Fall 2014
Prairie Woodland Journal
“SWARMERS WITNESSED”
By BradHalterman, Natural Resource Manager GCCB
I was mowing at Nations Bridge a few weeks ago and noticed something pretty peculiar. I was mowing around and old stump and noticed the stump was moving.
As I stopped the mower, a very strong lemony smell filled the air. This stump had
thousands of ants emerging from it, something I had never seen before. The sight
and the smell, Citronella Ants.
Citronella ants are ants that nest in the soil. Outdoors, they nest under logs,
stumps, rocks and landscape timbers. Little is known about the inner workings of
these underground colonies. The ants are believed to tend aphids and collect the
honeydew they excrete. They aren’t known
to forage for any
other food sources. Because of this, people
seldom see the workers.
The workers are yellow and about 4 mm long
while the queens
are about 8 mm long. The
workers have a
strong lemon-like smell
when crushed. This
smell results in their
name of citronella
ant.
Inside the nest, a
queen produces new
workers and occasionally, winged males and females called swarmers. The
swarmers are about twice the size of the workers and have dark, smoke colored
wings. These swarmers fly out of the nest and mate. The males die soon after
while the mated females move on to be queens for new colonies. The most common
swarming happens in mid to late summer. This is what I was witnessing, the
mass exiting of the swarmers. Within minutes, the swarmers emerged then flew
away. It was quite a site, something I hope to witness again.
Director’s Column
This fall season is upon us with leaves changing colors, harvest, cool nights, and hunting seasons. If you are a passionate outdoor lover there is no better time than October, November,
and December.
October is a great time to hunt for squirrels, rabbits, and waterfowl. Around the end of October starts primetime for outdoor enthusiasts. The last weekend in October is the start of
pheasant season. Early November begins the whitetail deer rut, major migrations of waterfowl, and trapping season. Early December starts the first shotgun deer season and late Decembers begins the late muzzleloader season. There is something for everyone with outdoor
interests during October – December.
Pheasant season should
compared with past
while there was better
success and there will be
hunters. Will pheasant
good old days of the late
simple answer is no but
pheasant habitat you
have the past few falls.
be more interesting this year
years. For the first time in a
than average pheasant nesting
more birds available to local
hunting this fall be like the
1980”s and early 1990’s? The
if you have areas of good
will see more birds than you
Waterfowl migrations in
miss at times. With late
lands are full compared
drought. With the right
could be some great waGuthrie County.
west central Iowa can be hit or
summer and fall rains wetto the last two years of
migration time frames there
terfowl hunting this fall in
Whitetail deer hunting
with either a gun or bow
should be good this fall.
Bow hunters will be looking
forward to time spent in a tree during the month of November. Shotgun and late muzzleloader hunters are looking forward to colder temperatures in the month of December when
they pursue whitetail deer.
Trappers and predator callers will begin chasing furbearers in early November. The fur market is projected to be down this year causing some trappers to look at different hunting opportunities.
Overall, this fall looks to have the potential to be one of the better falls that we have had over
the last few years. It may be time to dust off some of that outdoor gear and get outside to enjoy some of Guthrie County’s natural resources this fall. I will see you there!
ROADSIDE VIEW
Roadside Views
by Eric Whitver
Conservation/Roadside Technician
As the first European settlers
arrived in the area we now
call Iowa, they encountered a
sea of tall and waving grasses
and wildflowers. Iowa’s landscape was covered by a rich
ecosystem commonly referred
to as the Tall Grass Prairie, a
diverse vegetative community
of nearly 300 species of
grasses and wildflowers and
all the animals that inhabited
it.
It is not hard to believe that
Iowa’s flora and fauna have
been changed more since settlement than that of any
other state.
Today, less than one tenth of
one percent of our landscape
is covered by native grasses
and wildflowers. A few remnant acres remaining among
the millions of acres of farmland and urban areas.
Iowa’s roadsides border an
extensive network of federal,
state, and county paved or
gravel roads. Guthrie County
has approximately 4,000
acres of roadside. The majority of this area is seeded to
non-native, cool-season
grasses such as brome, fescue, timothy, or red top. Because early settlers were familiar with these European
grasses and the seed was
readily available, planting
this type of non-native vegetation became the norm and
the practice continued until
the late 1980s. Over a period
of years, this type of vegetation can lose its vigor and the
stand weakens; any kind of
disturbance will lead to a
weedy invasion, many of
them on the State’s noxious
weed list. Blanket spraying
of chemicals was tried in the
past and did not work. It was
expensive, questionable
health benefits for surface
water, and the stands of
grass just got weaker, allowing in more weeds, and weedy
trees. Mowing causes even
more disturbances, i.e. scalping the surface and tractor
ruts, allowing in more weeds,
and it would take a considerable amount of time to control
the weeds in the county that
way. What could be the solution?
