Ice Fishing Safety

Hypothermia and Frostbite

Frostbite is localized freezing of tissue. The extremities (nose, ears, fingers, and toes) are most susceptible. In the early stages of frostbite, the skin around the affected area will look flushed and you will feel burning, itching, tingling, or numbness in the area. A frostbitten area will turn whitish to yellowish and appear waxy as ice crystals form under the skin. Do not rub a frostbitten area to warm it. The ice crystals in the tissue can cause further damage, if rubbed or moved around. Do not warm the area by a fire. The area will be numb and you may not realize you’re being burned. The best way to slowly warm a frostbitten area is to place it near warm skin. For cold hands, the armpits or abdomen are usually the warmest areas where they can be placed. A warm hand works best for ears and nose. Once frostbitten, that area will be more susceptible to refreezing.

Hypothermia is the actual lowering of the body’s temperature – the body loses heat faster than it can be generated – and can be very serious. Extremely cold temperatures are not necessary to induce hypothermia. Dampness and wind, with mild temperatures (40 to 50 °F) can bring it on. Shivering is the first sign of hypothermia. As it progresses, the victim may develop coordination problems, blurred vision, nausea, and slurred speech and may lose the ability to think clearly, to reason, or to remember. Get a hypothermia victim dry and warm as fast as possible. A warm shelter out of the wind and warm, dry, insulated clothes and covers are a first step. Give him hot liquids (Cocoa or tea - not alcohol, which causes dilation of the blood vessels and further cooling). If the person is unconscious, shivering uncontrollably, drowsy, or having difficulty breathing, keep her as warm as possible and get immediate medical attention.

“Cold Hand Luke” Demonstration

Cold water can cause you to lose feeling in your limbs, interfere with your ability to move or think, and even cause death in some cases. This is a demonstration of some of the effects of cold water, even over a short period of time. Water conducts heat away from the body twenty-five times faster than air and a victim could die in as few as 60 minutes in water colder than 40°F. In 50°F water, you have a 50-50 chance of swimming beyond 50 minutes without a protective PFD. To emphasize this, fill a five-gallon bucket with ice water. Put some change in the bottom (pennies work fine) and invite volunteers to get the change back out. They can keep all the change they pick up, if they can keep their hand in the water for three minutes. If they can’t keep their hand in the water for three minutes, they can’t keep the change. Point out the decreased dexterity, white skin, lack of sensitivity, and weak pulse of the exposed limb caused by only a few minutes in cold water.

Caution: You may want to use an adult volunteer if you are working with younger students.

DNR TO ANSWER YOUR IOWA WILDLIFE QUESTIONS LIVE ON FACEBOOK DEC. 19

MEDIA CONTACT: Jessie Brown, DNR, at 515-281-5131 or Jessie.Brown@dnr.iowa.gov

DES MOINES — Iowans with questions about the state’s wildlife – whether in their backyard or game species in the field – can have them answered live on Facebook Dec. 19.

Karen Kinkead, DNR wildlife diversity program coordinator, and Willie Suchy, DNR wildlife supervisor, will answer questions live from noon to 2:30 p.m. To ask a question, post it as a comment on the “Live Q&A” post that the DNR will post at noon that day. You can also post questions ahead of time on the DNR’s Facebook Timeline at www.facebook.com/iowadnr. Questions received after 2:30 will be answered, but at a later time.

To make sure you see the Live Q&A when it is posted, make sure you “like” the DNR’s page on Facebook. Go to www.facebook.com/iowadnr and click on “like” and make sure “get notifications” and “show in news feed” are selected.

Commenters should also view the DNR’s Facebook posting policy ahead of time at https://www.facebook.com/iowadnr/info.

 

Ice Fishing Safety

Ice fishing can put an angler in some dangerous situations. Icy cold waters and bone-chilling air are unforgiving elements. Unsafe behavior can have deadly results. Before going out on the ice, be prepared with safety equipment and know ice safety precautions. In early winter, it usually takes a week or more of below freezing temperatures to form safe ice.

Thickness and Quality

Take the time to check (and double check) the ice on which you are planning to fish and take all safety precautions. Before venturing out on the ice, drill a hole in it from a dock or the shore to gauge the thickness and quality.

Four inches of clear blue ice or eight inches of black, honey-combed ice will safely hold an adult-sized person. Five to six inches of clear blue ice is needed for snowmobiles, four-wheelers, or groups of three or more people.

Avoid ice that appears dark, this is “rotten ice” and can be unstable. Avoid danger spots where the ice may be weakened or thinner. Snow covered areas are insulated by the snow and the ice underneath may be weakened. Immersed objects sticking out of the water gather heat from the sun. This can melt the ice surrounding the object. Areas used frequently by ice anglers can be full of old auger holes – use extra care in these spots.

