Deer Harvest Update

[BJohnson]

Thought I would post some data I found on the DNR website today:

2013-2014 Deer Harvest Data (as of 12/13/13) - pretty much could be assumed to represent seasons to date as of conclusion of shotgun 1:

Does - 28,354
Bucks - 27,143
Button Bucks - 5,658
Shed Bucks - 127
Total Deer 61,282

For a comparative 2012-2013, I used totals for Archery, Youth, Early ML, Shotgun 1. While I recognize this to not be 100% accurate - I think this comparision is basically apples to apples (all info. from the 2012 Harvest Trends PDF document found on the DNR website).

Does - 28,856
Bucks - 43,255
Total Deer - 72,111

The above indicates an approximate 15% decrease in harvest as of the end of shotgun 1. The decrease in bucks harvested is worse at 37% while this year's doe harvest numbers are keeping pace with last season. This seems to indicate people are shooting does in the absence of bucks in 2013.

Shotgun 2, Late ML, Depredation/Mgnt Zones and January Anterless produced an additional 43,497 for a 2012-13 total of 115,608. These additional seasons represented an approx. 38% of the total while the harvest as of the conclusion of shotgun 1 was 62%.

Assuming a similar ratio of the seasons to the total, the 2013-14 total deer harvest appears to be headed towards the sub-100,000 level for the first time in a LOOOOOOOOOOOONG time. I guess we will see how close this is in about six weeks.

 

[twn417]

Thanks for the info BJ. I think EHD the last two years has been a huge culprit. In four years we will see how the heard rebounds!

 

[ironwood]

Great post. It will be interesting to see how the DNR responds if your numbers hold true.

 

[JNRBRONC]

I was following the numbers as well but hadn't done any forecasting except to doubt we would match last year's total.

Headed out second season and I'll eat my tag before shooting a small buck/doe.

 

[JNRBRONC]

Great post. It will be interesting to see how the DNR responds if your numbers hold true.

It's the Gov/legislature that I worry about how they respond.

 

[StickersNKickers]

I also read that the license/tag sales for 1st shotgun were down, and possibly more will be going 2nd. Article below (I bolded parts of it for reference):

Second Shotgun Deer Season Begins Saturday
Posted: 12/12/2013
Iowa’s first shotgun deer season closed Wednesday and the preliminary numbers indicate that license sales and harvest are both down from previous years.

Sales of licenses declined 7 percent from 2012 and the reported harvest is 18 percent lower. The decrease reflects decreased deer numbers across the state as well as fewer licenses being issued, continuing the downward trend in harvest since its peak in 2006. The bitterly cold weather was likely a factor as well.

Iowa’s second shotgun season begins Saturday.

Historically a lower kill during the first season often results in more deer being taken during the second. Hunters get an additional weekend of hunting during the second season and the weather forecast looks more favorable.

Party hunting is a common practice during the shotgun season and hunters are reminded to be careful when hunting in a group. Always make sure that you are shooting in a safe direction before pulling the trigger.

Hunters during the second season typically take a higher percentage of does than first season hunters do. However, if hunters are seeing fewer deer where they hunt they may want to refrain from harvesting extra does. Hunters should check with landowners to see if deer numbers are at an acceptable level and tailor their harvest accordingly.

To avoid waiting in line hunters should consider buying a license today. Current sales for the second season are nearly 30,000 below last year but a large proportion of hunters wait until the last minute to buy a license. About 25,000 licenses will be purchased between Thursday and Saturday morning.

Hunters are reminded to report their harvest within 24 hours of recovering their deer. This information is an important part of the data needed to manage Iowa’s deer herd.

 

[Fishbonker]

The only confounding variable is the weather. Cold 1st season this year, what was the weather last year? What will the weather be for the rest of the seasons? Doe kills stayed about the same, bucks down, I'm of the opinion there were fewer bucks to kill but there are those groups that will blame the weather for lower hunter success/turnout. It is all about the spin and what FB and the 'stasche want to put on the numbers not what the guys in the DNR trenches want to do. This was proven last year.

 

[westonorlando]

That's good i appreciate your information.

 

[Sligh1]

Way too many people- like almost all the hillbilly weekend slug slingers could care less about harvest data, refraining from killing, management or biology. They wanna kill stuff. And most deer hunters, even the Walmart warriors loading up on rifles slugs tonight- all are deer experts ready to tell u about how to deer hunt and why they are master hunters. We have few humble hillbillies who really want to learn about deer and managing them. In a nutshell- that's why we MUST have the DNR step in, step above POLITICS and get all this crap regulated correctly. We r down a nasty road I hope recovers but unfortunately- the hunters out there in the masses could care less about anything except slingin slugs.

 

[goatman]

Iowa will be down as is IL and Wis. Not sure about MO. Weather,biology, or being a hillbilly doesn't seem to matter as there is less deer at this time.

