(Lewis) The annual spring wildlife spotlight surveys are underway. John Lorenzen, a Fisheries Biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, appears on the KSOM DNR report, saying the surveys are taken to evaluate the deer and furbearer populations.
Lorenzen says the DNR started conducting the surveys in the 1970s, so based on the data, the DNR has a good idea of whether certain populations are trending up or down.
Lorenzen says the routes are 25 miles, with two routes per county. The surveys are conducted an hour after sunset, preferably on nights with low wind, high humidity, and above-freezing temperatures to ensure more reliable data.
