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The evidence was easy to see that
hunters had found the recently mowed 10-acre sunflower field at the Red Rock
Wildlife Area on the first day of dove season – 25-30 vehicles were parked
along the road whose drivers had abandoned their bucket seats for real buckets
set few rows deep in the remaining sunflowers waiting for the nation’s most
popular game bird to come rocketing through.
Mourning doves are one of many species
of migrating birds to use Red Rock Wildlife Area on their journey each spring
and fall. While the fall migration attracts the attention of hunters, the
spring migration is two to three times larger. Both migrations include ducks,
geese and white pelicans, but large numbers of shorebirds are attracted to the
Red Rock mudflats to rest and refuel for their long journey.
“Shorebirds like mudflats. Red Rock is
one of the better places in Iowa to view shorebird migration because we have
plenty of mudflats,” said Todd Gosselink wildlife biologist for the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the Red Rock Wildlife Area.
Other migrants follow behind using the
migration itself as a food source. A record number of bald eagles - 900 - came
through the Red Rock area during a spring migration, with a few staying behind
to become year round residents.
Flocks of white pelicans were already
using the Runnells and Big Hartford marshes, two of the more popular marshes
for duck hunters. At roughly 450 and 500
acres respectively, these marshes can hold thousands of ducks in the fall, if
the conditions are right.
Mudflats and marshes are just two
habitat types here; the Red Rock Wildlife Area also has prairie, timber, upland
and bottomland, riverine and fine windblown sand habitats.
Managing habitat can be challenging.
Managing habitat surrounding a flood control reservoir built to hold enough
water to cover 65,000 acres is a whole different thing.
Gosselink is responsible for managing 28,000
acres of land west of the mile long bridge. Everything along the Red Rock
Wildlife Area is dependent upon the lake and high water is an annual event.
The bottomlands are usually under
water each spring as the lake, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
holds water to prevent spring flooding. Once the water recedes, a local partner
will plant beans or corn, depending upon when they can get in.
“The soil is rich and if it doesn’t
flood out, they will have excellent yields,” Gosselink said.
This annual farming is a strategy to
prevent cottonwoods, willows and cockleburs from taking over the area. The
agreement also requires the partner to leave a small percentage of crops standing
as a food plot for wildlife.
“The bottomland often has disturbed
soil and early successional plants which is exactly what pheasants and quail
prefer. If it doesn’t flood in the spring, we can have good reproduction,” he
said while watching a rooster pheasant zig-zag ahead of him on a bottomland
gravel road.
Gosselink likes to say that this flood
zone on the Red Rock Wildlife Area is the wildest place in Iowa. There are no
lights and no residents in the immediate area. At night, beyond the occasional
set of headlights, the area is completely dark.
The darkness and remoteness of the
area does bring with it its share of headaches.
An open gate is seen by some as an invitation to do as they please.
“It’s a difficult situation because we
want to provide access but if we leave gates unlocked, it becomes a dumping
area or off-roading area. It’s a balancing act,” he said.
Gosselink’s staff plan trash
collection days every so often to clean the areas, spending scare budget
resources to remove old appliances, tires, household waste – even a dead horse.
While a few bad actors can cause some
damage and leave a mess, the Red Rock Wildlife Area is open to everyone.
The mix of habitats and uses means
ample opportunity exists for wildlife watchers and hunters alike to enjoy the
area all year long.
The timber attracts deer and turkey
hunters. Sunflower plots attract dove hunters. Marshes mean ducks and geese.
Upland and prairie attract pheasant and quail hunters.
Don’t like to hunt? The diverse forest
tree species offers unique hiking opportunities and provides colorful and
extended fall leaf viewing.
“It can be fun to see the fall colors
from a boat on the lake,” Gosselink said.
“And it’s only 40 minutes from Des Moines.”
New Ramps Expand Access
The Iowa DNR has used a combination of
grants and partnerships to improve and expand the number of boat ramps on the
marshes and river, including a new ramp set to open in 2018 on the north shore
one mile west of the mile long bridge.
The new boat ramp, funded in part by a
grant from the federal government through the Iowa Department of
Transportation, is on a finger on the lake protected from wind and waves, and
likely be favored by kayakers.
Other recent projects have improved
access to boat ramps at Box Cars and added two new concrete boat ramps at
Runnells Marsh.
Red Rock History
According to Native American lore, the
red color of the sandstone outcropping on the bluffs overlooking the Des Moines
River came from the blood of bison spilled on the rocks.
A town of the same name sits at the
bottom of the reservoir just west of the mile long bridge.
The same area as the town was home to
the second largest sycamore tree in the United States at the time, whose stump
is still visible today at normal pool. The tree was used by Native Americans to
come together to negotiate treaties and earned the name Peace Tree.
More recent history was uncovered a
few years ago when a deer hunter reported finding a bone near a beach that was
determined to be from a mammoth.
Media Contact: Todd Gosselink, Wildlife Biologist, Iowa
Department of Natural Resources, 515-238-6936.
Competitors
from 166 Iowa high school and 12 collegiate teams have competed for state
championships in June in American trap, doubles trap, handicap trap, sporting
clays, skeet and international trap and skeet.
