Whitetail Deer Description

The white underside of a whitetail deer's tail or "flag" that is flashed when disturbed is by far its most characteristic feature. These beautiful deer are sleek, graceful, and have incredibly long legs which makes them look much taller than their actual height of 35 to 38 inches. The whitetail deer grow a reddish-brown, lightweight coat in summer compared to a heavy grayish-brown coat in winter.

The History of Whitetail Deer in Iowa

The first hunting law was passed in 1856 to help protect deer by providing a closed season from February I to July 15. The closed deer season was then extended to January I to September 15 in 1872. The 27th General Assembly actually provided complete protection for deer by closing the season year round in 1898 because deer were nearly extinct in most areas of Iowa.

Wildlife and Hunting (Part 2)

Many reasons why hunting is so important, especially here in Iowa:

The return of the whitetail deer as a major game species in Iowa is a tribute to progressive management and good landowner attitude, research and enforcement programs. Responsibility for the future of deer in Iowa depends upon the cooperation of landowners and hunters, legislative support, preservation of critical timber habitat, and continued professional management of the resource.

Iowa's Native Base-Jumper: The Southern Flying Squirrel

Iowa’s native base-jumper, the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans), is easily identifiable because of the wing-like membrane (patagium) that stretches between the wrists of the front legs to the ankles of the back legs.  This membrane looks like the wingsuit base-jumpers use when gliding through the air. The southern flying squirrel doesn't actually fly.  However, it can glide over 250 feet in one leap!

Ruby Throat Hummingbird Rescue

When a hummingbird flies into an outbuilding or garage, it will not fly down so it typically dies from heat and exhaustion. Most birds achieve lift only when they flap their wings downwards, but hummingbirds can do so on the upstroke too by inverting their wings. Insects achieve a similar feat by inverting their wings at the base, but a hummingbird is constrained by its skeleton, so the mechanism for its maneuver has been unknown until recently.