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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa has a new farmland price record. The Des Moines Register says it happened on Wednesday when a 74-acre tract near Hull in Sioux County in northwest Iowa sold for $20,000 an acre. The previous record was in October when a 120-acre parcel went for $16,750 per acre near Sioux Center, also in Sioux County. Auctioneer Pete Polleman, of Hull, who called Wednesday’s sale, says farmland in northwest Iowa is very valuable, with good commodity prices and a strong livestock industry. Economist emeritus Neil Harl of Iowa State University calls the prices “amazing.”

A survey or real estate agents in September put the state average at $6,477 an acre, an increase of over 30 percent in the last year. ISU will release its annual farmland survey Dec. 14th.

w/ Kate Olsen.  Some tips on picking out and taking care of a live Christmas tree.

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The Iowa DNR says hunting and fishing licenses in the State for 2012 will go on sale Dec. 15th.  The 2011 licenses are valid through Jan. 10th, 2012. Nonresident hunting and fishing licenses go on sale Jan. 1, 2012.  Nonresident 2011 licenses are valid through Dec. 31st, 2011.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says hunters have reported harvesting nearly 61,000 deer so far this fall which is about 10 percent fewer than last year. Fewer deer were taken during the opening weekend of the first shotgun season due partly to less than ideal hunting conditions, but concerned hunters are commenting that they are seeing fewer deer across much of the state.

Iowa’s first shotgun season closes tomorrow (Dec. 7th). The DNR expects that 50,000 hunters will take the field for the second shotgun season which runs from December 10th – 18th. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

In areas where deer numbers are down, hunters should work with the landowner to see if the deer population is at a desirable level. Hunters should refrain from taking extra does if deer numbers are reduced. In some areas deer numbers are still strong and can take the extra pressure. The DNR says Hunters are the key to a properly managed Iowa’s deer herd.

Safety First

Blaze orange is required for hunters participating in the shotgun hunts and party hunting is legal. Hunters who hunt in a party should plan their hunt and hunt their plan. They should never shoot if they are unsure of what is beyond the animal they are harvesting. Hunters using blinds during the shotgun seasons are reminded that they are required to display at least 144 square inches of blaze orange that is visible from all directions (see p. 23 of the 2011 Hunting Regulations for more information).

Report Your Harvest

All deer taken must be reported using the harvest reporting system by midnight the day after the deer is recovered.  Accurately reporting the harvest is an important part of Iowa’s deer management program and plays a vital role in managing deer populations and future hunting opportunities. It is also required by law and officers will be checking to see if all deer have been reported.

For hunters with Internet access, the online harvest reporting is the easiest way to register the deer. Hunters can report their deer online at www.iowadnr.gov, by calling the toll free reporting number 1-800-771-4692, or at any license vendor.  

Tagging Antlered Deer

Hunters are reminded that antlered deer must have the transportation tag attached to the antler’s main beam, either at the base or between two points. 

Youth Season Tags

Youth season hunters with an unfilled “any-deer” license from the youth deer season who did not harvest a deer are eligible to hunt during one of the two shotgun seasons. However, the youth hunter must follow the weapons restrictions that are in place during the season and be under the direct supervision of a licensed adult. A youth must harvest and tag their own deer.

The Iowa Farmers Union says Representative Jack Drake, from Griswold, was awarded the 2011 “Friend of the Family Farmer Legislator Award,” during the organization’s Annual Convention held over the weekend, in Ames. Drake, who represents House District 57, serves as chair of the House Agriculture Committee. He’s served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 1992. 

As the chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriation Subcommittee, the IFU says he was instrumental in ensuring the structure and funding was present for the Local Food and Farm Plan.  The groups says Drake’s knowledge of the need for expanded agricultural markets in Iowa aided tremendously in the passage of the bill’s language. Iowa Farmers Union President Chris Petersen said at the convention “The Iowa Farmers Union is proud to honor Representative Jack Drake’s contribution to Iowa’s rural communities and promotion of a healthier local food system this year.”

Nearly 100 Iowans gathered for the event, which was co-sponsored by Iowa State University’s Sustainable Agriculture Student Association. They discussed the state and federal policies that affect farm operations and rural communities.  The awards ceremony recognized nine individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary efforts in support of family farms, local food and the growth of sustainable agriculture in Iowa over the past year.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Natural Resources Department says three people were shot during hunting accidents over the weekend, while another was injured today (Monday). All four men are expected to survive their wounds.

The latest incident was reported this (Monday) morning, when a Fort Dodge man suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound while hunting deer in Webster County. 36-year old Michael Ziemann,  was preparing to take a shot at a deer with a .44 magnum handgun when the gun went off and the bullet when down through his right leg.  Zieman was hunting with two other people at the Brushy Creek wildlife area when the incident occurred shortly after 7-a.m. DNR Recreational Safety Officer Jeff Barnes said Ziemann was wearing heavy gloves at the time which caused him to activate the trigger. Barnes warns “Hunters need to be aware, particularly during cold weather, of the effects heavier clothing may have.”

Ziemann was transported to Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge by other members of his hunting party where he was being treated for what was believed to be a non-life threatening injury. The DNR says a Grinnell man shot himself in a foot during a hunt in Page County on Saturday. 35-year old Benjamin Parker‘s gun fired after it got tangled in some bags he was carrying.Parker was taken to a Des Moines hospital. His injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

Also Saturday, an Altoona man was injured in Lucas County. The department says 25-year old Ryan Mills was shot when a deer ran between him and other people in his hunting group. The department says 38-year old Thomas Burns, of Waterloo, was shot on Sunday while hunting in Appanoose County. Burns was shot when another person in his group shot at a running deer.

Rural Iowans may hear the distant pop of shotgun blasts from the forests and fields this (Saturday) morning as the state’s shotgun deer hunting season opens. Iowa D-N-R deer biologist Tom Litchfield says he’s expecting about 60-thousand hunters for this first season. Litchfield says the two shotgun seasons on deer are Iowa’s most popular hunting seasons, when the most hunters are hunting and when the majority of deer are harvested. Up to 60-percent of the state’s deer are harvested in the two seasons. The first season runs today (Saturday) through December 7th and again from December 10th through the 18th. Litchfield says there will be plenty of targets.

He says the deer population was around 450-thousand pre-season while this spring, the numbers were around 290-thousand post-season. Litchfield says there will be no changes in hunting regulations for this deer season and he says the hunting will be good or more challenging, depending on where you go in the state.

He says hunters in northwest and north-central Iowa should see similar deer numbers compared to last year, though populations elsewhere may be down. Overall, Litchfield says the Iowa deer population has fallen about 12-percent compared to a year ago. Learn more at: “www.iowadnr.gov”.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

w/ Max Dirks

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w/ Kate Olsen

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