In the late 1980s they believed they had found the answer. The vegetation most
suited to Iowa’s climate and
soils must be the same vegetation that greeted the settlers when they arrived, native prairie grasses and
wildflowers. They have
thrived here for thousands of
years, have deep, complex
root systems to help prevent
invading weed seeds from
getting a start, and provide
water in hot dry conditions.
They provide excellent erosion control in rough topography, are beneficial for songbirds, game birds, and other
wildlife, are more diverse and
interesting to the eye, and
they are part of our heritage.
Combined with the practice
of spot-spraying noxious
weeds, native vegetation in
the right-of-ways is the most
economical method of weed
control.
Why Do Animals Have Tails?
Ever wonder why animals have tails? Different animals have
tails for different reasons, but not all animals have tails. Most
animals without a backbone, called invertebrates, don’t have
tails. But for animals that do, it would be hard to live without
them.
Animals that swim, like penguins and beavers, use their tails like a boat rudder to re direct them through the water. Birds and squirrels also use their tails as rudders, but to
guide them through the air. Birds’ tails help
balance them to keep from falling from their perch, too.
For many monkeys and opossums, their tails are like a fifth hand
that they use to hold on to tree branches. Cows and horses use
their long tails to swat away flies and pests.
Other animals use their tails to communicate. When a whitetail
deer sticks its tail up in the air, it’s warning other nearby deer of
danger. A wagging tail can tell you your dog
is excited or maybe a little scared. Cats can
wave their tails when angry. The bright and
colorful tails of peacocks and rooster pheasants try to catch the attention of a female
bird.
Some animals use their tails in defense, like the scorpion, skunk
and porcupine. Crocodiles and alligators use
their strong, heavy tails as a weapon. Some
lizards can detach their tails from their bodies as a way to distract a predator in pursuit.
Those tails eventually grow back, ready to
fight another day.
This article originally appeared in Iowa Outdoor magazine.
FALL FISHING IN IOWA
MAKING THE MOST OF IT
As we move further and further into fall,
fish are going on a feeding frenzy to prepare themselves for the long winter and
also for next year’s spring spawn. Fish
get into very predictable patterns that
make them easier to find. For the angler,
that means some of the best fishing of the
year, second only to the spring.
Here are some tips to make the most out of your fall fishing outings
here in Iowa:
 Take your time, slow down. Use a slow presentation in the cooler
water.
 Live bait, especially minnows, is often times the best bait for fall
fishing.
 Fishing during the warmer times of the day when fish are more active can improve success. Find where there is warmer water helps
also. In lakes and ponds, look for shallow water along the north
shores. In rivers, look for areas where small creeks meet the river,
or along the outside bends of the river.

Enjoy the quieter times. With
schools back in session and sports and
activities in full swing, there is less
competition for the best fishing spots.
Fall fishing also lets you enjoy the
beautiful fall colors.
A Roadside View
The best way to control and eliminate weed populations is to maintain the vigor of the established plant
community. Weeds are opportunists, growing in areas
that have disturbed, creating open dirt areas for seed
deposition. In healthy, diverse plant communities the
existing vegetation can compete and colonize disturbed
areas before troublesome weeds become established.
There are a number of ways for the roadsides to become disturbed. Runoff water can bring a layer of fresh
soil, and soil can be rolled into the ditch by tillage equipment. Herbicide overspray, when an applicator’s boom
extends into the right of way, can kill a strip of the roadside vegetation and leave a large area for weed colonization. Tractors with mowers can scalp or scrape up the vegetation and hopefully, if livestock are fenced into
the right of way, they are not allowed to overgraze it.
There is another type of disturbance that most people welcome. That is when
there is something wrong with the roadway itself, or it’s drainage system, and the
county is fixing it. We understand the need for disturbance in this case and try to
reestablish a healthy, diverse plant community as quickly as possible. A quick
growing cover crop, as well as slower developing perennials is usually part of the
solution. For these applications, we
plant native grasses and wildflowers
wherever possible. I’ve written often before about the reasons we use native Iowan vegetation when we can, but to
summarize, once established they can
outcompete invasive weeds, hold the soil
in place, they are better than nonnatives at filtering the water, they provide a diverse habitat for wildlife, and
they are a beautiful part of Iowa’s natural heritage.
Wildlife Law Enf.
