hillrunner
PMA Member
Paragraphs man.
Nah. I'm good.
Yep. Don't make Iowa an 'Elitist' deer hunting state, which we're well on our way to being already.
Windwalker
Life Member
Increase of hunting and trespassing fines. This party hunting out of pickup windows loss of hunting rights 5 year loss. Packing multi hunting licenses for everyone you know jail time. The one buck limit is a good idea ,just good management of a resource.
My number one is stop feeding/baiting during the entire season stiff penalty’s if caught like 2 year License suspension.The number of people hunting corn piles is more than most think.
My number two would be go to one buck possibly a 2nd landowner tag. This would help increase access many people may share there spots once they are done for the year.
Number three shorter seasons. Our seasons were put in place way before all the increase in technology.
Number four, if the late antlerless season is deemed to be needed close all public land as I have never seen public land overpoPilates.
My number two would be go to one buck possibly a 2nd landowner tag. This would help increase access many people may share there spots once they are done for the year.
Number three shorter seasons. Our seasons were put in place way before all the increase in technology.
Number four, if the late antlerless season is deemed to be needed close all public land as I have never seen public land overpoPilates.
Muddyrem
Active Member
Ha, you better have another whiskey for the night. This makes zero sense………
Bucksnbears
Well-Known Member
^^^, lots of good points.
Bottom line is, (with all states), this Big Buck " crap" has (killed) hunting as we knew it.
And yes, I'm guilty as hell myself.
Bottom line is, (with all states), this Big Buck " crap" has (killed) hunting as we knew it.
And yes, I'm guilty as hell myself.
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
So you are saying in a one buck state, hunter recruitment or youth hunters suffer because they can’t shoot 2 or 3 bucks ?
That makes no sense ?
They’ve successfully harvested a buck, congratulations! If that’s not good enough for them, that’s a huge problem !
Muddyrem
Active Member
Bingo!
You killed a deer, you hunted an entire season. Go fish, go shoot rabbits, go chase squirrels, go pheasant hunt, duck hunt…………we have all kinds of outdoor activities that can replace days afield.
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iowavf
Active Member
I would have to agree with you. From reading post on here and couple other websites. When folks are talking about managing a healthy deer herd, I get the feeling they're complaining more about not seeing bigger, older bucks. Hence the comments about the orange army's mentality if it's brown it's down. I'm picky and haven't shot a deer in two years now. Seen plenty, just not what I wanted to shoot. We decided not to shoot any doe this year. Saw good numbers, little less than previous, and several bucks. One guy did shoot a nice 9 that hunts on my brother's place.
I think there is also an issue with soooo many "land managers" out there now. All going for older age class, big deer. If that's all the majority of people shoot anymore, there isn't enough to go around and we end up with less big deer to hunt. Highgrading I have heard it termed.
I tend to think you are somewhat better off not being in a neighborhood with so much management, as long as the neighbors aren't killing everything
The one thing I haven't seen listed which should be number one on every list is better education. The Majority has no idea that deer populations could be low. Most trust the DNR and feel like if there's tags available then there must be plenty of deer.
If you're serious about making our heard more mature....
1. Get rid of cell cams. These are a joke . I'm guessing over 70% of hunters utilize them to decide what stand to go to. I know a couple really nice buck shot this year that way.
2. Crossbows only during muzzle loader season.
Crossbows are routinely abused like cell cams. They should be restricted to the muzzleloader seasons.
3. If you want to ban straight wall cartridges and smokeless ml then you should ban compound bows also. Which I'm fine with with all 3.
It's really clear above who owns land and who have never had out of state guys buy up all the land they grew up hunting. A lot of us have spent the last couple of decades just struggling to find places to hunt more and more and more people just quit hunting The ones controlling all the land are going to eventually get burned when hunting numbers are too low to have a voice.
If you're serious about making our heard more mature....
1. Get rid of cell cams. These are a joke . I'm guessing over 70% of hunters utilize them to decide what stand to go to. I know a couple really nice buck shot this year that way.
2. Crossbows only during muzzle loader season.
Crossbows are routinely abused like cell cams. They should be restricted to the muzzleloader seasons.
3. If you want to ban straight wall cartridges and smokeless ml then you should ban compound bows also. Which I'm fine with with all 3.
