The Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced Friday the state’s unusually wet fall has created a unique situation where crop ground is flooded, raising questions about what waterfowl hunters can and cannot do in these flooded fields.
“Typically, these fields aren’t flooded, so it’s a nonissue, but it’s been an unusual year,” said Brad Baker, state conservation officer with the Iowa DNR. “It’s something that hunters need to be aware of this fall.”
According to federal regulations, hunters are allowed to hunt standing crops or flooded standing crops unless the fields have been manipulated. That means hunters cannot hunt flooded sunflower fields that were mowed as part of the dove season, nor can they knock down or clear standing crops to create an open area for ducks to land.
A complete list of federal baiting regulations is available at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website.
Iowa duck season opened in the north zone Saturday, Oct. 13. The south duck zone opens Saturday, Oct. 20, followed by the Missouri River zone Saturday, Oct. 27.
