Spending time outdoors has become increasingly more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, which beckons the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to remind those hunting, fishing, or enjoying other activities to be respectful of each other.

DNR Conservation Officer for Greene, Guthrie, and Audubon counties Jeremy King says it’s been great to see the demand for those wanting to spend more time outdoors or learn a new activity, but he says that can also lead to greater amount of tension and issues, “In any time you increase the usage like that you increase the chance of conflict with people or the law and sometimes these new users of whatever they were participating in don’t know all the laws because they’re new to it. I just encourage people to read up on laws, check up on them, if you got questions, call your local conservation officer, find out what ways certain things are and how they’re done or what you need to do to be safe and legal.”

King reminds households to be respectful of others’ health and keep six feet away from others whether you’re hiking, fishing, or hunting. The DNR has also been offering virtual clinics for those wanting to brush up on hunting and other skills, including one for waterfowl and upland bird hunters that will be held at 6 p.m. November 16th. More information can be found here.