Hunters who need to satisfy the hunter education requirement can search for and sign up for a course at www.iowadnr.gov/huntered. Prospective students can see which courses or field days are near them; how many seats are available for the class or if the class is full and a waiting list is available. There is also a map showing the location along with the instructor’s name, a course overview and any special instructions.

Iowa law requires all hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972 to satisfactorily complete a hunter education course in order to purchase a license.  Children as young as 11 may enroll in the course, but their certificate of completion will not become valid until their 12th birthday. Each year, around 12,000 students complete hunter education in Iowa.

Online Only Course Option for Adults:

The online only course for adults is designed for Iowa residents 18 years of age or older that have prior hunting and/or firearms handling experience.  The course covers the same material as the classroom course, allowing the student to complete the entire course, including the final test, in an online setting.  Certification is received at the successful completion of the online course.

The Iowa Dept. of Natural resources reports an estimated 50,000 hunters will be in the timber this spring pursuing the illusive wild turkey and while the woods will not be crawling with hunters, there is a chance for an occasional encounter.  Hunters should practice defensive hunting techniques.  Hunters should make a loud statement like “hey – hunter over here,” if they see someone coming into the same area. One loud noise shouldn’t scare a bird too much because loud noises happen in the woods. However, don’t make motion or throw something to get the other hunters attention.

“Turkey hunters are looking for movement,” said Jim Coffey, forest wildlife species technician for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.  “Don’t wave your hand or make a movement because a movement could be misconstrued. If you walk in on someone they’re probably hearing the same bird you hear, just turn and walk away.  Find a different ridge to enjoy the morning.”

The timber will change a lot from early April to middle May reducing the distance hunters can see so it will be important that hunters continuously check their distance for their zone of fire. “You can’t call the bullet back once your pull the trigger so it’s important to know your target and what’s beyond before taking the shot,” Coffey said.  He often recommends setting out distance stick for reference points.  This allows hunters to know exactly how far away a bird is and if it’s within the weapons range.

Hunters should also respect other hunters. “They are out there trying to do what you are going to do. The competition is between turkey and hunter – not hunter and hunter,” Coffey said. One way to avoid walking in on other hunters is to go later in the morning. “Rather than try to get out in the woods for the first gobble, go out a little later, like around 9 a.m., you may have the area all to yourself,” he said.

Safety Tips

• Avoid wearing patriotic colors – red, white and blue.  These colors are also shared by gobblers.
• Bring a blaze orange game bag or turkey vest to use to carry the harvested bird out from the woods.
• Avoid using a gobble call.
• Using a hunting blind can be helpful if taking a young person on their first hunt, or for hunting companions to use.
• Make sure you have permission to be on the land and find out if anyone else has permission to the land and which season they will be hunting.  Just because you had permission a few years ago, does not mean you have permission this year.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Ric Hanson.

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An all-ACC night: Virginia, Syracuse win in Midwest…North Carolina, Notre Dame survive in East….

Virginia is going to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1995. Anthony Gill had 23 points and eight rebounds, leading the top-seeded Cavaliers to an 84-71 victory over No. 4 Iowa State in the Midwest Regional semifinals. Mike Tobey added 18 points and seven boards. Next up for the Cavaliers is the winner of Gonzaga-Syracuse on Sunday. Virginia hasn’t made it to the Final Four since 1984.

That also makes three No. 1 seeds in the round of eight with the Cavaliers joining Kansas and Oregon. North Carolina will try to make it four for four against Indiana later.

VIERA, Fla. (AP) — Max Scherzer outpitched Adam Wainwright in a matchup worthy of opening day, and the Washington Nationals defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 8-2 Thursday. Scherzer struck out nine and walked three in five innings, allowing two runs — both unearned — and three hits. Wainwright gave up four runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings, struck out four and walked one.

Michael A. Taylor hit a two-run double and a two-run homer for the Nationals. Anthony Rendon drove in two runs with his third double in two days. Scherzer struck out eight of the Cardinals he faced, failing to fan Tommy Pham but getting Jedd Gyorko twice. Wainwright was relieved by Nick Maness, who gave up two doubles, Taylor’s homer and a single among his first four batters.

Nodaway Valley Senior Jackson Lamb held a signing event at Nodaway Valley High School in Greenfield on Wednesday.  Lamb signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City.  He’ll join a strong Chargers team that finished with a 32-4 record last season.

Lamb finished his career with the Wolverines as the all-time leader in points with 1,838, points per game – 18.95, field goals made- 622, three-pointers made -234,  free-throws made -360, and steals -249. He also owns many of the Wolverines’ single season record.

Lamb joins a few other southwest Iowa alum on the Chargers roster.  Jay Wolfe from Creston and Ricky Williams from Riverside are currently on the team.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

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JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton’s first home run of the spring wasn’t enough to help Miami overcome a dazzling pitching performance by Carlos Martinez for the St. Louis Cardinals in a 4-1 win Wednesday. An All-Star last season, Martinez threw five shutout innings, giving up two hits and striking out five.

The Harlan Track and Field teams competed Tuesday at the Bob Prince Early Bird Invite at USD in Vermillion, South Dakota.

Girls

400m

3rd Payten Hoegh, Harlan, 1:04.52

800m

6th  Deena Hayes, Harlan, 2:48.42

60M Hurdles

1st  Allison Bruck, Harlan, 9.42

3,000m

6th, Greichaly Kaster, Harlan, 12:33.79

High Jump

5th Taylor Frederick, Harlan, J4-08.00, 1.42m

Long Jump

9th Savannah Parman, Harlan, 4.41m, 14-05.75

Shot Put
4th  Gillian Streit, Harlan, 10.14m, 33-03.25

4×200

4th Harlan ‘A’  1:54.944
1) Bruck, Allison 2) Hansen, Chole 3) Larsen, Lexi 4) Frederick, Taylor