Sunnyside Park here in Atlantic was supposed to have closed for the season at 4-p.m. Monday, but the with temperatures forecast to be in the 40’s to near 50 begining later this weekend, Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring and Assistant Director Seth Staashelm made the decision to keep the park open, and the Parks and Rec Board Monday evening, agreed.

Atlantic Parks & Rec Asst. Dir. Seth Staashelm (Left) & Director Roger Herring (right), at the Parks & Rec Board mtg. 12/14/15

Herring said Sunnyside Park will remain open until further notice, but that “Once we close it, it’s gonna stay closed (for the season), but I want it to be cold.” Meaning the weather would have to be less conducive to outdoor activities than it is now, despite the short term cold wave we’re currently experiencing.

Officials with the Southwest Iowa Nature Trails Project, Inc. and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, remind the public that the Wabash Trace Nature Trail is a Wildlife Refuge, and that Hunting is strictly prohibited, as well as the use of any unauthorized motor vehicles. Trespassers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If you see any hunting, use of ATV’s, snowmobiles or other vehicles, and/or horses used in undesignated areas, make as many notes as possible and immediately contact the appropriate County Sheriff’s Department.

The 63-mile long rail-trail converted Wabash Trace Nature Trail runs from Council Bluffs through Blanchard, in southwest Iowa, and is accessible from the various towns through which is passes, including Mineola, Silver City, Malvern, Imogene, Shenandoah and Coin. Biking, hiking and cross-country skiing can all be enjoyed on the trail, where tunnels created by trees create a welcome sanctuary from the wind. The trail’s corridor provides a great habitat for deer, pheasants and other animals.

If you have any questions regarding regulations pertaining to the Wabash Trace Nature Trail, go to www.wabashtrace.org, or “like” the Wabash Trace Nature Trail on Facebook.

The calendar insists it’s almost the middle December – regardless of what the thermometer says – meaning 2015 will soon become 2016 and time to renew hunting and fishing licenses. A 2016 hunting, fishing or combination license is a permission slip for a year’s worth of outdoor enjoyment. 2016 resident hunting and fishing licenses go on sale December 15. It makes an excellent gift for the holidays and one that could be purchased online up to the last minute at www.iowadnr.gov.

The menu of license options includes the popular Outdoor Combo annual resident hunting/fishing/habitat combo license for $47; the Angler’s Special three-year fishing license for $53; and the Hunter’s Special three-year hunting license with habitat included for $86. Also available is the Bonus Line option for $12 allowing resident and nonresident anglers to fish with one additional line in addition to the two lines allowed with the regular fishing license.

Iowa hunting and fishing license fees remain unchanged for 2016. Annual licenses, including those special three year license purchased in 2013, expire on Jan. 10, 2016.

The 3-State Beef Conference is designed to provide beef cattle producers and other agricultural professionals in Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska an update on current cow-calf or stocker topics. The topics are based on producer suggestions. The Iowa site is Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa, on January 12, 2016. Registration starts at 5:30 p.m., and the program runs from 6 to 8:45 p.m.

Craig Payne, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with the University of Missouri, will explain the Veterinary Feed Directive. Feed grade and water soluble antibiotics are moving from over the counter to prescription status. Dr. Payne will help participants think through the impacts this may have on their operations.

The use of cover crops as a source of forage is of interest, and producers asked for a presenter who could address establishment, yield, forage quality, and calf performance. Dr. Mary Drewnoski from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln will address the topic.

With crop prices lower there’s interest in converting low productivity crop ground to pasture. Joe Sellers, Iowa State University Extension Beef Specialists, will walk producers through the decision process. He’ll explain the use of a spreadsheet tool at the Ag Decision Maker website and address practical limitations.

Pre-registration is required for the 3-State Beef Conference by January 8. The registration fee is $25, which includes a meal and materials. To register, call Page County Extension at 712-542-5171. More Information is available at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/feci/3stbeef/.

w/ Denny Heflin

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Officials with the Wallace Foundation for Rural Research and Development, located at the Armstrong Research Farm near Lewis, say they intend to establish teams to identify research/education needs in southwest Iowa, and propose projects to be
conducted at the Armstrong Research Farm, the Neely-Kinyon Research
Farm, or on private farms in the Wallace Foundation southwest Iowa area.

Eligible projects must be consistent with the Wallace Foundation mission:To provide a framework for local people to accelerate agricultural research, technology transfer, and rural development in southwest Iowa.

Proposed team focal areas include: fruits and vegetables; crops and soils; livestock; niche markets, farm business management, and local foods; and, resources, membership and youth involvement in the Wallace Foundation.

Applications for participation on a team will be received through calendar year 2016.

If interested, contact the Wallace Foundation, 53020 Hitchcock Avenue, Lewis, IA 51544.

The Cass County Extension Master Gardeners group is excited to announce that they will be offering a $500 scholarship to encourage local youth with an interest in horticulture to pursue it as a career. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide post-secondary tuition funds to Cass County youth who are studying, or intend to pursue a career in, a horticulture-related field.

This scholarship is available to students from Cass County who are currently enrolled in their second year or higher of a college or trade school, studying in a horticulture related field. Applications are due December 30 to the Cass County Extension Office. Selection will be made by a Cass County Master Gardeners committee, and winners will be notified in January. Scholarship checks will be written to the college or trade school in the student’s name following the first semester of the recipient’s sophomore (or subsequent) year.

