Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
I agree Skip. The young guys are mostly bow hunters . My son and his friends are all serious hunters, they like to shoot deer, and have a chance at a giant (which can be done) They will push the issue in the future.
deep woods goat hunter
PMA Member
Beating dead horse here in MO. Mo is all about the $$$
More tags sold the better, tax revenue
Missouri sees the wtd as the state’s resource. Unlike IA who sees wtd as the people of the state’s resource.
S IA vs N MO is an imaginary line of identical mix of habitat (the areas im the most familiar with anyway- Ringgold Decatur Wayne Appanoose Davis)
Shame. Age structure (and the opportunity to reach 5+) is the only difference
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More tags sold the better, tax revenue
Missouri sees the wtd as the state’s resource. Unlike IA who sees wtd as the people of the state’s resource.
S IA vs N MO is an imaginary line of identical mix of habitat (the areas im the most familiar with anyway- Ringgold Decatur Wayne Appanoose Davis)
Shame. Age structure (and the opportunity to reach 5+) is the only difference
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It’s that way now. What will the next 5-20 years of young hunters who will then be in charge do? Things can change- MO or another state. New generations are ready to make things better. & this will happen over time in one of these states+
deep woods goat hunter
PMA Member
Man i sure hope you are right. I THINK regs/seasons are set by the conservation commission who are 8-12 jokers appointed by the governor. I’ve never read super deep into it.
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deep woods goat hunter
PMA Member
Okay so its 4
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deep woods goat hunter
PMA Member
Barry O. Is actually from my hometown, could track him down if I could have a well prepared presentation…I know some of his family well- should probably email him I suppose
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treerat
Active Member
Not only is Iowa's gun season in December but there are two of them... not to mention two separate muzzleloader seasons. This spreads out the gun hunters and there is always a "sanctuary " farm nearby that isn't being hunted. I wish other states would pick up on this but the tradition is more important than growing big deer.
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Thinkin Rut
PMA Member
I'd say the structure of the seasons is the main gear in Iowa being one of the dominate Whitetail states but there are plenty of moving parts that have a cumulative effect on how well that gear turns.Thank goodness somebody finally admitted it has nothing to do with "high power rifles" and "bottle neck cartridges' and is much more about the actual timing of using firearms
ReinertsonTaxidermy
Well-Known Member
Just playing devils advocate here. I agree 100% with Skip. The amount of hunters who really care about shooting older giant bucks is smaller than we think. The majority of people who hunt do it to fill freezer, spend time with family/friends, and have a good time. A big rack is “cool” to them, but not what we on this site value it as.
deep woods goat hunter
PMA Member
Correct
The meat and social hunters far far far outnumber hunters looking to exclusively harvest mature bucks
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sep0667
Land of the Whitetail
Agree. Majority of people I know that hunt are not specially after big antlers. Yes, they all dream of them and want that, but ultimately they are out there to enjoy being outside, hunting, the sign, the get away from everything. Most don't even think about or realize the implications of the season structures and the pros and cons of it, they just hunt. Heck, my biggest buck is 130's. I have had plenty of seasons eating tag soup too holding out for 150+. There are so few hunters out there too that actually can control a property in the manner that it takes to develop deer to maturity too. Most are hunting public and small permission pieces.
...but who has the passion to initiate change.... (It's not the ho-hum guy)
I agree with both of you, but gun hunters can pretty easily fill their freezers no matter where the gun season(s) occur on the calendar. Camaraderie can happen any time too.
When I was a child, I thought as a child and wished we could gun hunt during the rut. As an adult, I'm glad we don't and understand why. It would be way too easy and our buck quality would be adversely impacted in the first year.
Just think of the additional state and local revenue our neighboring states could bring in if they simply bumped out their gun seasons, beyond the rut. It would help to take some of the hunting pressure off of Iowa in the process. 10 to 20 short years and Iowa probably wouldn't be on the top 10 deer states anymore.
I agree with Skip 100%.
Overwhelming majority of “everyday hunters” in MICHIGAN know or express how “the hunting sucks”. If u “want to shoot does” or meat- even MI is challenging…. Ground is locked up & there’s some pockets of high deer #’s & some very low. Access is hard. Same as anywhere. One thing MI or most others don’t have….. deer that get AGE. They don’t. 1.5 where I grew up got killed- rural areas, big woods or low hunter density- still happened.