Jeremy King 712-250-0061
WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST
Josh Gansen 515-432-2823
WILDLIFE DAMAGE
Bill Bunger 641-344-4021
FORESTRY (DNR)
George Worford 515-993-4133
FISHERIES
Brian Hayes 515-432-2823
WILDLIFE REHAB
ISU Wildlife Care Clinic
515-294-4900
EXTENSION SERVICE
641-747-2276
SOIL CONSERVATION
641-747-3812
HUNTERS SAFETY
www.state.ia.us/government/d
nr/organizal/fwb/enforcmt/cour
se.htm
GENERAL DNR INFO.
Hunt Info. 515-281-HNTR
Fish Info. 515-281-FISH
State Parks 515-281-TENT
Forestry Info 515-281-TREE
GUTHRIE COUNTY
CONSERVATION BOARD MEMBERS
Jeff Bump, Chairman ——————————Panora
George Hemmen, Vice Chairman——Guthrie Center
Scott Benton ———————————Guthrie Center
Mike Laabs —————————————— Jamaica
Gary Thompson ————————————— Stuart
GUTHRIE COUNTY CONS. BD. STAFF
Joe Hanner —————————————— Director
Brad Halterman —————Natural Resource Manager
Ted Scheuermann ———— Maintenance Technician
Kristine Jorgensen ——————— Museum Curator
Karen Gerlich ———————————— Secretary
WEBSITE; www.guthriecounty.org/gccb
GCCB office...641-755-3061
Historical Village...641-755-2989
Nations Bridge Park...515-523-1789
[email protected]
DIRECTORS COLUMN
JOE HANNER, DIRECTOR GCCB
This is the first issue of the Prairie Woodland Journal in an online format. For those of you that
received the email notice that the fall issue of the journal was ready for viewing on the Guthrie
County Conservation Board website (www.guthriecounty.org/gccb) you already know the system. For those of you that are viewing the Guthrie County Conservation Board website and
would like to get the next notice that the new journal is ready for viewing please email the
Guthrie County Conservation Board ([email protected]) and we will put your name on our notice
list.
The Guthrie County Conservation Board is currently working on three major projects that
should be completed this fall. All of the projects will have a positive affect for the public in the
years to come.
The first project is upgrading the electric infrastructure at the Guthrie County Historical Village. As the Village continues to grow with some larger audiences and events it has become apparent that our electric infrastructure needs to be updated. Issues have happened with blown
circuit breakers when groups have used the Village.
With the move and future renovation of the Pullman Train Car the Guthrie County Conservation Board and the Guthrie County Historical Village Foundation felt this was the time to upgrade the electric infrastructure at the Village. The Guthrie County Historical Village Foundation is working with the City of Panora Electrical Department with a goal of having the electric
infrastructure updated this fall.
Electricity seems to be a theme this summer and fall. This summer several campers that camp
in large groups at Nations Bridge Park requested more electrical outlets in portions of the bottom campground to better facilitate group camping. The Guthrie County Conservation Board
reviewed the request and after researching options with the Guthrie County
REC, approved hiring Miller Plumbing & Heating of Menlo to add eight 50amp electrical outlets. This project was completed this October.
In 2012 the Guthrie County Conservation Board was awarded a Fish Habitat Stamp Grant
(FHSG) from the Iowa DNR to build a fishing riffle at Nations Bridge Park. The project was bid
in the spring of 2012 and construction is taking place during October of 2013. Basically the project consists of putting native field stone rock across the South Raccoon River with a notch towards the middle of the structure. Rip-rap is then placed on each side of the river bank. Research was done on existing fishing riffles in Greene, Carroll, Sac, and Palo Alto counties. Managers of these projects were very pleased with the results and noted that fishermen use the fishing riffles a great deal.
A 1989 study by the Iowa DNR found the following information regarding a fishing riffle on the
North Raccoon River in Sac County; “Physical and clinical parameters were measured and fish
population surveys were conducted at White Horse Access on the North Raccoon River, Sac
City, Iowa. Those sites that were sampled; 1) the plunge pool below the riffle, 2) an area 200’
below the riffle and 3) an area 200’ above the riffle. Species diversity increased from 15 species
of fish prior to riffle construction to a high of 26 species after construction. A large increase in
the number of Channel Catfish was noticed as the number of catfish increased 5 fold at the riffle site. Average size of catfish increased from 10.2 inches to 14.6 inches.”
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GUTHRIE COUNTY CONSERVATION
The Guthrie County Conservation Board hopes the Nations Bridge Park Fishing Riffle will follow what happened at the White Horse Access in Sac County and provide local park users and
anglers many hours of recreational fun and some good meals!