12/03/20: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

First of Iowa's 2 shotgun deer seasons opens Dec. 5

Blaze orange-clad hunters moving through Iowa's timber will be a common sight when the first of two shotgun deer seasons open Dec. 5. An estimated 120,000 hunters participate in the shotgun seasons, harvesting about half of the total number of deer for the year.

"Shotgun deer seasons are important tradition for Iowa deer hunters as well as an important time for herd management," said Tyler Harms, deer program leader for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, in a news release.

Hunters have reported harvesting more than 26,000 deer so far this year, which is about 1,000 more than this time last year. That's good news, Harms said.

"From our standpoint, that's something we like to see because coming in to the season, people were concerned about reduced deer numbers due to the widespread hemorrhagic disease outbreak last year," he explained. "If we project this harvest out, not factoring in any curveball Mother Nature would throw at us, we are trending to our goal of harvesting between 100,000 and 120,000 deer."

Iowa's first shotgun deer season is Dec. 5-9, and second shotgun deer season is Dec. 12-20.

• Changes to deer seasons

The antlerless deer quota has been adjusted in 23 counties.

The January antlerless deer season will not be offered this year except in certain zones for chronic wasting disease management.

The first shotgun season buck-only restriction has been removed in Winnebago, Worth, Hancock, Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Hardin and Grundy counties.

HPL new winter hours

New winter hours have taken effect at the Hartley Public Library. Masks are required to enter.

Hours are now Monday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 9-11:30 a.m. The library is closed on Fridays and Sundays. The library will continue to close at 4:30 most days to clean and sanitize.

Online resources including the library's catalog, newspaper archive and Bridges eBooks are available 24 hours a day. Call the library at (712) 928-2080 for any questions or for curbside delivery which is available during library hours.

Bite slowing down across NWI

Iowa Great Lake water temperatures were around 40 degrees or lower last week with a few areas starting to ice over at night. Most area hoists and docks have been pulled from the lakes to prepare for ice-up. The area bite has been slow lately.

East Okoboji Lake: The walleye season is open. The water temperature was 40 degrees last week. All hoists and docks have been pulled out for the season. Bluegill, fair. Find schools in deeper water. Black crappie, fair. Yellow perch, fair. Yellow bass, fair.

Lake Pahoja: Bluegill, good. Use small jigs tipped with waxworms. Black crappie, good. Try small jigs tipped with waxworms. Largemouth bass, good. Use rubber worms or other slow-moving jigs.

Lost Island Lake: Yellow perch, fair. Anglers are catching 9- to 10-inch perch in 10 feet of water. Walleye, fair.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Walleye, fair.

Spirit Lake: The walleye season is open; the bite should pick up as water temperatures continue to fall. The water temperature was 37 degrees last week. All hoists and docks have been pulled out for the season. Bluegill, good. Schools are starting to move move out to deeper water around structures. Walleye, fair. Try bottom bouncers or crankbaits to cover more water. Yellow, perch, good. The bite has really picked up; fish are starting to be found closer to shore from accessible areas such as docks. Other areas to try are small humps in the main basin or weed edges.

West Okoboji Lake: The walleye season is open. The water temperature was 40 degrees last week. All hoists and docks have been pulled out for the season. Bluegill, fair. Schools are deeper off shore. Try fishing in 20-30 feet of water off most points. Anglers have had success using pilkies. Smallmouth bass, fair. Find smallmouth bass on rock piles or on the points. Largemouth bass, fair. Find largemouth bass on the weed lines. Yellow perch, fair. Schools have started to move deeper off shore. Yellow bass, fair. Easily find yellow bass while fishing for bluegill.

Staying hydrated and nourished essential for home COVID-19 care

Loss of taste, smell and appetite are common symptoms for people diagnosed with COVID-19; however, eating and drinking remain essential to aid in recovery and, especially, to prevent symptoms from spiraling and potentially resulting in the need for hospital care.

"One of the biggest reasons for hospital admission for COVID-19 patients stems from dehydration and lack of resting and fueling their bodies," said Colette Rossiter, Clay County Public Health coordinator, in a news release. "Once someone reaches the point of dehydration, it begins impacting other vital signs and can lead to more significant health concerns. Though you may not feel like eating and drinking, doing so is a necessary part of your home care."

People should drink 10-12 eight-ounce glasses of fluid each day and strive to drink something each hour, sipping 2-4 ounces every 15 minutes. Patients experiencing stomach upset, should drink even more by continuously sipping smaller amounts of salt-containing fluids such as sports drinks or broth.

"Food is medicine when you're ill. Even though you may not be thirsty or hungry, your body needs nutrition and fluids to help fight the virus and support your body's immune functions," emphasized Dee Vaage, Spencer Hospital infection preventionist. "Calories are important to protect against the breakdown of muscles needed for energy."

People infected with COVID-19 should try to eat 10-14 ounces of protein each day from sources such as peanut butter, eggs, meat, fish, and dairy. Doctors also suggest drinking fruit juices, milk and other nutritious, calorie-containing beverages.

"Symptoms for COVID-19 vary pretty dramatically from person to person. Yet, for those who experience symptoms, it's not unusual to still be feeling pretty crummy on day six or longer," Vaage said. "The best way to help yourself is to take care of yourself. Eat, drink and rest. If you have a headache or fever, take a fever or pain reliever. Not only are you helping yourself by doing so, you're helping us at the hospital by staying well enough to not need hospital care."

If you have difficulty breathing, seek immediate medical attention.

Elderbridge offices remain closed

All Elderbridge Agency on Aging offices, including those in Spencer and Sibley, remain closed to public access.

Elderbridge services continue to be provided by telephone at (800) 243-0678. Most meal sites continue to prepare food for takeout or home delivery and emergency shelf stable meals are available through Elderbridge Lifelong Links staff.

SHIIP counseling is provided by telephone at (800) 351-4664.

Pesticide applicator trainings are postponed

Private pesticide applicator trainings originally scheduled for Dec. 8 in Paullina and Dec. 9 in Rock Rapids have been postponed in response to the governor's latest COVID-19 guidance.

The training at the Paullina Legion has been rescheduled to Jan. 14 at 9:30 a.m., and the Rock Rapids training will be held at 9:30 a.m. on March 4 at the Forster Community Center.

Field Agronomist Joel DeJong said in a news release that at this time the remaining northwest Iowa private pesticide applicator training schedule will remain as-is; however, COVID-19 mandates and guidelines may cause more programs to be postponed.

"This year we are requiring that producers preregister for private pesticide training," DeJong said. "We are doing this for many reasons: to ensure we have proper space for social distancing being one of the big ones, but also to make sure we can contact you if a meeting schedule changes. We are prioritizing the health and safety of all and appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation."

For additional information, contact your local ISU Extension and Outreach office or DeJong at (712) 546-7835 or [email protected].