Championship shoots were held at the Cedar Falls Gun
Club, Mahaska County Izaak Walton League in Oskaloosa, New Pioneer Gun Club in
Waukee, and the AVAD Hunt Club in Coon Rapids.
Six
boys and six girls who scored the highest in trap, skeet and sporting clay were
named to the All-State team. For a
complete list of results, go to http://sssfonline.org
2017 Iowa All State Boys
Jaydon
Biles, Princetown, North Scott Trap Team
Eric
Long, Davenport, North Scott Trap Team
Thomas
Keeshan, Princeton, North Scott Trap Team
Mason
Caruthers, Urbandale, Des Moines Area Clay Crushers
Brent
Alman, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley High School Trap Team
Colten
Uitermarkt, Otley, Pella Christian Eagles
2017 Iowa All State Girls
Nicole
Breese, Solon, Solon Spartan Trapshooting Team
Emma
Von Donselaar, Oskaloosa, Pella Christian Eagles
Alexis
Louck, Eldridge, North Scott Trap Team
Sydney
Boot, Pella, Pella Shooters Club, Inc.
Cheyanna
Sheaffer, Pella, Pella Shooters Club, Inc.
Kennedy
Vandevoort, Pella, Pella Shooters Club, Inc.
For
2017, more than 3,700 athletes competed in the program, breaking more than 2
million clay targets.
Iowa qualifies 17 teams for nationals
Iowa
has qualified 17 teams for the national 2017 Scholastic Clay Target Program and
Scholastic Action Shooting Program National Championships tournament July 8-15 in
Marengo, Ohio.
The
teams are Albia High School, Ankeny Centennial Jaguars Trap Team, Charles City
High School, Cherokee County Youth Shooting Sports, Clear Creek Amana High
School Trap, Easton Valley Trapshooting Team, Little Ankeny Jaguars Trap Team, Lyon
County Straight Shooters, Maquoketa Cardinals Varsity, North Scott Trap Team, Oskaloosa
Shooting Team, Ottumwa High School, Pella Christian Eagles, Pella Shooters
Club, Inc., Pleasant Valley High School Trap Team, Sibley Ocheyedan Shooting
Generals and the Solon Spartan Trapshooting Team.
The McIntosh State Park boat ramp, one
of Clear Lake's busiest accesses, is now open for use.
Renovation of the boat ramp began just
after the Memorial Day weekend and finished just in time for Fourth of July
boaters.
Boaters can now enjoy a 3-lane ramp
that is wider and longer. The parking lot associated with the ramp has
approximately 60 parking spaces for cars with trailers, and the area has a rest
room, picnic area with a shelter, playground and beach nearby.
McIntosh Woods State Park is located
on the northwest side of Clear Lake between the towns of Clear Lake and
Ventura.
Currently the following state parks
have one or more cabins available to rent for the coming weekend:
Lacey-Keosauqua 319-293-3502
Waubonsie 712-382-2788
Reservations for these cabins can be
made online until midnight tonight or through the call center (1-877-427-2757)
until 7 p.m., July 3, for a Friday-to-Friday stay. After midnight, the cabins
become available for two-night minimum stays but must be reserved through the
individual park's office.
Hunter
Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified
volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation
Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held
over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must
attend all sessions and pass the final exam.
Iowa
law requires that anyone born after January 1, 1972 must be certified in hunter
education before they are eligible to purchase an Iowa hunting license.
Upcoming
Hunter Education Classes
July 13, Dysart, Union Middle School
July 20, Panora, Guthrie County Conservation Board
July 24, Homestead, Amana Sportsmans Club
Aug. 2, Newton, Izaak Walton League - Newton
Aug. 2, Palo, Palo Outdoors
Aug. 3, Toledo, Pioneer Hi-Bred
Aug. 3, Indianola, Izaak Walton League - Indianola
Aug. 4, Nashua, Nashua Fish and Hunt Club
Aug. 7, Elkader, Osborne Nature Center
Aug. 7, Sabula, Sabula Izaak Walton League
Aug. 8, Hawarden, Sioux County Conservation Board,
Oak Grove Park
Aug. 12, Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College –
Waterloo
Aug. 12, Hamburg, Agrivision
Aug. 15, Birmingham, Southeastern Iowa Sportsman’s
Society
Aug. 17, Marshalltown, Izaak Walton League -
Marshalltown
Aug. 17, Columbus Junction, American Legion –
Columbus Junction
Aug. 19, Vinton, Izaak Walton League - Vinton
Aug. 19, Villisca, Villisca Community Building
Aug. 19, Decorah, Northeast Fox and Coon Club
Aug. 22, Clinton, Izaak Walton League - Clinton
Aug. 22, Ames, Izaak Walton League – Ames
Aug. 24, Rockford, Floyd County Conservation
Board, Fossil & Prairie Center
Aug. 26, Fairbank, Fairbank Gun Club
Aug. 26, Aurelia, Aurelia Shelter House
Aug. 26, Muscatine, Muscatine County Conservation
Board, Environmental Learning Center
Aug. 28, Humboldt, Ox Bow Park
For
more information on these and other hunter education opportunities, go to www.iowadnr.gov/huntered
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