Last year, hunters in Iowa killed fewer than 100,000 deer for the first time since the mid-1990s. Jim Coffey, forest wildlife research technician for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says it’s possible hunters will harvest a similar number of deer this season. “We’re right on pace for where we were at this time last year with almost 24,000 deer being harvested so far,” Coffey says. Only bow hunting of deer is allowed right now in Iowa and the bow hunting season is about halfway complete.

The reported number of bucks taken this season has increased by 1,000 compared to last year, while the reported doe harvest is down 1,000. “That’s not too uncommon because of the way we’ve changed regulations this year, plus a lot of our bow hunters are out there seeking that buck,” Coffey says. The number of deer killed by hunters in Iowa has declined for eight consecutive years. But, Coffey says hunters are still getting plenty of chances to fire their weapons.

“We’ve been hearing good reports from our hunters. The deer have been active. The cold spell starting Sunday kind of slowed things down…but with the warm spell coming up this weekend and the rut going on, it’ll be a good weekend to be out,” Coffey says. Iowa’s first shotgun deer hunting season begins on December 6, with the second shotgun season starting December 13. Most hunters are hoping to spot a big buck, but probably won’t see anything like the one shot just southeast of Des Moines back in October.

“Probably the biggest buck that’s been talked about was the one in Marion County. That was shot fairly early in the season and has been creating quite a stir on the Internet,” Coffey said. That buck was shot with a muzzleloader by Joe Franz on his property. The website trophy pursuit dot com ( http://www.trophypursuit.com ) posted video of Franz’s hunt and claims the buck could be “the largest ever taken on professional video.”  You can view the video on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mg7Z4juaGo8

The Cass, Sac, and Carroll County Conservation Boards have teamed up to host a fun birding trip to northeast Minnesota and the world famous Sax-Zim Bog and Duluth area. Officials say they’re excited about this opportunity and look forward to showing folks lots of amazing birds, as well as enjoying some of northeast Minnesota’s culture and charm. The trip will be held Jan. 16th through the 19th, 2015. The registration deadline is Dec. 31st.

The cost is $480 for a single person, or $645 for double occupancy ($322.50 per person). Your registration fee covers transportation, three nights of hotel rooms, guides, one lunch, and snacks/refreshments on the bus.

Informational sessions about the trip will be held in Cass County:

• December 1st Lewis Public Library 5 PM
• December 8th Anita Public Library 6 PM
• December 9th Atlantic Public Library 5 PM

For more information regarding a full itinerary and registration information, please contact Lora at lkanning@casscoia.us or 712-769-2372

Among the birds participants should expect to see is: Great Gray Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Snowy Owl, Evening Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, Boreal Chickadee, Red and White-winged Crossbills, Bohemian Waxwing, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Northern Goshawk,  Black-billed Magpie, Common Redpoll, and possibly Hoary Redpoll and Boreal Owl. Also, numerous loons, gulls, and scoters are hoped to be seen on Lake Superior near Two Harbors and Duluth. Other sea ducks, including Long-tailed Duck and Harlequin Duck are sometimes seen, too.

Shelby County will host a Pest Control Operators Continuing Instructional Course (CIC) for commercial pesticide applicators Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014. The program will be shown at locations across Iowa through the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Pest Management and the Environment (PME) program.

The local site for the Dec.3 CIC is 906 6th Street, Harlan. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by sessions from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The registration fee is $60 on or before Nov. 26 and $70 after Nov. 26. To register or to obtain additional information about the CIC, contact the ISU Extension and Outreach office in Shelby County by phoning 712-755-3104.

The 2014 course will provide continuing instructional credit for commercial pesticide applicators certified in categories 7A, 7B, 8, and 10. The course will cover topics such as effects of pesticides on groundwater and other non-target sites; effective bed bug and termite treatments, new and efficient cockroach and rodent control, and pesticide application techniques that limit human exposure.

Additional information and registration forms for this and other courses offered through the PME Program can be accessed at www.extension.iastate.edu/PME.

The latest U-S-D-A crop report says farmers harvested one-tenth of the state’s corn crop during the week that ended Sunday. The report says cold temperatures and snow halted most other ag activities during the week. Ninety-two percent of Iowa’s corn acreage was harvested which matched 2013 and is two days ahead of the five-year average. It’s the first time this season that corn harvest was ahead of the normal pace. The cold weather was welcome by some, including Brad Sorenson, who farms 24-hundred acres near Harlan.

