Last month we had an article about how this past deer season shaped up around the country with harvest figures from Ohio, Missouri, West Virginia and Illinois. The numbers were good overall with increases in the harvest posted in several states particularly with the archery seasons.

  After February’s issue went out we received a report about how the season shaped in Iowa.

 The Iowa 2019-20 deer harvest of nearly 95,000 deer fell well short of the almost 108,000 deer reported harvested in the 2018-19 season.

  Experts in Iowa say a number of factors contributed to the decline including an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease that killed thousands of deer across the state. The last major outbreak of hemorrhagic disease in 2012-13 resulted in a reduction in the harvest that season. This year’s reduced harvest is consistent with what happened following that outbreak.

 Tyler Harms, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), said “The lower harvest corresponds with fewer deer bow hunters reported in their survey, and while the impact from hemorrhagic disease may have contributed to some of that decline, our hunters are also conservationists and if they perceive a drop in the deer population, they will make a decision on whether or not to kill more deer. This year, many of them decided not to,” Harms said.

  “Our deer population has rebounded after hemorrhagic outbreaks in the past and we expect the same will be true after this outbreak,” Harms said. “From our perspective, we manage the population for the long term and impacts from this year – while significant – are likely a short blip on the horizon.”

 Iowa also reported that chronic wasting disease was found in four new counties in the state. This brings the total of counties to eight where the disease has been found.

 Let’s hope things rebound next season for our fellow outdoorsmen in Iowa. In the meantime, let’s go fishing!

  Thanks to the Iowa Department of Resources for providing information for this article. To learn about all the great outdoor adventures in Iowa, visit their website at www.iowadnr.gov.

  Once upon a time long, long ago, I had a pet skunk named ‘Peanuts’.

  How did I find myself with this little friend? My dad Howard Germann was an avid outdoorsman. As a little girl he was my hero; times were simpler then and my entertainment was to listen to the stories of the adventures that he and his buddies enjoyed in the outdoors.

  At one time they came across a family of orphaned baby skunks. Is was not uncommon in those days to deodorize the babies and have them become pets, much like a cat, and have them around the farming properties to act in a similar manner to having cats and to ward off strangers!

  In our case we lived in the village and that was a bit different. My mother, Ophelia, who was the more refined partner in the marriage, was not happy about having Peanuts in our home so my dad built a little house with a cage for Peanuts out in the yard. He had a little collar like a puppy would have to identify him.

  One fond memory I have of Peanuts was during the annual Homecoming parade. It was awhile back but I think it was around 1950. My dad, my grandpa Otto and some of their hunting buddies and I rode on a float during the parade along with Peanuts, a hunting dog or two and Percy Muskopf’s pet skunk. In fact the Millstadt Historical Society 2016 calendar has a picture of us during the parade for the month of September.

  My dad was always full of fun! He filled a plastic water pistol with some of his sister’s, my Aunt Fern’s perfume. She was the more glamourous member of the family. During the parade he held Peanuts on his lap and hid the water pistol under him. He would squirt the parade watchers along the way and had fun watching their expressions!

 Aunt Fern was standing next to a lady who had been squirted. Legend has it Aunt Fern heard the lady say “Pew! Did you smell that skunk?!” I can only imagine the expression on Aunt Fern’s face when she heard that comment knowing the lady was smelling her perfume!

  I’m sad to say that somebody stole my little pet one day and he was never returned but the memories of Peanuts remain with me.

 In memory of Rose Marie Fitzgerald, 1942 – 2020. Rest in Peace.