Page 11 - Clear Lake Mirror Reporter E-Edition 9-9-2015
P. 11
OutdoorsClear Lake Mirror-Reporter Sept. 9, 2015 • Page 11
Great opening weekends reported for dove, teal seasons
this year’s opener, I chose to hunt on ing at warp speed; afterburners lit. It Enjoy more wildlife tales online at life.org/blog
public land. The popularity of Iowa was also low, close and, much to my Washburn’s Outdoor Journal at iawild-
dove hunting continues to grow by amazement, completely stopped fly-
leaps and bounds and, as expected, I ing at the sound of my shot. I was Mason City
had lots of company. Although calm thrilled by the result. Those fifteen
winds and high humidity led to fog plump, early season doves would eas- John Deere Ski Doo Sea Doo
bound conditions at daybreak, a ris- ily provide two of us with three, full Can-Am ATV Ariens Grasshopper
ing sun quickly cleared the skies. flavored wild game dinners.
My hunt got off a fantastic start But my Opening Day story All of your brand name For Work or Fun
as I went “three for three” with my wasn’t quite finished. Reaching down products under one roof
.28 gauge Ruger – my favorite shot- to collect my bird, I couldn’t believe
gun. I missed the next shot, but then my eyes. The day’s final dove was Highway 122 W (Across from Target)
connected again with the fifth. Four banded.
plump doves in the bag for five shots Working in cooperation with the (641) 424-2861
fired. I must admit that I was feelin’ U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, DNR
North America’s most abundant gamebird. According to DNR Conservation Of- pretty good about the day so far. wildlife workers across the nation cap-
ficers, strong hunter turnout coupled with excellent dove numbers set the stage for But I know from painful experi- ture and band wild mourning doves
opening day success. -Photo by Lowell Washburn. ence that any time I get to thinking from local populations. Mourning
that my marksmanship is all that; doves are North America’s most abun-
2015 Iowa Dove opener things are destined for a sudden dant gamebird and are an important
Excellent Dove numbers; change. Sure enough; my sixth, sev- recreational resource. As hunters bag
enth, eighth, and --- well, let’s just and report banded doves, the data pro-
strong hunter turnout say that I no longer had to deal with vides essential information needed for
an inflated ego problem. Like I said, comprehensive, continent-wide mi-
by Lowell Washburn with some locations reporting in ex- doves have a way of humbling you. gratory bird management. A majority
This year’s Iowa dove opener is cess of 50 hunter vehicles. A large Although I felt bad about the misses, of the recoveries from doves banded in
officially in the can. In spite of the number of parties left the field with I’m guessin’ that I didn’t feel nearly as Iowa [but recovered elsewhere] have
fact that unseasonably cool weather 15-bird limits, while other groups bad as the two young guys down the been reported from the key wintering
during late August resulted in a sub- had come very close to attaining that way who, as it turned out, had burned areas of Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico.
stantial reduction in dove numbers mark. Dove hot spots included weedy nearly three boxes [75 rounds] of Although I’ve been hunting
across the state’s northern tiers of fallow fields [especially those con- ammo between them for a combined doves for a lot of years now, I have
counties, more than enough birds taining foxtail], sunflower plots, and bag of six birds. only bagged three banded doves in my
remained to provide plenty of excite- abandoned sand and gravel pits where Fortunately, my hunt concluded lifetime. All represent fond memo-
ment. birds congregate for grit and water. on a much higher note. Following ries. But because of the way this year’s
According to area Conservation Faster than a speeding bullet an undisclosed number of additional opening day hunt played out, this
Officers, this year’s opener was a hit Connecting with fleet winged shots, I had eventually attained four- band will be my most treasured. It
with hunters statewide. In North- doves is a highly challenging, ex- teen birds in the bag. While mark- didn’t occur to me until on the way
ern Iowa, several public hunting area tremely humbling endeavor. For ing the high speed passage of a group home, but if just one of those afore
parking lots were filled to capacity, of four, one of the doves suddenly mentioned misses had been a hit in-
broke off and came scorching past my stead, then I would have never col-
right hand side. The bird was travel- lected the banded dove.
