reading Memorial Day weekend campsites available soon for reservation