It's really clear above who owns land and who have never had out of state guys buy up all the land they grew up hunting. A lot of us have spent the last couple of decades just struggling to find places to hunt more and more and more people just quit hunting The ones controlling all the land are going to eventually get burned when hunting numbers are too low to have a voice.
You guys just don’t get it. It’s not about shooting a buck. It’s not about shooting two bucks! It’s about having opportunities to be afield. Shortening the season or taking away a tag is not going to help recruit kids or retain current hunters. Kids aren’t recruited by killing a buck. Hell, I can take any kid that can hit a paper plate at 100 yards and have them harvest a buck in less than 2 hours. We’ll climb into one of my box blinds at 3:30 pm and by 5:30 pm they can have one laying on the ground. If you think that will make them a lifelong deer hunter you’re crazy. If you knew how many times I have made one of my kids pass a deer just so they would have to spend more time hunting you wouldn’t believe me. Why… because of all the other things they would have missed by being done so quick.
This year I spent my whole November sitting with my 9 year old hunting for his first bow deer. I watched him pass a nice 150” 3 1/2 at 10 yards, a nice 140” 2 1/2 at 10 yards, Numerous other 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 year old bucks at under 15 yards. He ended up taking a big 5 1/2 year old cull buck. He got to watching that buck push a hot doe a hundred yards down a field edge. The hot doe stopped to urinate at 25 yards. The buck came over to test the urine and lip curled. Then the buck grunted and pushed the doe by us at 15 yards. I grunted to stop the buck. My son made the shot. The buck made it just under 100 yards. My son’s reaction was priceless as the bucks legs started to give out and he dropped into the draw just out of sight. That is when my son’s legs started to give out and the adrenaline dump started. I guarantee at age 9 he put in more hours in the stand this Fall than most bowhunters in Iowa. And passed bucks that 90% of the bowhunters in Iowa wouldn’t have.
If he would have killed the first buck that got in range he would been done the first sit. How does that build a love for the sport? How does that allow him to witness the rut and deer interactions? How does that teach him about being a good manager of the resources? How would he have gotten to experience how the other animals live and act? So he filled his bow tag and then ate his other tag because he didn’t get a chance at the other cull bucks on farm. So what would taking away a tag have done other than taking away days afield??? What does taking away a tag from anyone actually do??? Absolutely nothing!!! I guarantee it will not lead to more 180” deer. It will cause the problems I posted in my previous post.
If he would have shot the first buck he had a chance at or not had another tag he would have missed seeing a squirrel fall 25’ out of a tree when the branch he jumped to broke. He would have missed seeing two raccoons fighting over the last spot in a den hole tree one morning. He would have missed seeing 20 turkey pitch out of the trees and land in the timber around him. He would have missed seeing a covey of quail flush at his feet walking into a stand one afternoon. He would have missed hearing and watching rooster pheasants cackling and moving around the CRP at first light. He would have missed the chickadee that landed on the shooting rail of his stand and sat there looking at him trying to figure out what he was. That is just a few of the things he would have not experienced this Fall if he shot the first buck he had a chance at or not had a second tag.
There is so much more to recruiting kids or retaining adults to the sport than just congratulations you got a buck! If that is why you deer hunt I feel sorry for you. If that is how you brought your kids into the sport I feel sorry for them. If the only thing that matters to you is the size of your bucks rack I feel sorry for you. Being in nature and watching God’s creation is so much more important than “I got a buck”. Or “my buck scored 185 3/8”. Filling your tag should be the last thing you think about when hunting. That is what I teach my kids anyway. No pressure. Go out and have fun. Enjoy what God has created. If a mature buck comes by take your time, focus on the spot and squeeze the shot off. The tag in their pocket is the reason to get up and go out and experience it. That tag in their pocket is what helps them develop a love of the land and all our resources. Having the opportunity to bow and gun hunt just gives them additional opportunities to be afield. Additional opportunities to enjoy God’s creation. Because someday after killing enough big bucks they won’t be drawn to the outdoors for that reason. Hopefully when that time comes the love of the land and all of God’s creation will be. Then they will spend their November, December and January sitting in a stand passing that love on to their children. That is what recruits and retains lifelong hunters.
