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Law Question

M

MXZ

Guest
I recived my IA Lic. today the law book that was sent with Lic. I could not find any section on Spot lighting deer at night ? In my state you can not do this at any time of the year. I wanted to know if this is allowed in IA ? And if so what are the law's of spot lighting ? can you do this year round ? all hours of the night ? Could some one give me feed back on this and maybe tell me if I should be looking for another Regulations book other than the one that comes with Lic. ?
I will email state as well , thanks MXZ.
PS.. if you can spot light deer don't this get farmers up set with spot lighters shining there fields all night??
 
Gary, I just sent you an email. They sent you a small deer and turkey regs. booklet. There is bigger version of hunting and trapping regs you should probably have. On one of my old ones it says" This info is available in alternative formats upon request by contacting the DNR at 515 281 5918. By the way its illegal unless you have a coon treed. Monte
 
Forgot to tell you that you can pick the regs up any place they sell huntings licenses if you wanted to wait until you arrived.
 
You can't cast the rays of a spotligt, headlight or other artificial light on a highway or in a field, woodland or forest for the purpose of spotting, locating, taking or attempting to take or hunt a bird or animal, while having in possession or control, either singly or as one of a group of persons, any firearm, bow or other device capable of killing or taking a bird or animal. This rule doesn't apply to hunting raccoons or other furbearing animals when they are treed with the aid of a dog.

In other words it is legal to spotlight as long as you have nothing in your possession (on your person or in the vehicle) that is capable of killing or taking an animal.

Doug Clayton

State Conservation Officer
 
I didnt know you could spotlight if you werent hunting.I guess the word...locating..still confuses me. Thanks for the answer.Sow, do you know Jeff Morrison or Mike Bonser? I went to high school with both of them. MXZ I guess I gave you an answer that was only half right.
 
Blind Sow, just wanted to take a second to tell you how nice it is to have a conservation officer that is willing to give input to the many questions that come up on this web site. I think it is very refreshing. Do not mean to get off track, just wanted to make that comment.
 
We used to go around and spotlight deer.As long as you do as Blind Sow said and keep away from peoples houses its a good scouting tool.Escpecially now when its so hot out and the deer arent moving untill its cooler out after dark much.Youll see a lotta bucks you never knew were around in the daytime
 
Blind Sow : Thank you , I will contact DNR to get the larger law book as well. I am going to be out bowhunting in late Nov.26 -Dec.4th and thought I saw a post saying that you could spot deer at night. While the state I'm from this is a large NO-NO Vermont course the reason might be because we don't have many deer!
Think we will go out one or two nights maybe and give it a try , course we'll feel like were doing something wrong. Thanks again your huntN friend from Vermont.
 
Blind Sow
I thought for sure you could not spotlight in Iowa (I was obviously wrong). We were told by the locals that it was not legal.

New subject maybe you can point me in the right direction. We have a 700 acre lease in northern Missouri which some of the locals have told us it is common practice for them to start shooting the nice buck at night two weeks before the season, do you think if we contacted the local conservation officer they could set up some sort of night survelance to catch these guys. We have worked hard to develop some great habitat for these deer and we have great buck on this property it is just ashame these folks have to take these deer in this manner. I would much rather see them wander onto our neighboring property and see a hunter kill them in a fair chase. Just looking for some input. THANKS
Jeff
 
The DNR officers in the state of IA don't get enough credit. I have known a few of them thru the years and they have always been fair. Hey Okla-hawkeye sounds as if you went to SB-L.
 
whtfantasies, I quit hunting some public land areas in Iowa because of the night-time rifle poaching of both Missouri raiders and the locals. I got this info from the area CO's who claimed they could not keep up with the problem.

blindsow, Do you know if it is OK to spotlight on state F&W areas? State Parks?
 
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