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Back to the old way....???

deeraddict

deeraddict

PMA Member
I have been hunting for only the last 10 years so tags have always been plentiful in my experience. I remember some people talking they used to have to apply for a tag and were lucky to get a buck tag mor something like that. Do any of you think we will see this in the near future where tags are limited? (If I have the info wrong I am sorry, trying to remember what I was told years ago.) Just curious on others thoughts.

I would not be opposed to this. Even though my hunting career is not very long compare to others, I have come to realize in the last couple of years it is about the hunt not the kill. I have yet to put a buck on the ground this year and I am OK with that. I have had many encounters, many chances, and a fun year in the tree.
 
If they want to restrict tags due to the population decreasing they should reduce antler less tags. Keep the does alive rather than the bucks. It would really hurt trophy hunting but would increase our heard numbers. That being said, I don't think that will happen. By the time our herd gets small enough to warrant changing tag buying requirements I think you will see a drastic decline in the number of people even trying to get tags. There are a lot of people who go just to kill a deer, if that gets really hard to do because numbers are low, I think a lot of those people will quit. JMO
 
I started hunting the very first ML season in Iowa and back then they had a quota. I think it was around 5000 tags. You had to mail in an application and get drawn for a tag. I didn't get a tag a couple of years. But then the deer numbers were a lot lower than they are now. Currently they want the numbers down so I don't see any restrictions any time soon. Remember, politics determine issues like this and insurance companies in Iowa have a great deal of influence!
 
I just read that for most counties the dnr thinks the herd will be more like the size in mid 90's. I started hunting in 93'. We had decent numbers then, I'm just worried that if they will be to those #'s soon then what happens in 5 yrs or so with this downward trend. My dad hunted in the 70's and 80's and said it wasn't fun. With the lottery system for doe tags. And he said they were always loading up to go over by the river or south, their area was junk ( never even saw deer) We don't need to overpopulate hunting either, that would be very dangerous. I just don't have a warm fuzzy for the dnr regulating the herds. They are just another government organization with lots of people and their money telling them what and how to manage. Give them time and we'll all be traveling out of state. I do think that the extra doe tags need to go. But it would still be nice to bow, shotgun, and muzzleload in the se season if neefed, even if you are only awarded one tag for all three. We are known for our trophy deer just like South Dakota is known for their pheasants, we need to keep it this way, IMHO.
 
The majority of the land in IA is private so those of you hunting private land don't need to even worry about how many tags are available. If your deer numbers are low and you want to see more deer then back off on your doe harvest until the numbers are where you want them. The DNR will never control the deer population on private lands....it's all up to the land owners.
 
LYON said:
If they want to restrict tags due to the population decreasing they should reduce antler less tags. Keep the does alive rather than the bucks. It would really hurt trophy hunting but would increase our heard numbers. That being said, I don't think that will happen. By the time our herd gets small enough to warrant changing tag buying requirements I think you will see a drastic decline in the number of people even trying to get tags. There are a lot of people who go just to kill a deer, if that gets really hard to do because numbers are low, I think a lot of those people will quit. JMO
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On the national level the number of hunters has been decreasing for years. I believe Lyon is right in saying we will see less deer hunters in Iowa, the "if it was easy everyone would do it" mentality will kick in big time the next few years. The Farm Bureau Spokesman this week quoted the DNRs recent harvest report for this year to be similar in numbers to the last couple years. As we all know the DNR recommended the overall herd number not be lowered anymore except for a few pockets in Iowa but Governor Bransted overruled them with help from Farm Bureau and others and the DNR has been forced to maintain the same anterless quotas for the last 3 years. That being said I'm not sure if I believe the harvest report thus far after following the chatter on this site and hearing fellow hunters from all the hunting seasons and the lack of deer. Maybe the DNR and its staff has finally decided to play politics and fudge the numbers, who knows.
 
I don't really think we are at a point where we need a draw for residents. We (hunters) need to control our trigger fingers and only shoot the amount of deer that an area can sustain. Like mentioned above, the public lands are hit the hardest with the 'brown its down' mentality since private lands are normally less hunted and controlled by the land owner as to how many deer are taken. But the public land mentality seems to be that 'i may never see this deer again, so i'm going to shoot'.
 
Altiman94 said:
I don't really think we are at a point where we need a draw for residents.
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I doubt we will ever see a resident draw.

Going back to a draw where everybody gets a buck only tag unless drawn for a limited number of either sex is more of a possibility (though slim odds).
 
It also depended on what county you were hunting in, if you could take a doe or a buck or either.
 
Bigbuks said:
It also depended on what county you were hunting in, if you could take a doe or a buck or either.
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Was not county but the state was divided into 9 zones you picked your zone and that is where you hunted. some zones had more "any sex" tag than others.
 
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