Thursday, Aug. 1 to Sunday, Aug. 4

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fire Program has dispatched wildland firefighters to help with fire management efforts across the Rocky Mountains, the west coast and the Pacific Northwest.

Iowa DNR staff and other Iowa-based firefighters are members of hand crews in Colorado and South Dakota. Other agency staff are assisting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fire engines in Wyoming.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) partnered for a third year with MyCatch by Angler’s Atlas to conduct a statewide walleye fishing challenge  March 30 through June 30.

Iowa angler Larry Hulsebus was one of the Midwest Walleye Challenge grand prize winners, earning a five-day Northwest Ontario walleye fishing trip.

Iowa’s pheasant population typically shows increases following mild winters with springs that are dryer and warmer than normal. While last winter was average to below average snowfall, spring was wetter than normal, with May coming in as the eighth wettest in 152 years of records.

Given the statewide information, the weather model is predicting pheasant populations will likely be lower for the 2024 hunting season.

Hemorrhagic disease, commonly referred to as EHD or Bluetongue, has been impacting deer in Iowa for over a decade, with severe outbreaks occurring in 2012, 2013, 2019, and 2023. As a way to better understand disease impacts, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has created an online tool where hunters and landowners can report dead deer resulting from hemorrhagic disease outbreaks.

The much-anticipated 9th annual Okoboji Blue Water Festival (OBWF) is just around the corner! Set for Saturday, August 10 at the green space at Preservation Plaza on the shores of West Lake Okoboji, the day will be an opportunity to learn about conservation and clean water efforts and to learn more about being difference makers in positive/sustainable conservation/clean water practices.

SIOUX CENTER — Leading 10-7 heading into the final two innings of Thursday’s Class 4A Region 1 matchup against Sioux Center, the Spencer squad appeared poised for an upset against their 15-9 hosts. Playing on the Warriors home field, two runs in the bottom of the sixth closed the gap to one. After failing to score and extend the margin in the top of the seventh, the home squad would bring two more home for the walk off 11-10 win.

SERGEANT BLUFF — A solid season for the Spencer Tigers came to a close, Friday night, following a close battle with Sergeant Bluff-Luton on the Warriors home field. The visitors late rally attempt fell short in the 5-3 loss.

“Our team didn't give up,” Tiger coach Brian Dirkx said. “We put together a rally at the end, but couldn't push enough runs across the plate to catch up.

Sioux Central finished the season 21-7, following a 13-10 softball loss to Emmetsburg in the Class 2A Region 2 opening round game in Pocahontas Wednesday. For the seniors, it’s the end of an era. Coach Kasey Krager said, “We graduate five seniors Morgan (Christian), Bradi (Krager), Preslie (Peterson), Emma (Smith) and Catelyn (Haight) that are going to be greatly missed. They have put in a lot of time into the program and have meant so much to the success of the team over the years.

The Department of Natural Resources is seeking informal comments on administrative rules for Iowa state parks and related programs. Executive Order 10 (EO10), signed by the governor on Jan. 10, 2023, requires all state agencies to identify which administrative rule chapters will be retained or rescinded. The EO10 process includes public engagement with the opportunity for meaningful input.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is offering a program to teach skills needed to trap furbearers to people with little to no trapping experience.

The workshop will feature knowledge and skill building sessions with instructors that will teach the basics of trapping in Iowa.

Iowa Lakeside Laboratory is well known for its scientific studies of plants, animals and water quality. In fact, when someone thinks about Lakeside, they are likely to conjure up images of serious looking individuals hunched over various plants or bespeckled laboratorians wearing lab coats and goggles as they mix and measure liquids. We often associate science and scientists with objective, dispassionate observations of the world.

Any time that we get to go fishing, that’s a win! And for many of us, much of our fishing is done in the summer months. Fishing should be a good time, and catching some fish makes it an ever better time. Although rivers across Iowa are facing flooding situations, the hope is that will potentially drier weather, they will go back into their banks. If they do, you can bet the upcoming summer months, will find consistent fishing action in our rivers.

For both residents and visitors to Dickinson County, the week of Aug. 5 through Aug. 10 is all about conservation and clean water practices. It begins with the Prairie Lakes Conference beginning on Wednesday, Aug. 7, and running through Friday, Aug. 9.

The conference is then followed by the ninth annual Okoboji Blue Water Festival, which is the foremost clean water event in the state of Iowa and will be held at the Green Space on the shores of West Okoboji.

Spencer, played a pair of home games, delivering the seventh loss of the season to 25-win Algona to start the team’s final week of the regular baseball season; before falling to Sioux City Heelan, 12-2, in five innings, Wednesday night.

The Tigers, now 13-9, are set to travel to Sergeant Bluff, Friday night, to face the 22-15 Warriors, at 7 p.m., in the IHSAA Class 3A Substate 1 opener.

Spencer 13, Algona 7