“We got done Friday. Had to wait ‘til the ground froze so we could finish up,” Sorenson says. The rain-soaked fields had kept Sorenson and others from making progress. “Ground was so saturated that the ground had to freeze to carry the weight of the combine and the grain cart so we could get the last fields done,” Sorenson explains. “It was somewhat of a struggle this year.” Although the weather was wet, Sorenson says things eventually turned out pretty well when it came to the harvest.

“In early October, they we were afraid we’d have to spend 20 to 25 cents a bushel to dry it. And, the weather went in our favor and it dried in the field for us, and we saved a lot of money doing that,” according to Sorenson. Only about ten-percent or less of Iowa’s corn crop remains in the fields. South-central Iowa continued to trail behind the rest of the state with only 79-percent of the corn harvest complete. The soybean harvest was nearing completion with 98-percent of the acreage harvested.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — More farmers are filing lawsuits against agrochemicals giant Syngenta in a legal battle tied to the sale of a genetically modified corn seed. Agrisure Viptera is genetically altered to kill corn-eating bugs and is approved by the United States. It was marketed to farmers in 2011.

But China, a major corn market that refuses to buy genetically modified crops it hasn’t tested, had not agreed to import it. It began rejecting U.S. corn last year when Viptera was detected. More than 50 lawsuits have been filed and hundreds more are being prepared. The lawsuits say losing China as a buyer has cost corn farmers more than $1 billion.

Syngenta says the lawsuits are without merit and upholds the right of farmers to use approved new technologies.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has scheduled a February sentencing for the father and son whose Iowa egg farms were linked to a huge 2010 salmonella outbreak. U.S. District Judge Mark W. Bennett ruled Thursday that Quality Egg owners Austin “Jack” DeCoster and Peter DeCoster will be sentenced during hearings that begin Feb. 9 in Sioux City and could last five days.

The DeCosters pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce. They face up to one year in jail, but their attorney is arguing for a fine and probation. Quality Egg also faces a fine after pleading guilty to bribing a federal inspector, selling misbranded food and introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce.

The outbreak sickened thousands of people nationwide and shook public confidence in the egg industry.

More snow is in the weekend forecast as colder-than-normal temperatures persist for much of Iowa in the teens, 20s and low 30s. Many of us still have leaf raking and other yard work to do before winter arrives, but midwest educator John Fech says the best thing you can do for your lawn is to keep off the grass.  “When you’ve got that layer of ice out there, it’s really best to just lay off of it,” Fech says. “If you’ve got a big pile of leaves, you’ve got a big pile of leaves and you can get to it when we get some warmer days. You can get some crunching on that ice and break off a lot of crowns of the grass. To be on the safe side, wait until it warms up a bit.”

Many Iowans’ evergreen trees emerged with brown needles after a tough winter last year, so he says preventative care may be called for if you have those trees. “Our broadleaf evergreens really took it on the chin last year,” Fech says. “On days when we get above freezing, say when we get above 35 or 40 degrees, there is a material called an anti-dessicant, an anti-drying agent that you can apply to them. Typically, three times over the winter. Pick out a day when we do perk back up into the high 30s and go from there.”

If you’ve planted trees on your property in the past year, you’ll likely want to protect those, too, for the winter ahead.  “Put some sort of tree protector on the trunk, a stiff piece of PVC that you split down the middle,” he says. “That would work real well to protect it against rabbit damage, squirrel damage, mouse damage.”

Parts of Iowa may see one or two more inches of snow fall on Saturday though forecasters say we should see more seasonable, warmer temperatures -perhaps- by late next week.

(Radio Iowa)

The sponsors of the Cass County Conservation Board’s Trumpeter Swan arrival date contest have announced there is a winner of the contest. The official arrival of the swans was November 11th There was on that day 5 Trumpeter Swans were there and stayed more than twenty-four hours. The winner is Pansie Hoffman.

She will receive a Trumpeter Swan 8×10 print from the Cass County Conservation Board. Cass County Conservation thanks to all who participated in the contest, which was open to Cass County residents only.

w/ Max Dirks

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CARROLL, Iowa (AP) – Some residents of Carroll are annoyed when they look into a neighbor’s backyard and see a corncrib that’s been turned into a gazebo. Allen Nieland lives near the property, and he told Des Moines television station KCCI that the corncrib would look nice on an acreage or a farm, but it just doesn’t fit the character of his subdivision. The corncrib is the see-through type with a metal roof.

Nieland says he’s started a petition to have the corncrib removed. But city officials say the corncrib meets zoning and building codes and is legal because it’s being used for outdoor entertainment, not to store or dry corn.

Another neighbor, Brad Kirsch, says the corncrib is better to look at “than junk cars or an old boat.”