As winter approaches, some resident eagles may stay and be joined by other eagles from further north. Wherever they can find food, open water, and enough open space to scan the landscape is where bald eagles may be observed — which, in Iowa, means just about everywhere.

I checked out a map online from the Iowa DNR showing known eagle nest locations. It appears that almost every county has had at least one active nest in recent years.

I am also sure that some nests are not known, not reported, or so stealthily located that people may be completely unaware of this avian raptor in the vicinity. Marshall County has 10 to 12 active nests. Good. Now that tree leaves have been cast down by time and windy days, nests may be located as a big blob of sticks silhouetted against the skyline.

Big river settings such as the Mississippi are known hot spots for seeing wintering eagles. Big water, open water below locks and dams, and interior rivers will be likely places to see birds. Downtown Des Moines will always have eagle opportunities all winter long, and our own

Iowa River does its best to hold a few birds. Eagles begin arriving in Iowa from other northern locations as early as September.

They become more numerous by January. High numbers of eagles are along the Mississippi River. Between 4,000 to 7,000 eagles can be counted between St. Paul, Minn. and St. Louis, Mo. every winter. The river’s forested borders make overnight roosting areas easily accessed, and the trees provide thermal cover if harsh and very cold northwest winds dominate winter days.

Eagle diet is varied to include fish, waterfowl, roadside carrion, rabbits, squirrels or other furry critters. A small fish called shad may become stunned by its passage through a dam like Saylorville, Red Rock, or even the dams on the river in downtown Des Moines. Fish floating at or near the surface are easily seen by eagles who swoop down to pick up the fish with talons clamping down on the fish.

Last year, a January eagle survey found that along 1,663 miles of waterways across Iowa, over 2,900 eagles were documented. That is an average of over two eagles per mile.

Surveyors were also very interested to determine the ratio of mature to immature eagles. The proportion of mature to immature birds runs about 30 percent as immature. This data point tells biologists that reproduction is doing well.

My personal observations of eagles take place at random times and places while traveling, and of course, spending considerable time in a tree stand waiting for deer allows plenty of observation time to see other things. Eagles are always one of those wildlife critters I am likely to see as they overpass my tree perch.

Silent wings of this big bird become hard to miss. The eagle’s chirping call is another clue that the sky is worth watching.

On a recent tree stand sit, a pair of eagles flew overhead at treetop level casting a shadow that tipped me off that the eagles were gliding past, and then a pileated woodpecker added its contrasting black and white plumage as it flew along the forest edge. I am grateful for all of these outdoor experiences.

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Welcome to November 2024. The past 10 months are now securely written in the history annals of time. The future is followed by each new day.

I am sure November 2024 will not disappoint us with its natural weather related mood swings of wind, rain, wind, cold air, warm air, snow, no rain or no snow. Whatever Mother Nature throws at us is what we take and must adapt to. So get ready for November.

The month starts with a day length of 10 hours and 21 minutes. It will end with a 9 hour 22 minute day. Our man made daylight savings time clocks must get turned back one hour on Saturday night.

A late uncle of mine always said that we are now going back to God’s time. He disliked the idea that mankind could “save time” by manipulating a clock.

November sees the opening of furbearer animal trapping and/or hunting seasons open on Nov. 2. Fur bearing animals include Striped skunks, badger, Opossum, Red and gray fox, bobcats (in specific southern Iowa counties) and raccoons.

Trapping enthusiasts will attempt to take all the above plus beaver. otter, mink, muskrat and weasel. Page 10 of the DNR regulation booklet lists furbearer information.

Waterfowl seasons remain open. Depending upon zones, north, central or south, hunters have until Dec. 3, 10, or 17 to take ducks. Goose seasons also have specific sone regulations. Dove seasons will end on Nov. 29.

Fishing seasons also come into play, especially if you have ever or are contemplating trying to lure muskies to bite. Nov. 30 is the closing of muskie fishing on all Iowa Great Lakes and all border lakes with Minnesota.

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Meteor showers are possible night time sky watching events in November. There are at least two meteor showers to try for.

The first is called Taurid and the second is called Leonid. Taurid showers come from the meteor named Encke. Names are often associated with the constellation they seem to come from or pass in front of.

Taurids were also timed close to Halloween so the term “Halloween Fireballs” was given to this celestial event. Taurid meteor rocks entering earth’s upper atmosphere are considered large and slow.

All of these terms are relative of course since space rocks getting pulled by earth’s gravity may be moving at 17 miles per second, or a mere 65,000 mph. The comet Taurid is only three miles in diameter.

A best time to watch for these is Nov. 11 and 12, peak times, but also can be spotted earlier or later. There is no big shower show, just random happenings.

One can also be lucky perhaps to see Leonid meteor showers on Nov. 17/18 peak times. The range of sightings runs from Nov. 3 to Dec. 2. If there is no moonlight, 10 to 15 shower light streaks per hour may be observed. These meteors come from a comet called 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, named after the French discoverer William Temple of Marseilles in the year 1866.

This comet has its own orbit around the Sun of 33 years. Its entering of the upper parts of earth’s atmosphere has been calculated at 37 miles per second.

Friction heats up the rock parts so they light up enough for human eyes to see. When all is burned up, the light goes out. That is not much time to wish upon a falling star.

Look up information about meteors on websites of the American Meteor Society for lots of information pertaining to activities within our solar system. It is a very big universe our Earth is part of.

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By the time you’re reading this edition of Outdoors Today, rain finally re-entered our weather history records after a long dry spell of late September through October. Welcome rains helped bring much needed soil moisture for all plant life.

Just prior to these rains, my yearly total rains since March 4, 2024 totaled 41.08″. New rains will add to this total.

Iowa River water flows are very low and very slow. Fish tend to move downstream as winter approaches to find deep holes to hide and let their bodies go into a slower metabolism phase. Fish survival over winter can be a factor if river flow rates remain very low. It remains to be seen if recent rains were enough to add significant flow to the water.

Some fish in this segment of the Iowa River may go all the way to Coralville Reservoir over the winter. Then with spring runoff, they will work their way upstream again.

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Deer hunters have added new numbers to the data collection which biologists watch intently. As of midweek, the total number of deer taken in Iowa was 12,064. Adult doe deer were 6,149, and doe fawns at 365. Antlered male deer taken were 4,804 and 689 were button bucks. Interestingly, a small number of shed antlered bucks (57) were recorded. Deer harvest reporting is a requirement of Iowa law. Good data helps biologists keep tabs on the overall deer herd on a county by county and ultimately a statewide perspective.

Hunter license sales are what funds many state DNR wildlife programs. More than 80 percent of some states’ operating budgets come through license sales revenue.

This is matched by federal dollars from the Pittman-Robertson legislation that placed a 10 to 11 percent sales tax at time of purchase on sporting firearms, ammunition, archery gear and associated qualifying items. The money is used for wildlife management and habitat programs, and fish and wildlife law enforcement is funded by this source.

In 2021, Pittman-Robertson (PR) dollars nationwide contributed $294 million to the states. It is also important to note that every habitat project benefits a very long list of non-game animals, insects, birds, amphibians and reptiles, not just big game animals.

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Garry Brandenburg is the retired director of the Marshall County Conservation Board. He is a graduate of Iowa State University with a BS degree in Fish & Wildlife Biology.

Contact him at:

P.O. Box 96

Albion, IA 50005