Actually, you just proved my point. Those are harvest reports not population estimates. So in 2008 when we had 750,000 deer on the landscape it looks like just under 60,000 antlered bucks were shot. And antlered buck harvest remained basically the same clear through the 2021 season as our population has continued to declined to our current levels. So with 200,000 less bucks on the landscape we harvested the same number of antlered deer. That is why our herd is being high graded and quality has continued to decline gradually and will continue unless we increase our population significantly. It is 100% about numbers. No matter how many times you type that it isn’t, it's still going to be incorrect. And honestly to try and blame it on cell cams or this or that weapon is laughable.
If I could snap my fingers and drop 200,000 bucks and 200,000 does onto Iowa’s landscape tomorrow there would be giants all over in two years.
If you could snap your fingers and take away cell cams, straight walls, smokeless muzzleloaders and make Iowa a one buck State tomorrow and our population stayed where it is today everyone would still be crying about the continuing decline in quality bucks 10 years from now.