The goal of the Master Gardener program is to support horticulture education and community service. To this end, scholarship winners will be selected based on their academic success, history of community service, and career goals after graduation. Quality and completeness of application will also be taken into consideration. Application forms and further details can be found on the Cass County Extension web site at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. For more information, call the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or email Kate Olson, Master Gardener Coordinator, at keolson@iastate.edu.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say two hunters were injured by gunshot wounds in separate incidents while deer hunting, Sunday. 47-year old Walter Freeman, of Winfield, was struck in the abdomen by a deer slug believed to have been fired by another member of his hunting party shortly after 2 p.m. northeast of Winfield. He was transported by helicopter to University of Iowa hospitals where he was undergoing surgery Sunday evening for internal injuries.

28-year old Travis E. Myers, of Dundee, was in a group of 11 hunters pushing deer on private property approximately one mile northeast of Backbone State Park in Delaware County when he was struck a deer slug in the upper right shoulder by shot fired from another member of the hunting party shortly after 8 a.m. He was transported to Manchester Regional Medical Center in Manchester where he was expected to be treated and released for a flesh wound.

Both incidents remain under investigation by conservation officers for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Megan Wisecup who coordinates hunter safety programs for the DNR, said both of the incidents Sunday occurred when shots were being taken at moving deer. “It is especially important from a safety standpoint while party hunting for deer that people plan their hunt and hunt their plan so everyone is where they should be at all times,” said Wisecup.

She said also, “Hunters should also be sure to identify the target and what is beyond it and avoid target fixation and shooting at running deer. Wait until you have a clear shot with a safe backstop before pulling the trigger. Know where members of your hunting party are at, at all times.”

Officials with the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) say the passion Stacie Euken has for agriculture is clear from her countless leadership positions with various organizations and dedicated work to help tell the story of Iowa agriculture. Euken’s commitment to youth interested in agriculture and contributions to the local community has earned her the 2015 Bob Joslin Excellence in Agriculture Award from the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

Stacie Euken

Euken received the award at the 97th IFBF annual meeting in Des Moines on Dec. 2nd. The award honors a young farmer who demonstrates outstanding leadership qualities in Farm Bureau, agriculture, and his/her community. Euken and her husband Eric own and operate a diversified farm operation near Wiota, consisting of corn, soybeans, alfalfa, a cow/calf herd, beef feedlot, and a small farrow-to-finish niche swine operation.

Euken has been an active leader in Iowa agriculture for many years, first joining the Cass County Farm Bureau board of directors in 2008. While serving on the county board, Euken has twice been elected membership chair, served as vice president, and is currently in her third year as the county president.

Stacie’s passion is sharing the story of Iowa agriculture with as many people as possible, and that includes helping others share that message. Euken was instrumental in helping organize a Teachers Academy through the Iowa Ag Literacy Foundation to provide farm tours to teachers and share ways to incorporate agriculture education into their classrooms. Additionally, Euken volunteers for the Cass County 4-H, Atlantic FFA Alumni Chapter, Iowa Pork Producers Association, and is a member of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association.

As the Joslin Award winner, Euken receives a $1,500 Home and Workshop certificate
from John Deere, the award sponsor, a 90-day no-principle and no-interest (NPNI)
John Deere Financial Certificate up to $5,000, a $750 FAST STOP gift card from
GROWMARK, and expense-paid trips to the 2016 American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Annual Convention in Orlando, and the 2016 GROWMARK annual meeting in Chicago in August.

The Excellence in Ag Award is given in memory of Bob Joslin, who served as IFBF
president from January 1986 to December 1987 and was known for his support and
encouragement of young farmers.

The first shotgun deer season opens this weekend on the heels of what has been a successful bow season. Iowa Department of Natural Resources wildlife research technician, Jim Coffey, says hunters have already reported taking more than 27-thousand deer. “We’ve had an excellent fall with weather conditions and the crops came out early, and the hunters have had some great days to be out there. So, I think that has helped increase the number of people in the field and also increase license sales,” Coffey says. Coffey says he doesn’t expect any drop in hunters taking to the field this season.

He says the license sales for the shotgun season have been right on track to be about the same amount as last year. With license sales doing well, he expects the harvest numbers to be right around last year too. “Reported harvest last year was right at about 100-thousand deer and that’s what we would expect this year — unless there’s some major phenomenon in the weather — we should track pretty similarly,” according to Coffey. The weather is expected to warm up this weekend and Coffey says the weather conditions can really dictate the success of the hunt.

“Weather impacts the hunters as much or more than it does the deer. And sometimes warmer weather is just a little more difficult because the deer can spread themselves out,” Coffey explains. “It’ll be an interesting weekend, it will be a little muddy in some places. It should be nice weather, but that can actually make it more difficult to deer hunt.” The D-N-R surveys the deer population to try and keep it under control. Coffey though doesn’t talk about deer numbers in specific areas.

“Populations are something that are very difficult to talk about across the entire state because there is so much difference in the habitat from north to south and east and west. So we talk about trends more than anything,” Coffey says. He says if you saw deer last year in the places you normally hunt, there should be plenty of deer in those areas again this year.

This first shotgun deer season begins Saturday and runs through next Wednesday. The second shotgun season is December 12th through the 20th. The archery season closes Saturday to allow for the shotgun season and will re-open on December 21st. The late muzzleloader season opens at the same time and both will run through January 10th.

(Radio Iowa)