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Antlerless licenses available

kbgibby

kbgibby

Threebeards
I was curious to find out how many antlerless licenses were still available. According to the DNR's website, at 3:30 p.m. today (12/14) there were 22,709 licenses in 25 counties:

County
WINNESHIEK - 1806
ALLAMAKEE - 1802
VAN BUREN - 1579
DECATUR - 1546
APPANOOSE - 1347
LEE - 1289
GUTHRIE - 1283
WAYNE - 1278
DAVIS - 1255
RINGGOLD - 1133
TAYLOR - 1058
DES MOINES - 929
ADAMS - 872
ADAIR - 834
HENRY - 821
WAPELLO - 727
JEFFERSON - 694
MONROE - 644
UNION - 552
WASHINGTON - 478
KEOKUK - 276
PAGE - 160
LOUISA - 159
DALLAS - 104
CASS - 83

So if you can find a place to hunt in these counties, there are still plenty of licenses available. Help increase the doe harvest!
 
Louisa and Washington are a surprise to me. I'd have expected them to be all bought up given they only had 1500 and 2150 (respectively) to start with.

My counties 1500 didn't last very long. Gone by mid October.
 
What do you think is keeping hunters in these areas from getting the tags? Cost? Lack of HUSH lockers in the area? Marion and Jasper sell out before Thanksgiving every year and we have guys who wait to long and don't get them for shotgun season. I'd think these would sell out everywhere.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: fishorhunt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What do you think is keeping hunters in these areas from getting the tags?</div></div>


Maybe it is access to property. Then, I would guess that not every hunter wants to shoot multiple (if any) does in a season. There are hunters in my area who still won't shoot a doe! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> There are hunters in my area who still won't shoot a doe! </div></div>

That's a problem with the guys I shotgun hunt with. They were raised on shooting bucks only, so they'll let five does pass in order to shoot the year and a half old buck.

Hard to shake habits.
 
That is a tough habit to break. Please don't think I'm braggin by this post. Just sharing ideas that might lead to bigger and better bucks for all of us to hunt.

We went to a fine system several years ago. This year we went to a $20, $30, $40, $50 fine system. A buck as big as your steering wheel is probably safe. As they step down from there it starts to cost you money. It really makes people think before they pull the trigger and we can tell our bucks are getting bigger.

Our fine system doesn't apply to new hunters or guys that haven't shot a nice buck yet. Most of us figure if a bucks not as big or bigger than the biggest we have on the wall than let it go.

Another interesting thing - One farmer in our area asks us to shoot three does before we shoot a buck. We oblige as best we can because we need the land.

Another farmer lets us hunt and not others because he also bowhunts and knows about our fine system and that we will only shoot does or trophy class bucks. He gets very irritated when people shoot small bucks.
 
I would give away my buck tag every year if it gave me the opportunity to shoot a doe!! I just want to shoot something. Im not looking for any trophys, im just looking for the thrill of the hunt.
 
I too know of a group that does the fine system, except theirs comes in the form of having to buy the beer for the night. Why not make some of those counties do a draw or earna buck and have an antlerless only season a year or two to get the numbers down? I mean thaat would help the buck numbers and sizes too. (As if they really need help with that in some of those counties)
I live in Clinton County and our bonus tags went fairly quickly also.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: deeraddict</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Why not make some of those counties do a draw or earna buck and have an antlerless only season a year or two to get the numbers down? I mean thaat would help the buck numbers and sizes too. (As if they really need help with that in some of those counties)
</div></div>

Why punish the ones who are shooting the does now with a anterless only season. We killed 46 deer during shotgun this year and 16 of those where bucks(including buttons). We stay on ground, people try to lease because we shoot does and mature bucks. My county is on that list and we bought over 30 doe tags for 1st season shotgun and 10 for Bow. I really think a earn a buck or cheaper doe tags would be the best way. Every year I shoot the first doe I can, that way I can concentrate on shooting a buck and still have meat in the freezer. We do have a lot of leased land by outfitters. They might have 10 guys in for a season and lease large amounts. These acres do not get hunted and there is no pressure since it is leased. I really don't know the solution but Outfitters and out of state land owners are most of the problem. Because they won't shoot the does and the land is only hunted very little.
 
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