Wildlife+and+Habitats

Original Author: Ioanna Efstathiou, A&S195 SP Revision Author:
 * Wildlife and Habitats **

Iowa’s rich land provided many habitats to numerous wildlife that attracted large numbers of settlers. As the numbers of people migrating into Iowa increased so did the numbers of habitats being destroyed. As a result the settlement of Iowa caused many wildlife species to become extinct or no longer to be found in the area.

In the 1830’s Europeans began settling in Iowa. The tall-grass prairies, rich wetlands, and lush forests attracted many settlers to Iowa. These were produced from the lands rich soil, abundant water and favorable climate. These habitats produced a large variety of wildlife. This wildlife meant wealth to the animal trappers that came to settle here and food for survival. While some of this wildlife still exists in Iowa, some have become extinct, endangered or have migrated to other regions. There are records from early settlement days describing the wildlife that existed. Most of these records come from scientists and explorers.

Along the Mississippi River, valleys were dominated by woodlands. As settlers moved west, the state was covered with tall prairie-grass. The landscape was dominated by prairies which provided habitat to many of the wildlife in Iowa. Since the prairies had such rich soil, settlers moved away from the river valleys for better farming land. At this time, wheat, corn, hay, and oats were the main crops planted.

Forests covered a great amount of the eastern part of Iowa. Woodland areas were the best choice when settling because of the wood provided for building. It was inexpensive to build near forests as opposed to out in the prairies. As more people settled in Iowa, more forest was cleared away for homes and railroads.

The wetlands of Iowa were in various forms; lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and marshes. Since Iowa was primarily prairies, prairie marshes were scattered all over providing habitats for many species. As farmers began to realize how rich the soil was in these prairies, they began draining the marshes. Many species lost their habitats and their populations declined.

Bison were once found in abundance throughout the prairies of Iowa. In 1673 the journals of Marquette and Joliet state that there were as many as 400 animals near the Mississippi. Native Americans living in what is now Iowa relied on Bison for many purposes. Bison are the largest mammal with hooves in North America. They are valued for their meat, hides and for religious ceremonies. Bison were primarily hunted by the Native Americans. There are few stories about such hunts. As more explorers made their way through Iowa, there were contradicting accounts on the bison. While some explorers saw only a few if any bison on the land. In 1820 Stephen Kearny describes seeing herds as large as 5,000 in Clay County. It was assumed bison no longer lived in southwestern Iowa but occupied Northwestern areas. There are many reasons that the bison population declined in Iowa during this time. Large numbers of settlers were coming to Iowa and outnumbered the bison and their uses. Natural causes also aided in the disappearance of the bison. Prairie fires, deep snow, predators, lack of food and falling through the ice formed on rivers.

By the time the early settlers arrived in Iowa the white-tailed deer lived abundantly throughout the land. There are many records existing documenting the numbers of this mammal seen. In Scott County, a herd of more than one-hundred deer were seen by a hunter. Large herds were found all over the state of Iowa. The white-tailed deer is another mammal that was hunted for their meat and hides. As more settlers moved into Iowa the deer population declined. Like the bison, there were other causes to the disappearance of the White-tailed deer. Severe winters claimed the lives of many of the deer. The largest slaughter of the deer took place during the winter of 1856-57. Deer were forced into the river valleys and were easy targets for settlers. In Black Hawk possibly thousands of deer were killed. As the deer became scarce, in 1856 Iowa State Legislative established a closed hunting season for deer. The numbers of deer continued to decline and by 1898 they were nearly gone.

In the early 1800s the passenger pigeon was the most abundant bird in North America. Similar and slightly larger than a mourning dove, the passenger pigeon was slender with a long pointed tail and small head. They could grow thirteen to sixteen inches in length. Pigeons nested in enormous colonies. They had to find large areas with sufficient food supplies during their nesting season. Iowa was part of a major migratory pathway. Most records of passenger pigeons show high numbers along the Mississippi River. They flew in wider flocks than other birds and stretched across the horizon. W.J. McGee reported seeing approximately 600,000,000 pigeons near Dubuque. This sighting was during one single day. At this time pigeons were not appreciated because of their beauty. They were appreciated for what they could provide as a food source. The large pigeon population provided a great source of meat. This meat source attracted many settlers to the area. Eating pigeon in some areas was more common than eating chicken. Several methods were used to catch pigeons. It was not necessary to shoot a pigeon. Using poles to knock them out of trees where they nested was a good way to catch the young ones unable to fly. Since large amounts of them nested in trees at night, the adults were also easily knocked out of their nests. The use of various nets was a popular method of catching of pigeons. In Dubuque a man caught 1,500 pigeons in one day using a net. The woodlands near the Wapsipinicon River housed a large population of pigeons. In 1914 the last passenger pigeon died and they became extinct.

The landscape in Iowa provided an ideal habitat for the prairie-chicken. As more settlers arrived the land was scattered with more crops, hayfields, and pastures. These provided prairie-chickens with food, homes and areas for blooming grounds. The prairie-chicken population grew as more settlers came. Prairie-chickens were found throughout the state of Iowa in grassland habitats. Like the passenger pigeon, people began hunting the prairie-chicken. Wheat, rye, and barley fields were the best places to catch a prairie-chicken. Besides sportsman hunters, market hunters traveled to Iowa to hunt prairie-chicken. Hunting for these birds became more difficult by the 1880s. More of Iowa had been settled and farms were considered private property with no trespassing. Trapping became a more efficient way to hunt prairie-chickens. Hunting and trapping were not the main cause of the prairie-chickens populations decline. As more settlers came to Iowa and farmed, the prairie-chicken rapidly lost its habitat. The numbers continued to decline over the years. Prairie-chickens were one of the first species to be granted protective law by legislation. Despite the laws protecting them, the prairie-chicken population continued to decline.

When the first settlers arrived in North America, there were as many as ten million elk. Because of their size and good tasting meat, elk were a primary target to hunt. Their meat was said to be delicious and better than beef and were hunted primarily for this purpose. This caused a quick decline in their population. In Iowa, the grasslands and prairies were the main habitat for elk. Elk were usually found in small or scattered herds. Although large herds were hardly seen, a herd of 100 elk was seen between the Wapsipinicon and Maquoketa rivers. During the winter elk took shelter in marshes and woodland tree groves. Elk were recorded as having a higher population than bison. When settlement began, elk were in abundance. In 1856-57 a severe winter took the lives of many animals. A deep snow caused by a blizzard followed by freezing rain left many animals without food or shelter. By 1850 elk were still heavily populated along the Wapsipinicon River but scarce in other eastern and southeastern parts. After this time there are very few reports of elk and it is not likely elk will populate Iowa again. Iowa’s rich land and abundant wildlife attracted large numbers of settlers. Settlement of Iowa came with a price. The same rich land and abundant wildlife paid the price for settlement. Even though there were efforts to try and rectify the loss of habitats and wildlife, it was too late.

Dinsmore, James J.. //A country so full of game: the story of wildlife in Iowa//. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1994. Print.
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