(Des Moines) St. Mary’s Island offers several outdoor recreation opportunities for hunters, birdwatchers and nature photographers this fall.
The 2,500-acre property is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. It is located about 10 miles south of Council Bluffs along the Missouri River.
Wildlife managers are currently restoring much of the property to native prairie. The area has strong pheasant and quail populations, but the restored habitat also benefits a wide variety of nongame wildlife, native plants and pollinators.
John Lorenzen with the Iowa DNR said there is a nearby lake for fishers.
Visitors can use the property for birdwatching or searching for and photographing rare flowers and wildlife. St. Mary’s Island is also a popular dove-hunting location, with three sunflower plots covering a combined 73 acres. Iowa’s dove season opens on September 1.