Iowa’s Andersen’s Flowers
special
Teal FALL OPEN HOUSE Sat., Sept. 19th
season
Fall Just Arrived~ Squash Many varieties
Providing bonus Favorites Wisconsin Apples
hunting days;
Early season Tomatoes • Onions • Peppers • Potatoes
excitement Pears • Mennonite Baked Goods
SWEET CORN ~ $3 Dozen
by Lowell Washburn MUMS (641) 530-1234
This year’s Special [Teal only] In Stock Mon - Fri 9-6 • Sat/Sun 9-5
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(West of Newman School)
Duck Season began Saturday, Sept. 5.
The second in a three year experiment,
the early-16 day hunt is timed to coin- Clean & Fresh! Comfortable &
cide with the peak migration of blue- Convenient
winged teal – one of the continent’s
most abundant but least utilized wa- A migrating flock of blue-winged teal buzz a north Iowa wetland.-Photo by Lowell Washburn All size dogs welcome
terfowl. 8$ Complete 8 min.wash
According to Iowa Conservation the state where Opening Day blue- season, warm weather teal hunts are shells are all you need. (Includes supplies)
Officers and DNR Wildlife Biologists, wings “flew like gnats”. Hunter suc- nothing new, of course. A news brief Although teal are low level fliers
hunters encountered good teal num- cess remained high through the Mon- posted in an August, 1896 edition of and will readily come to decoys; they Clear
bers statewide as the season began day [Labor Day] holiday as migrating the Clear Lake Mirror Reporter stated generally do so at break neck speed. Lake
Labor Day Weekend. Hunter success teal continued to arrive in the state. that a local hunter named John Berk- Getting flocks to come close is easy.
ranged from good, to excellent, to The only downside to this year’s ley had gotten his fall season off to Putting teal in the bag is an entirely Located at Laser Wash • North 20th Street, Clear Lake
what some waterfowl enthusiasts are early hunt say hunters, was the ex- a roaring start by shooting 73 of the different matter. Although most
describing as an “all out fantasy”. Teal treme heat that occurred during the tasty ducks. The columnist also noted hunters will miss far more blue-wings
numbers were greatest in the north early part of the weekend as tempera- that during the previous week “a great than they hit, those birds that are
central and northwestern regions of tures soared into the ‘80s. But early many hunters” had visited Clear Lake brought to bag provide quality dining
and that the fowlers had been fairly of the highest order.
successful. Although September Teal Sea-
sons were extremely popular with
Iowa hunters during the 1960s, the
Here today, gone tomorrow
Blue-winged teal are the first wa- special hunts [while continuing in the
terfowl species to depart the northern South] have been denied to northern Weekend Specials
breeding grounds each fall. Mov- waterfowl production states during re-
ing hard and fast down the flyways, cent decades. Re-authorized in 2014 Saturday Specials
most blue-wings will have passed to by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,
the south of Iowa by mid-September; the teal season is currently being of- Football Saturday! 10 am - 6 pm
well in advance of regular duck season fered to Iowans as a free bonus and $250 Bottles • Wells • Draws
openers. does not subtract days from the state’s
An abundant and popular inhab- regular 60-day duck season. For Iowa Bar Eats! 11 am - 5 pm
itant of shallow marshlands, early sea- waterfowl enthusiasts, the early teal
son blue-wings are readily accessible season offers the best of all worlds. $7 Nachos • Pretzels with Beer Cheese
to hunters of all ages and all levels of
expertise. No expensive blind boats or Enjoy more wildlife tales online at or Jumbo Wing Basket with Chips
specialized equipment are needed for Washburn’s Outdoor Journal at iawild- FOOTBALL HEADQUARTERS
A blue-winged teal takes time out from migration to feed along the edge of a shallow success; a pair of rubber waders, bag life.org/blog
north Iowa marsh. -Photo by Lowell Washburn. of decoys, and pocket full of shotgun 17 hi-def TV’s • NFL and College Gameday
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