Has to go down as one of the worst ever!

[Hawk32]

Is there any positives in the numbers declining at all from what they may have been 5-10 years ago?

Examples: maybe less commercialization, not becoming such a rich mans sport, not every tom dick and harry stomping through the brush, less leasing/outfitting. Just a few ideas. I am sure there are others.

Not saying I agree with whats going on and how everything is being handled, just throwing some more fuel on the fire for discussion. In fact I am in complete agreement with most everything that has been said already. I fear we are heading in a downward spiral. A few years back I had a retired gentleman I used to hunt with some tell me that he felt the best days of deer hunting were behind us. And he wasn't just talking about deer numbers. As the years go on I think he might be right in a lot of ways.

 

[Baby-G]

Fellas, I don't like to point fingers. Its a resident problem, not a non-resident problem.....

Non-residents are very limited and kill a very small percentage of deer compared to residents. You have got to get the word out that guys need to quit killing doe's!!!

 

[Baby-G]

There is no way declining numbers could ever be positive. Iowa has never ever been over populated with deer....ever....

 

[Liv4Rut]

Is there any positives in the numbers declining at all from what they may have been 5-10 years ago?

Examples: maybe less commercialization, not becoming such a rich mans sport, not every tom dick and harry stomping through the brush, less leasing/outfitting. Just a few ideas. I am sure there are others.

Not saying I agree with whats going on and how everything is being handled, just throwing some more fuel on the fire for discussion. In fact I am in complete agreement with most everything that has been said already. I fear we are heading in a downward spiral. A few years back I had a retired gentleman I used to hunt with some tell me that he felt the best days of deer hunting were behind us. And he wasn't just talking about deer numbers. As the years go on I think he might be right in a lot of ways.

I think the downside to lower numbers will be an increase in leasing. Guys are going to get sick of hunting their butts off and not seeing anything on public or mediocre private. They will want to claim a good area through their checkbook because that is what it will take.

 

[SEIowaDeerslayer]

I'll never pay to hunt except for the gas to get there and the tags. I guess I'll just have to keep making habitat improvements in hopes of sucking in all the deer there are left. The late doe season really needs to go, and we need a few mild summers with timely rains.

 

[Hawk32]

Liv4rut

I agree with your statement. That very well could make it worse. I would be one of those guys and I would pay whatever neccessary to hunt if I had to as long as it doesn't put my family out I would do what it takes.

BabyG

I agree with you as well, the declining numbers is not a non resident issue and is 100% up to us to make things change. Whether thats not shooting does on our own account or taking it step further and getting more involved in organizations to help voice our opinions. I do disagree with your statement that Iowa has never been over populated though. Maybe not over the entire state but there are many areas that needed a decline in pop. Some more severe than others.

 

[Hardwood11]

Sorry, strikes me as ironic, someone from MN who has rifle season during the rut giving IA advice.

I do agree with you and don't mean this as a jab at you, just pointing out the obvious.

MN Hunter is not the head of the DNR, definite dumb to have guns during rut, but also stupid to have Late rifle doe season...

 

[JNRBRONC]

I do disagree with your statement that Iowa has never been over populated though.

Define overpopulation.

The deer herd has never reached "carrying capacity" as far as nutrition is concerned. Yeah, there have been a few county parks where the deer numbers created a huge browse line and the surrounding farms got raided, but I don't think a deer has ever died of starvation in Iowa (except for a very harsh winter here and there). With the amount of ag and waste grain, there is plenty of food (if the waste grain is not encapsulated in ice).

So outside of starvation, what other metrics can be used to arrive at the ideal number of deer? Crop damage? Auto accidents? Hunter satisfaction surveys? Nature enthusiast surveys? Etc.?

 

[SCOFFIN]

Compared to the damage all these antlerless tags do to our deer population, I have to think the poacher impact is fairly minimal (illegal and unethical as all get out) but impact on population has to be low. I bet roadkill causes more damage to the population than poachers.

EHD, too many does getting shot, roadkill, then add in that we harvest 1/3 of the estimated herd the last two years. The population is trending down and recovery will not happen unless the dnr changes course or we as hunters take our own action.

 

[sep0667]

The population has continued to drop on the places I hunt this year. Luckily I have a couple PL spots where the population is still outstanding though (have to be willing to put in a hike/alot of effort to get to it and its hardly touched). It won't change unless the doe tags a dropped dramatically. To many people don't truly pay attention to what is going on where they are hunting and just want to shoot a deer/fill doe tags because they can. They don't think about the repercussions in 2-3 years and beyond. Unfortunately polictics/$$$ trump the ecosystem and the DNR.