The water movement from springs or where a stream enters a lake can cause non-uniform ice thickness. In rivers, currents near the river bank and sunny cliff bases can produce areas of thin ice. Know the area you will be fishing and avoid locations where ice thickness may be unpredictable. Large lakes can be especially dangerous because wind and wave action can break up very thick ice in a very short time.

Fishing Partners

As with most activities involving water, it is a good idea to use the “buddy” system. Take someone along when ice fishing! Always let someone else know where you will be and when you expect to arrive back. This way someone will be able to find you in the shortest amount of time if you do not show up on schedule.

Safety Equipment

A five gallon bucket used to carry gear to the fishing spot also can be a life saver. The five gallon bucket can be inverted, holding air, and allowing a person to float on it until help can arrive.

It is also a good idea to take a  throw jug ice fishing. This is simply a plastic jug with a lid and some nylon rope. The rope is stored inside the jug until needed. It then can be tied to the milk jug handle and the lid replaced. The jug can be thrown from shore to someone who has fallen through the ice so she can be pulled to shore. The jug also can keep someone afloat until help arrives.

A small board with a nail or spike attached perpendicularly to one end can be used to help you get a grip on the ice and pull yourself out if you go through the ice. Include a personal floatation device (PFD) in the gear you take ice fishing. Even with the best of planning and safety checks, accidents occur. Be prepared. A PFD can keep you afloat until help arrives. A piece of rope (at least fifty feet in length) can be tied to a PFD and thrown to someone in trouble.

A rope also can be tied to an anchor on shore (e.g., a tree) and then around your waist for extra safety when fishing alone. An angler alone who falls through the ice, must try to get herself out. Two minutes in cold water is long enough to make hands too stiff to use. On average, a person can survive in cold water only twenty to thirty minutes before hypothermia overcomes him.

Grasp the edge of the ice in the direction of shore or safe ice and, if it breaks, keep going until you find solid ice. Use your legs to get your torso out on the ice. Roll to safety. Don’t try to get up to walk, you may break through the ice again. Rolling spreads your body weight out over a larger area and will put less pressure on the ice. If you are unable to get out of the water, you must conserve body heat. Try to remain as still as possible and tuck into a ball shape to conserve heat until help arrives.

 

Remember

• There is no such thing as 100 percent safe ice.

• The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recommends a minimum of four inches of quality ice for fishing and at least five inches for snowmobiles and ATVs.  

• Ice thickness is not uniform on any body of water.  Things like current and springs slow ice growth. Rocks, trees or docks that poke through the ice like will conduct heat and make the ice around it less stable.  

• There could be pockets of thin ice or places where ice recently formed, so it would be wise to check ice thickness as you go out.

• The insulating effect of snow slows down the freezing process.

• Safety items in the bucket: Ice picks, about 50 feet of rope and a throwable floatation seat cushion, or old empty milk jug.

• Ice fishing is a social activity, don’t go out alone. If the worst should happen, someone would be there to call for help or to rescue. 

• Avoid off-colored snow or ice. It is usually a sign of weakness. 

• Trust your instincts. If it doesn’t look right, stay off. 

IDNR Shooting Sports Training Opportunity for Athletes, Parents and Coaches

The Iowa Scholastic Clay Target Program, Inc. is hosting a unique opportunity for athletes, parents and coaches to learn more about the “mental game” of shooting - skills which can also be applied to other sports and life in general.  Lanny and Troy Bassham of Mental Management Systems will be in Ames, IA on February 15 and 16 to present the following:

 February 15 – Mental Management for Athletes and Parents 9:00AM to 5:00PM

• Why Our Beliefs about Pressure are Myths
• Why Giving it 110% Doesn’t Work
• Principles of Mental Management
•  Strategies to Control Pressure
• 3 Mental Processes that Control Performance
•   # 1 Reason Why Skilled Performers Fail in Competition
• Why 95% of Winning is Accomplished by only 5% of the Participants
•  3 Attitudes the Top 5% Possess that Keep Them on Top
• How the Reinforcement Phase Affects the Self-Image 
• How Self-Image Changes
• How to Eliminate a Habit or Attitude Keeping You from Reaching your Goals
• How to Use the Most Powerful Tool for Changing Self-Image
• How to Build Self-Image in Young Performers
• The Mistakes Loving Parents Make when Dealing with Children
• Difference Between Attainment and Accomplishment
• Why Talent is Overrated
• How a Parent Can Make a Coach More Effective

Early Bird Registration (on or before January 10) $75 per person.   After January 10, $125/person.  Registration includes lunch and refreshments.

