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Low deer numbers

K

Kaptain Kill

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I hunt northeast Iowa in Fayette County. I too think numbers are way down. I think some groups finally starting killing some does, and have now become addicted to it. Time to let off the gas on killing them?
 
Northern 2/3rds of state may mimic the buffalo hunting of the 1800's. If there's no deer or pheasants - what u all gonna do up there? Bingo, shuffle board, scrap booking?
 
Sligh1 said:
Northern 2/3rds of state may mimic the buffalo hunting of the 1800's. If there's no deer or pheasants - what u all gonna do up there? Bingo, shuffle board, scrap booking?
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Not much of a shuffleboarder, bingoer, or scrap booker; but that new thing where you can make bracelets and necklaces out of beads is a great past time.
All joking aside, we put a hault to the doe slaying 3 years back. The population was out of control then, and far too many young bucks were getting shot so we had numerous does and no bucks. We stopped shooting the does and people around us stopped shooting young bucks. Seen alot more up and comers this year and some shooters, but not the amount I'd like to see. I did see over 30 different does on Saturday while shotgun hunting so it gives me hope that our efforts have created us a nice pocket of deer. Neighbors didn't shoot any does that I know of and did take 2 immature deer, while wounding two nice bucks and not finding them. Another group from the area thats hunts 10 miles north of us slaughtered the deer. Shot something like 25, with I think 8 bucks or something like that. They complained about the numbers being lower and still waylaid 17 does(genius, I know). They were the same groups that didn't want to shoot does before because it "wasn't cool" and now they won't stop.
 
Northern 2/3rds of state may mimic the buffalo hunting of the 1800's. If there's no deer or pheasants - what u all gonna do up there? Bingo, shuffle board, scrap booking?
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Shoot the Squirrels!! Seriously, a Squirrel eats like 150 pounds a year. If you shoot them look how many acorns you are saving for the deer! Not to mention Squirrel tastes soooo good!
 
yeah i know a group hunting 2nd season that already shot more deer than they need, been giving them away. guess what they still have 8 tags left and are gonna try and fill them. this is exactly why theres no deer,i hate party hunting.
 
If they would quit allowing party hunting that would help a ton. They could still probably generate the revenue from selling all the extra doe tags, but i dont think near as many does would get killed.

NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!!
 
In SW IA where I'm at, we still saw deer last weekend but I would say overall compared the last several years, the numbers were down.
 
According to a local DNR guy........Next year the doe tags are gonna be nill!! :confused: If they keep letting Branstad, and the Insurance co.run it , we are screwed! :mad:
 
My land buts up to a very large chunk of timber and the group that hunts it during shotgun took 40 deer during 1st season. 36 were does. This is about the same as the last 2 years. There isn't any shortage of deer in this area because of prime habitat but how much longer can the area sustain this kind of harvest? Not to mention the guys in there 2nd season were really pounding away last weekend. I would guess about 100 deer are shot on approx 1000acres through all the seasons. Last year after gun season I noticed a big drop in does but definitely no shortage during bow season this year. It just really worries me down the road what is going to happen. Nice thing is my property turns into a sanctuary during gun season. I saw over 50 deer Sunday morn of gun 1 while they pushed the 600acre piece next to me. A lot were just feeding in the food plots while they were blasting away
 
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We put an end to shooting does three to four years ago and it the numbers have kept going down and down... Be interesting to see its like next year as second season was so nice many people hunted more than usual around here...
 
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