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Harvest trends

gundog870

gundog870

Premium Platinum Member
A little blurb from the DNR this week:

Deer Harvest on Similar Pace as 2013
Posted: 11/18/2014
Hunters have reported harvesting 23,807 deer as of Monday, which is within 100 deer of where it was a year ago at this time despite the recent cold weather.

“The rut is going strong and will continue for the next week to 10 days,” said Jim Coffey, forest wildlife research technician for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “Hunters should focus onfood sources and bedding areas where does go as bucks will be checking these areas out.”

The reported number of bucks taken has increased 1,000 while the reported doe harvest is down 1,000, which reflects the changes in regulations.


I am optimistically hoping that this is a step in the right direction for Iowa's deer herd. Just another reminder for those of you that are not happy with your numbers - Leave the ladies alone :D
 
Nick - Any idea whether this factors in depredation tags/harvests?? We have a localized issue in an area that I hunt related to the usage of depredation tags. Just curious.
 
I have no idea, but I don't think that the depredation tags are reported in this system. This is strictly speculation because they are kept separate and I don't believe the guys that get them are calling them into the harvest report system.
 
I couldn't agree more! Yes if you can let the ladies go. I have been hunting 4 days a week for the last 3 weeks and deer sighting are down about the same as last year.
 
I have left the ladies alone on my property in Washington County except for my 12 yr old took his first deer being a doe 3 years ago. Hopefully we don't get snow like buffalo, not starting out looking like its going to be a mild winter.
 
Our neighborhood never really got into the demolish the doe trend and a farmer has left a standing corn field the last 4 years. It really screwed me for late muzzy but it has really helped the population. Went to clear the field for my brother on Tuesday and about shit when 60 deer cleared out. He said he counted 50 deer but stopped counting because he was waiting for the big boy to come check does.
 
Fellas this is one that I just cant agree with you all on. I recall last year, the last day of second season my daughter and I had over 50 deer (trust me she counted) on a picked bean field at one time. This year seems to be about the same. I counted deer in the double digits every time I have been out. That is hunting mostly in the timber because the corn is still in. I tagged out on the 8th and haven't been to the farm much since but I think, in my area, the numbers are as high or higher than I have seen them.
I am from south central Iowa and am not sure if you guys are close or not but this shotgun season we will do some heard management for sure.
 
I hunt in south central Iowa and I hunt 3 different properties all within 20 minutes of each other- and all fairly large properties. And 2 of the 3 have below average numbers and one is way high- I personally feel it is area specific as 1 property was hit HARD with EHD and the others had some major over hunting issues before the neighbors sold to WTU I just think its area specific as far as below- ave - above average and I think the above average #'s properties are outliers for the state average
 
jcutter said:
Fellas this is one that I just cant agree with you all on. I recall last year, the last day of second season my daughter and I had over 50 deer (trust me she counted) on a picked bean field at one time. This year seems to be about the same. I counted deer in the double digits every time I have been out. That is hunting mostly in the timber because the corn is still in. I tagged out on the 8th and haven't been to the farm much since but I think, in my area, the numbers are as high or higher than I have seen them.
I am from south central Iowa and am not sure if you guys are close or not but this shotgun season we will do some heard management for sure.
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I don't doubt that your areas are fine, there are lots of great pockets! However, as a state, our population is way down, harvests are down, and we need to be careful how we handle it moving forward.

I am sure you know, but when deer group up as the season wears on, there are many hunters who think that they have a great population, but the truth is, they are hunting the only food source that every deer in 5 square miles is using at that time.
 
jcutter said:
Fellas this is one that I just cant agree with you all on. I recall last year, the last day of second season my daughter and I had over 50 deer (trust me she counted) on a picked bean field at one time. This year seems to be about the same. I counted deer in the double digits every time I have been out. That is hunting mostly in the timber because the corn is still in. I tagged out on the 8th and haven't been to the farm much since but I think, in my area, the numbers are as high or higher than I have seen them.
I am from south central Iowa and am not sure if you guys are close or not but this shotgun season we will do some heard management for sure.
Click to expand...

I am not sure there is a disagreement here on this issue, every neighborhood is different. Some areas are still quite low on the deer population meter, others are still pretty solid and may have too many. It sounds like you are fortunate to be in an area there are still plenty. Good luck during the shotgun season!!
 
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