That is what will keep our hunting tradition going.
…Not congratulations you got a buck!
…Not congratulations your buck scored 185 3/8”.
…And certainly not Iowa going to a one buck State.
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So I’m going to say- I quit reading this pretty quick when you keeping talking about time afield. No one is stopping anyone from going out and just sitting- tag or not? Heck start rabbit hunting early and late- why is it “unjust” if we ended deer season Dec 31- after 3 months of solid hunting? Literally no one is taking away time to “be outdoors”.
Why do you want to end season Dec 31st vs Jan 10th? Some people only hunt late muzzleloader. So they haven’t been hunting for three months. So this years it was Dec 23rd through Jan 10th. Those that hunt it also have to work around Christmas and New Years holidays. If they work and had family commitments on the holidays then they only had two weekends or four days to hunt. You think four days is excessive and just too much?
Some only hunt first season shotgun, many of those only hunt two of the five days.
Some only hunt second season shotgun with most only hunting four of the eight days.
Some only bow hunt. I would be surprised if most licensed bowhunters hunted more than 10 days a Fall.
Deer season may last three months but most hunting takes place on weekends or holidays unless someone takes vacation to do it. Most are not die hards so they don’t do it every chance they get.
So most deer/deer herds or private properties in general are not hunted solid for three months. Most private land sees minimal pressure maybe two or three days a week during certain seasons and public varies on location and habitat.
So what is your reason for stopping season Dec 31st? Because you have deemed it enough or too much?
You said no one is stopping you from going afield and sitting without a tag. Look maybe 1/1000 people would go sit in a cold tree stand just to watch the wildlife. If you have a kid ask them when they get home from school if they want to go sit in a stand tonight and watch deer.
I just asked my 9 year old when we were walking from school to our house in the cold wind if he wanted to sit in a tree stand tonight and watch deer. He just laughed and said “no”. He knows season is over. Not worth freezing if there is no chance of getting something. I asked him if he had a tag and could hunt tonight would he want to go? Without hesitation he said “Yes”.
You said “Literally no one is taking away time to “be outdoors””. Well you would be taking away 10 days of someone’s time to be outdoors late muzzleloader hunting if you closed Dec 31st.
I would like to hear why? Because the argument of three months of solid hunting may sound like a good talking point but is total BS other than maybe a few pieces of public property and a few pieces of private that are basically open to everyone. Those pieces may see heavy pressure. However, most of the deer on those pieces have relocated to other private property by Christmas. Closing season Dec 31 won’t help you kill a bigger buck or help the deer herd in general. By late muzzleloader most of the deer have relocated to private property with food, cover, and low to no pressure. It won’t make any difference other than condensing hunters to less days on both private property and public thus decreasing their experience.
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
Iowaqdm— I’d wager $$ I’ve got more kids into hunting than you have. With 4 boys of my own, their friends and dozens every year on group Pheasant Forever youth hunts.
The 1 buck limit would have no impact on youth hunting! Youth hunters like to hunt and if they shoot a buck they can still chase small game, pheasants, waterfowl, or maybe fall fishing ?
If kids enjoy hunting, they will make it a lifelong sport !
The 1 buck limit would have no impact on youth hunting! Youth hunters like to hunt and if they shoot a buck they can still chase small game, pheasants, waterfowl, or maybe fall fishing ?
If kids enjoy hunting, they will make it a lifelong sport !
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booneriverbucks
PMA Member
I’d like to start small and irritate as few people on here as well as other hunters in the state as possible and take meaningful steps to limit the doe harvest and eventually increase the overall population. Reduce anterless tag numbers, no January anterless seasons and probably going to doe only during first shotgun season where it might help. We have it great here and have little to complain about in the grand scheme of things compared to other states. It could be way worse!
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booneriverbucks
PMA Member
This is absolutely the only way to truly be a one buck state. I personally don’t think it’s necessary to go to one buck yet but that’s a whole other subject and I do understand the possible advantages. I do have a lot of respect for this tho. Anything other than one buck for everyone is the equivalent to our government passing laws that they don’t have to follow. Multiple bucks for the lords and only 1 for the peasants will go nowhere. Rightfully so.
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