Iowa has plenty of hunters- PLENTY!!! & vast areas where there’s no deer. County after county- no trees, no deer- nothing…. & that’s probably 60-70% of iowa counties!!!!
IOWA has the “every day blast em guys”. Guys that don’t care. Just like any state. So- how is it- we are filled with “shoot, get meat, I don’t care” guys but it’s still exceptionally better than surrounding states????? REGULATIONS - PERIOD!!!!!! Iowas limited habitat & hunting provide opportunities for serious hunters + “blast em all” guys. Other states cannot do that with their regs.
Any issue: dissect it…. “Well iowa has less people”…. Ok- go to NE or MO - less people than iowa & u cross border & it goes down tubes.
“iowa has better soils” ….. So does IL, MO, S MI, IN, S MN, S WI, etc etc. premium soils there!!! Mixed with cover. & tons of it. Hunting tanks. & Iowa’s biggest deer exist in the worst soil areas!!! Go to premium soil areas of iowa - where it’s 85 CSR flat tillable- there’s no deer or very few.
“Been this way, won’t change”. BS - not with time- youth will take over. Youth understand this (& some older folks) & youth want a change in all those states. That’s your chance. 5-10 years maybe but it’ll happen somewhere. Not easy - but one state will turn. Give the youth time to take control. & the guys “it’ll never change” - bunch of Debby downer girly-men sissies!!!!!! Make it change!!!!! Fight!!!!
throw any “devils advocate” out here!!!!…..Go!!!!…...
Iowa has plenty of hunters- PLENTY!!! & vast areas where there’s no deer. County after county- no trees, no deer- nothing…. & that’s probably 60-70% of iowa counties!!!!
IOWA has the “every day blast em guys”. Guys that don’t care. Just like any state. So- how is it- we are filled with “shoot, get meat, I don’t care” guys but it’s still exceptionally better than surrounding states????? REGULATIONS - PERIOD!!!!!! Iowas limited habitat & hunting provide opportunities for serious hunters + “blast em all” guys. Other states cannot do that with their regs.
Any issue: dissect it…. “Well iowa has less people”…. Ok- go to NE or MO - less people than iowa & u cross border & it goes down tubes.
“iowa has better soils” ….. So does IL, MO, S MI, IN, S MN, S WI, etc etc. premium soils there!!! Mixed with cover. & tons of it. Hunting tanks. & Iowa’s biggest deer exist in the worst soil areas!!! Go to premium soil areas of iowa - where it’s 85 CSR flat tillable- there’s no deer or very few.
“Been this way, won’t change”. BS - not with time- youth will take over. Youth understand this (& some older folks) & youth want a change in all those states. That’s your chance. 5-10 years maybe but it’ll happen somewhere. Not easy - but one state will turn. Give the youth time to take control. & the guys “it’ll never change” - bunch of Debby downer girly-men sissies!!!!!! Make it change!!!!! Fight!!!!
throw any “devils advocate” out here!!!!…..Go!!!!…..
.
sep0667
Land of the Whitetail
To piggy back off of my comment and to Skips point. I think the majority of guys that bowhunt here, even those that are not out to shoot a huge buck and will settle for something smaller are not going to shoot a forkhorn or basket rack. In Iowa I think atleast during archery season forks and baskets are pretty safe to get a free pass, unless its a youth or first year or two hunter.
I agree with skip, maybe even without other states changing their regs to mimic Iowas I think buck quality will improve in other states. There is so much attention and social media with deer hunting (facebook, youtube, deer shoes, facebook hunting pages, tv etc.) that I don't think younger hunters today really want to shoot a small buck and that over time those youth hunters today and younger hunters already have it in their head that after their first buck or two they are done shooting forks&baskets. The influence to pass younger bucks is already there and as the newer generation of hunter grows its already ingrained in them. 20-30 years ago there was no social media, youtube, or tons of shows about passing bucks and letting smaller deer walk like there is today.
Im not saying eveyones going to be holding out for 140/150's plus, but I think its already heavily trended to the majority of hunters only shooting a 'decent' buck and up, 2.5 at the youngest, 3.5 8's 10's. Atleast from what I see, I don't see to many guys archery hunting specially that are whacking 1.5 year olds. And I think as time goes on gun hunting will continue to be less popular and fewer groups doing drives just shooting anything.
hillrunner
PMA Member
It'd be great to see some other states manage their deer quality better. I do wonder how realistic it really is when we feel like we have to battle every year to hold the line here. I worry more about us slipping farther towards them honestly.