 February 16 – Mental Management for Coaches 9:00AM to 5:00PM

• How to be a more effective coach by adapting to different coaching styles.
• How to structure training to help build Self-Image in your students.
• How to get more done in less time, advance students faster and prepare them better.
• How to help your students understand how to set goals and change habits.
• How to maximize the effectiveness of the coach and minimize the pitfalls that cause your players trouble.
• The secrets the building a program people can't wait to join.
• Determine ways to diagnose if a student is having an issue focusing, a Self-Image issue or a technical issue.
• Learn why some players who are playing well have a down turn.
• Learn what to do when performance drops.
• Develop an understanding of how the mental game syncs with technique and form.
• How to adapt your coaching according to player's learning styles to increase retention and understanding.
• How to seek out opportunities to inspire and motivate, not simply to instruct.
• How to make counseling with students more powerful, memorable and effective.
• Early Bird Registration (on or before January 10) $100 per person.   After January 10, $150/person.  Registration includes lunch and refreshments.

BOTH DAYS - Early Bird Registration (on or before January 10) $150 per person.   After January 10, $250/person.  Registration includes lunch and refreshments.

Seats in these seminars are limited.  For complete information and to register go to: http://www.iowasctp.org/shotgun-coach-education/other-continuing-education

Archery Participation Benefits from Popular Movie Franchise

            Archery is experiencing a wave of popularity thanks, in part, to the successful Hunger Games series, and locally to Iowa’s expanding archery in the schools program.

In conjunction with the release of Hunger Games: Catching Fire on Nov. 22, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be giving away a brand new Matthews Genesis Bow valued at $200. 

To enter the drawing, watch the movie, save the ticket and go to www.iowadnr.gov/archery for instructions.  Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2013 for the drawing in January.  The Iowa Bowhunters Association’s National Archery in the Schools Program Foundation is sponsoring the bow for the drawing. 

Iowa has real life archery stars of its own.

Miranda Leek, from Des Moines, is the current indoor and outdoor champion, a member of the 2014 Senior US National Archery Team and the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team for women’s recurve archery.  

Bridger Deaton, of Otley, is a member of 2014 Senior U.S. Archery Team for men’s compound archery, after his team placed silver in Wuix, China at the 2013 World Archery Youth Championships. 

Matt Stutzman, from Fairfield, won a silver medal in the 2012 London Paralympics. 

Currently, more than 2,500 elementary through high school student athletes participate in Iowa’s National Archery in the Schools program. Parents or students interested in competing in archery at their school can learn more about the program at www.iowadnr.gov/archery. 

There is so much more to archery than the simple bow and arrow. Make sure to also visit www.releaseyourwild.com to spread the love of archery.

 

Sidebar: West Des Moines Archery Park to Open Spring 2014

The Raccoon River Archery Park in West Des Moines will be the first in Iowa and the third nationwide when the 12 lane outdoor containment park opens in the spring. 

The range with feature moveable targets up to 40 yards and be enclosed on all sides by a combination of solid wood walls and chain-link fencing.  Rubber belting will be hung between the tops of the wood walls to insure stray arrows do not leave the facility.  The range will also have a shelter over the shooting area.   

Programming and facility rules are being planned by the City of West Des Moines.

Media Contact: Donise Petersen, Archery in the Schools Coordinator, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-205-8709

ASK A DNR CONSERVATION OFFICER QUESTIONS LIVE ON FACEBOOK

DES MOINES — DNR Conservation Officer Aron Arthur will answer Iowans’ questions live on the DNR’s Facebook page Nov. 20.

Arthur will be available via Facebook from noon to 2:30 p.m. To ask a question, post it as a comment on the “Live Q&A” post that the DNR will post at noon that day. You can also post questions ahead of time on the DNR’s Facebook Timeline at www.facebook.com/iowadnr. Questions received after 2:30 may be answered at a later time.

To make sure you see the Live Q&A when it is posted, make sure you “like” the DNR’s page on Facebook. Go to www.facebook.com/iowadnr and click on “like” and make sure “get notifications” and “show in news feed” are selected.

Commenters should also view the DNR’s Facebook posting policy ahead of time at https://www.facebook.com/iowadnr/info.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Jessie Brown, DNR, at 515-281-5131 or Jessie.Brown@dnr.iowa.gov

 

Get Your School Hooked!

"Fish Iowa! Games is a great confidence builder for students. It doesn’t matter your size, age, or gender – everybody can compete on a fair level.”

Fish Iowa! Games is a competition where students cast from three distances using the flipping, pitching, and overhand techniques. It was developed by the Iowa Sports Foundation, in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in 2006. Since then, over 73,000 K-12 students throughout the state have participated.

All medalists (gold, silver, bronze) from each school are invited to compete in the Fish Iowa! Games Finals at the 2014 Summer Iowa Games on Saturday, July 19.

 

2014 Registration Now Open!!!

Register your school or your class now to secure your competition kit. The competition may be held anytime between February 1 and May 1. Competition kits will be shipped beginning January 23.

Competition Kit

• Guidelines and diagrams
• 2 targets
• 2 contest spincast rods & reels
• 16 casting plugs (5/16 oz) for practice
• Participation ribbons – 1 per contestant
• Medals – gold, silver, and bronze for each class
• Sample press release