 

[nemohunter]

Iowa will be down as is IL and Wis. Not sure about MO. Weather,biology, or being a hillbilly doesn't seem to matter as there is less deer at this time.

Missouri is way down from previous years, they announced next years firearms seasons today too, antlerless season did not go away, still hoping they don't issue unlimited tags

 

[BDAHMS]

Way too many people- like almost all the hillbilly weekend slug slingers could care less about harvest data, refraining from killing, management or biology. They wanna kill stuff. And most deer hunters, even the Walmart warriors loading up on rifles slugs tonight- all are deer experts ready to tell u about how to deer hunt and why they are master hunters. We have few humble hillbillies who really want to learn about deer and managing them. In a nutshell- that's why we MUST have the DNR step in, step above POLITICS and get all this crap regulated correctly. We r down a nasty road I hope recovers but unfortunately- the hunters out there in the masses could care less about anything except slingin slugs.

I bow hunt as well as participate as a "weekend slug slinger" our group completely refrained from our normal 10-12 deer down and only ended up killing 2 mature bucks. Period. Be careful how you phrase things- I know plenty of unethical bow hunters as I do orange army members. Just because you only choose to use a bow and not participate in gun season doesn't mean all
Gun hunters are Walmart warriors and have a brown its down mentality. You state this as if only gun hunters are putting a damage In the deer population-

 

[MissionMan]

Locally I have heard of many groups that decided to go second season instead of the usual first. I think at least some of these were at least the trophy hunter type. The group I'm going with tommorow skipped there usual first season because they period just weren't seeing the deer they wanted to take. Ihavent seen many deer taken over 140 handful at 130 but nothing mature or super special...... western Iowa by the way

 

[MissionMan]

In regards to ehd I haven't seen any deer with the cracked hooves they say is a sign of being a survivor but also have yet to see a buck over 4 1/2 and only seen one of those

 

[Open Site]

I bow hunt as well as participate as a "weekend slug slinger" our group completely refrained from our normal 10-12 deer down and only ended up killing 2 mature bucks. Period. Be careful how you phrase things- I know plenty of unethical bow hunters as I do orange army members. Just because you only choose to use a bow and not participate in gun season doesn't mean all Gun hunters are Walmart warriors and have a brown its down mentality. You state this as if only gun hunters are putting a damage In the deer population-

It's the lee and Tiffany wannabe famous know it alls on here that preach that they can tell everyone how to hunt and what to do and what not to do that drive me and a lot of people nuts. Give me a break. You don't hunt where i I hunt nor where the other 95% of the guys on here hunt. You want to manage the state of Iowas deer, apply for a job with the DNR. You have a right to your opinion and can post it on here but man. Give it a rest. Your stressing me out just by reading this stuff. I can't imagine. The restless nights you all are having over deer numbers. The state pays people to study this and. Work the numbers and watch what's going on. Get out there and enjoy your hunt and let them worry about it. Don't need any arrow slingers having heart attacks in the stand because they don't have any 200 class deer on their leased ground. The guys on tv always shoot a big deer so I should be doing it mentality is ridiculous I have gone multiple years with out shooting a deer and years where I have shot a dozen. Your hunting enjoy it.

 

[Hardwood11]

Minnesota went from a harvest of 285,000 2002 ....to approx 142,000 this year

We are shooting half the deer we used to, and from my observations that is right on. We are seeing 1/2 the deer we used to---despite more food plots and more habitat on our farms

 

[MNbuckhunter]

...years where I have shot a dozen.

I usually stay out of these "hot debates". I don't even hunt Iowa or even try to get a tag. I am on the site to enjoy stories others share and hopefully share some of my own, as well as continue to expand my knowledge of the whitetail...

BUT, IMO one person shooting "a dozen" deer is EXCESSIVE and TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. Wipe the blood off your fangs and manage a resource!!! Cripes man!!

 

[flugge]

I have shot 8 deer this year, 2 bucks, and 6 does.. I have farms all across the state, and the only farm I took multiple does off of has about 1600 acres surrounding it of non huntable land. So tell me I am wrong for shooting what I think is right... and go :way:

 

[Open Site]

I usually stay out of these "hot debates". I don't even hunt Iowa or even try to get a tag. I am on the site to enjoy stories others share and hopefully share some of my own, as well as continue to expand my knowledge of the whitetail... BUT, IMO one person shooting "a dozen" deer is EXCESSIVE and TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. Wipe the blood off your fangs and manage a resource!!! Cripes man!!

When you party hunt you can shoot for others in your party. I would not shoot 12 for just me.

 

[MNbuckhunter]

I have shot 8 deer this year, 2 bucks, and 6 does.. I have farms all across the state, and the only farm I took multiple does off of has about 1600 acres surrounding it of non huntable land. So tell me I am wrong for shooting what I think is right... and go :way:

You don't need to defend or justify it to me. I was simply just staying my personal opinion on harvesting a dozen deer. There is no defined right or wrong here, just my opinion.