Check Stations for Iowa

[boatman]

I guess I am pretty indifferent on this situation. I huntes a special lake hunt this season where we had to take our does in to the local fire station to have the deer varified. I cannot see where this would cost anyone any extra. Pretty simple and harmless task of showing up, they checked the deer, and wrote your name down. Not really an inconvinience at all.
I also think that IA needs to implement some type of "doe first" "buck next" license, in turn obligating anyone that wants to shoot a buck to harvest a doe. These are my feelings ONLY. Mainly I feel this because I hear so many stroies of farmers telling groups of shotgun hunters to "Kill everyone you see. Leave them lay if you dont want them, we are sick of them, if you dont, you are not welcome here next year."

A check station is a great idea, but I just dont see in any way (at least during shotgun season unless the hunters are obligated to turn in a doe before getting a buck tag) that it would be beneficial.

I grew up in the 70's and 80's when you could only purchase a buck tag, and were lucky to get one in any certain year. I guess we should all feel lucky that we can pretty much get all the tags we can, heck I have bow shot three does this season, and planning on getting at least three more!!

Lots of variables, where do they end?

Pat

 

[DLO]

I would have no problems taking my deer to a check station, but I agree with those of you that say it really wouldn't make much of a difference.

 

[DC]

AGS, Thanks for telling us where some of our money is going. I appreciate that. The rest of what you said is nothing but hearsay. I do like the way you stated "Willy Suchy of the DNR directs our deer herd and has an incredible handle on how to manipulate deer numbers." That is exactly what he does "manipulates deer numbers" through the statistical sample instead of managing the deer herd. Anyone that believes our herd was stable with no growth for 6 to 8 years when over 65% of the harvest was bucks and our buck to doe ratio was 1 to 6 - numbers quoted to me by Willy Suchy himself - flunked fifth grade math or is lying to themselves.

I think every hunter supports 'good' numbers of deer. I don't think we can rely on hearsay from a few groups of hunters who say there are not enough deer to determine whether our herd is being managed properly. When the general public begins complaining about the deer herd, then there must be something out of whack. Many of the non-hunters I talk to now feel deer are pests and I quote "like big rats" - and these people are not farmers. They say "all the hunters want to shoot are bucks" to which I reply I have shot 7 does and 1 buck this year and the DNR has allowed for more doe tags to help manage the herd. These people realize that shooting bucks does nothing to manage the herd. I believe it is mismanagement that has built up this "pest" perception - a perception that I as a hunter want to change.

I want everyone to seriously look at the growth in the deer herds in other states where they are harvesting anywhere from 3 to 8 times as many deer as Iowa and their deer herds are not getting smaller. I don't think any truly honest person can believe our deer herd is now in check. What I will say is that many areas and many of the people on here are making their best effort to manage the local deer herds. I applaud those hunters.

We don't need a million deer to produce big bucks - we need a mindset that allows bucks to mature. And if that is not feasible with the vast majority of Iowa hunters, I am all for legislating that mindset.

I personally am all for check stations. Good data is the foundation for good management and I don't believe the current data collection system - even though it is a statistical sample - gives us good enough data to determine harvest figures and related population figures. It leaves too much open for "manipulating deer numbers" just as AGS stated.