March 28, 2024

Outdoor news

Ice fishing weather

After an unusually mild winter, cold weather has finally arrived across Iowa and is covering previously open lakes and ponds with a layer of ice. But anglers are cautioned that just because arctic weather is here, they shouldn’t abandon their ice safety practices.

“The cold weather definitely helps to grow ice, but when ice is covered by a blanket of snow, the snow acts like insulation, slowing ice growth. Anglers should treat all ice like new ice and check its thickness frequently when heading out,” said Joe Larscheid, chief of Fisheries for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR recommends a minimum of four inches of clear ice for fishing and at least five inches for snowmobiles and ATVs.

Anglers have been ice fishing across north Iowa for the past month, but the rest of the state has seen limited opportunity. “We’ve all been waiting for cold weather to get here, let’s just give it some time to make ice,” he said.

Some ice fishing safety tips:

No ice is 100 percent safe.

New ice is usually stronger than old ice.

Don’t go out alone - if the worst should happen, someone will be there to call for help or to help rescue.

Let someone know where you are going and when you will return.

Check ice thickness as you go out - there could be pockets of thin ice or places where ice recently formed.

Avoid off-colored snow or ice. It is usually a sign of weakness.

The insulating effect of snow slows down the freezing process.

Bring along these basic items to help keep you safe: hand warmers, ice cleats to help prevent falls, ice picks (wear around your neck) to help you crawl out of the water if you fall in, a life jacket, a floating safety rope, a whistle to call for help, a basic first aid kit and extra dry clothes including a pair of gloves.

Paddlefishing

The paddlefish fishing season opens Feb. 2 on the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers and goes through April 30 (sunrise to sunset).

Anglers fishing for paddlefish must have a valid Iowa fishing license, along with a special paddlefish license and unused transportation tag(s).

Please keep track of your catch and effort and return the survey card after the paddlefish season whether you harvested a fish or not. The information collected will help the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) evaluate the success of the season and determine what potential changes/modifications may be needed.

If you catch a jaw-tagged fish (numbered band in the lower jaw), call the phone number on the tag and report the tag number, date of capture, capture location and eye-to-fork length. The Iowa DNR and other state fisheries agencies tag paddlefish to better understand and manage populations. Tagging provides valuable information to estimate population size, fish movement and growth.

For more information about Iowa's special paddlefish season, visit the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/paddlefish.

Chickadee checkoff

Last year, more than 7,500 Iowa taxpayers helped boost wildlife conservation with donations to the Fish and Wildlife Fund on their state income tax form, a decline of about 400 from 2016. Donators represent about 0.4 percent of total tax payers in Iowa.

“We are so thankful to all the people who choose to donate to wildlife conservation with their tax refunds,” said Stephanie Shepherd, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Diversity Program. “These donations go directly to habitat development and restoration programs for some of Iowa’s most vulnerable animal species. The funds are so important for natural resources.”

The Fish and Wildlife Fund, known popularly as the “Chickadee Check-off,” is a mechanism the Iowa Legislature created in the 1980s for Iowa citizens to donate to wildlife conservation on the Iowa state tax form. Prior to the creation of the Fish and Wildlife Fund, “non-game” wildlife had no dedicated funding.

Proceeds from the check-off are one of the few means of support for the Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Diversity Program, responsible for protecting more than 1,000 fish and wildlife species in the state. Money from the check-off helps improve wildlife habit, restore native wildlife, provide opportunities for citizens to learn about our natural resources and much more.

Iowans donated roughly $145,000 last spring when completing their 2017 tax forms, translating to an average gift of $19.25 per donor. The number of donors has remained steady or decreased but thanks to more generous giving, the amount donated has also stayed level or even increased.

“The chickadee check-off is an inconspicuous line that is easy to pass over or forget, and many tax preparers may not remember to ask whether a client wants to donate,” she said. “It may be up to the taxpayer to remind their preparer, or make a point of looking for it whether they are doing their form on paper or electronically.”

According to Shepherd, donating on the tax form is easy: simply write the amount to donate next to the Fish and Wildlife Check-Off, line 57 on Form 1040, and the sum is either automatically deducted from the refund or added to the amount owed. As with all charitable contributions, the amount is deductible from next year’s taxes.

“If every Iowa taxpayer donated just $1, it would mean $1.5 million for wildlife and natural resource conservation,” said Shepherd.