Daily polls track the progress of the ups and downs in the presidential race in Iowa — but a poll taken a couple of months ago shows optimism for one of the most popular hunting seasons opening today (Saturday). D-N-R wildlife biologist, Todd Bogenschutz  conducts the annual roadside pheasant survey — and after five years of lagging numbers — he says the bird population was up 17 to 20-percent. Things may even be a little better than the poll indicated, as Bogenschutz says they depend on the morning dew to push the birds out where they can be counted.

“You know for good dew, you need good soil moisture and that wasn’t very abundant in Iowa this August, so the counts maybe didn’t capture everything that was out there,” Bogenschutz explained. “They are what they are and we’ve been hearing some things anecdotally, people running the combines have been seeing a few birds out there where they didn’t see any last year, so I think we’ve got a good first step toward bouncing the numbers back.” While the dew provides some margin for error in the pheasant poll, Bogenschutz can usually get a pretty good idea from it of how many ringnecks hunters will bag.

He says they can look at the numbers and make an estimate of the harvest. “This year I’m estimating we’ll probably harvest somewhere between 150 and 200-thousand birds — compared to only a hundred thousand last year — so a little bump up compared to last year, a good start,” Bogenschutz says. Another factor in favor of the hunters is the progress of the harvest, with is over 90-percent complete for corn and soybeans. “For the opener that’s going to be a plus for the hunters that are out there, all those standing crops won’t be available to hide the birds, so that might actually improve (the hunt) success wise,” he explained.

Birds trying to stay alive and away from hunters usually have some standing corn or beans to use for a getaway. “You know in a normal year only 50-percent of the corn usually’s out by the opener and this year it’s essentially all out,” Bogenschutz says, “and that will help hunters in finding birds.” Bird populations have been down the last five years due in part to bad weather.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with the Nishna Valley Trails group are inviting the public to attend an open meeting of the Nishna Valley Trails association, in support of the future development of the T-Bone Trail and other recreational trails in Atlantic and Cass County. The meeting will take place on Monday, October 29 th , 2012 beginning at 6:00 p.m., at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, off 14 th street in Atlantic. The agenda will include a report on conversations with the railroad, updates on trail development efforts, and mapping a vision for the future. For further information, contact Ed or Myra Kail at 712-243-4265.

BOYDEN, Iowa (AP) — Some farmland near Boyden in northwest Iowa’s Sioux County may have set a new sale record. The Sioux City Journal reports the 80.5-acre plot sold on Thursday for $21,900 an acre. The auction company, Vander Werff and Associates Incorporated, says the land has an estimated corn yield of 110 bushels and soybean yield of 43 bushes. Auction spokesman Todd Hattermann declined to name the buyer. The seller is Henry Boelsman, a longtime farmer.

In December, a 74-acre plot near Hull, also in Sioux County, sold for $20,000 an acre. A survey of real estate agents estimated the average farmland value in 2011 was $6,708 an acre. That’s up over 32 percent from 2010.

The West Pottawattamie Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) in partnership with Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) has received a $20,900 DNR-REAP Conservation Education Program Grant, to host Rainscaping Loess Soils and Sustainable Living classes. Cass County Conservation is partnered with them to bring the classes to the Atlantic Campus of Iowa Western. The Intro to Rainscaping Workshop is free to the public, and will be held November 3rd, 2012.

Topics covered at our Atlantic IWCC workshop: Green Roofs, Permeable Paving Systems, Rain Gardens, Worm Composting, and after lunch break Rain Barrel Class. This workshop will be held at the Atlantic IWCC, Saturday November 3, 2012 9 AM-Noon, 12:30-1:30 is the Rain Barrel Class. If you would like to build a Rain Barrel there is a $40/barrel fee.

To register for classes go to http://www.iwcc.edu/continuing_education/

Go to Green Living Classes for the Intro to Rainscaping series for the general public and Environmental Training for the Professional Series Classes. IWCC Continuing Education Certificates will be offered for those taking the Professional Series Classes. For more information contact Danelle Schmielau at 712-328-2489 Ext 307, or Matt Mancuso at 712-325-3448

Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert reports the Fire Danger Index in Shelby County will remain in the “Low” category through Monday. Seivert noted the current rain and the moist field conditions as reasons the danger of grassland and field fires is low. He cited also, the fact the there are currently no bans on open burning anywhere in southwest Iowa.

Info from the Atlantic Animal Shelter

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The results of a statewide survey released today (Wednesday) will be used to devise a plan to make improvements to Iowa’s 87 state parks. The Iowa Parks Foundation (IPF), using private donations, financed the survey and will also pay for development of the strategic plan. Joe Gunderson, Secretary of the IPF Board, said the survey makes it clear that state parks are important to Iowans. “Almost 80-percent of Iowans use Iowa State Parks,” Gunderson said. “It is the single greatest, most used Iowa state asset. Nothing else is used like our state park system.” More than 12-hundred (1,200) Iowans completed surveys. Two-thirds of the respondents indicated it’s “very important” to maintain and improve state park trails and lakes.

Gunderson said the next step involves the development of a strategic plan to implement the desired improvements. “We hope to stand here in front of you a year from now and show you those results,” Gunderson said at a statehouse news conference. He was joined by IPF Treasurer Mark Doll. “We’re going to go through a thorough planning process and we are going to raise money for that,” Doll said. “That’s going to be 100-percent funded by this group again – by individuals, corporations and families. That’s the next piece. We’ve got the survey done and now we’ll do the strategic plan to be sure we know where we’re going next.”

Governor Terry Branstad and former Congressman Neal Smith founded the IPF in 2008. Branstad believes improvements to Iowa’s State Parks can be paid for with both private and public dollars. “I think if you want to look at how things like this can be accomplished – look at the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation and how that was so successful in getting private sector support and legislative support, making sure we had an effective partnership that’s led to the revitalization of the Fairgrounds,” Branstad said. The governor doubts Iowans would support a “park user fee” as a way to cover the costs of fixing up the state parks.

“We tried that once and it was not a good experience,” Branstad said. “A lot of time was spent trying to collect a relatively small amount of money and it drove down the participation and use of our parks.” The survey found nearly four out of five Iowa households have been to an Iowa State Park in the past two years. Branstad is hoping many of the improvements to the parks can be completed by 2020, which will mark the centennial of the founding the Iowa Parks System.

(Radio Iowa)

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