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My apologies.

The whole thing has been turned into a political whorl wind. It looks like they are just playing in to the pressures from outside forces that have no concern for the real issues at hand. Selling more tags through all kinds of gimmicks (rifles, more non-res. tags, guns in nov. extended seasons etc.) will due nothing but harm the future of deer hunting in this state.

I don’t believe that our current system is broke. Why not work within a proven system to get the job done that needs to.

Bottom line: If it’s not broke then don’t fix it.


As I posted on another thread, write to you local representatives, get a hold of the higher ups in the DNR. Because right now all they are hearing from are those that have no concern for the future of hunting in this state.
 
I find it very, very hard to believe that there will be 10,000 does killed during the antlerless doe season. In fact, I really question how many people will actively try to hunt does that weekend. Most deer hunters will either be bowhunting that weekend or will choose to let their farm sit in anticipation of the upcoming gun season. Given how little harassment that mature deer tolerate will tolerate, why go disturbing every single deer on your farm in pursuit of a few does, when you can simply wait one weekend for gun season to open and then shoot every doe that you have a tag for, while still holding out for a mature animal. Most hunters that choose to hunt the antlerless November season will likely end up pounding public ground in search of a few does. To me, this is counterproductive as it creates even more "private land sancuatries" and further educates deer on public land. That will likely make hunting even tougher the following weekend for gun season.

I think that there way too much emphasis on selling the alloted number of a counties antlerless tags. There needs to be some though given to "recycling" antlerless tags that go unfilled. Lets say that a county issues 1,000 antlerless tags and 400 of them go unfilled. Under the current system, the county only reaches 60% of its goal. By "recycling" those antlerless tags to make them eligible for later seasons, that county could very realistically achieve 80% of its harvest goal. Seems pretty simple to me.
 
The two new gun seasons will be a huge blow to mature buck hunting in Iowa. And you can bet your bottom dollar that once instituted, these seasons will never, never, never go away. Gun hunters are the majority, and they will cry bigtime to their legislators if something were taken from them. No question about that. I live in a crappy management gun-rut state, and it's hopeless. A majority will never be in favor of reducing gun days.....never. Antler restrictions and one buck rules are all we can get, only after a fight. Those are inferior management practices.

The January antlerless rifle season ruined Kansas. I quit going there.

It's a shame. There are many other ways to reduce doe numbers. I'm astounded any management professional could not clearly recognize what a pathetic management method a January rackless season provides. If it's all about money, why would Iowa kill shed bucks instead of getting $330 a piece??? Go figure! If it weren't about money, why not institute a short notice bonus doe tag with every license?

Iowa has always been #1 in my book, but not for long anymore. I just hope I draw this year, so I can remember the good old days.
 
Ok, so there are pockets of high deer density in the state. I think most of them are practically off limits - urban areas where you usually can’t hunt, a few farmers who allow NO hunting, and leased land where most of the deer know they’re relatively safe. The deer are going to be practically wiped out everywhere else? How is this helping?? Sally Soccermom is still going to plow into all the urban sprawl deer, and with more and more land being leased, deer will have plenty of sanctuary from the average hunter.

Its really sad to see our deer being treated like vermin.
 
WRS,

In your first post you state "Yes we did consider that the HUSH program would be expanded (and it will help) but we did not feel confident that enough extra does would be killed. (we had 1900 deer donated in 2004 in 55 counties)."

It seems to me that you are underestimating the number of people that would participate in the HUSH program if you would simply make a large increase in the number of participating meat lockers and made some simple changes to how anterless tags are done (reduce the price and make them good for any season). I personally know several people that would shoot more does if a locker in their area was participating in the HUSH program. It seems like the most obvious and unobtrusive solutions have been skipped for the more drastic one that was passed. I do not believe that the current deer numbers required such a "snap" decision by you and the others at the Wildlife Bureau. Are there so many deer/car collisions that we need to start a high power rifle season and allow shotgun hunters to take to the field while archers are also out hunting? I think you have done an excellent job managing the Iowa deer herd so far, but I think you need to put some pressure on the landowners and urban areas that are restricting access for hunters to perform their duty. And also let me say thanks for doing as good of a job as you do with such a crappy budget. The sad amount of money that is allocated to the DNR is what I believe we as outdoorsman should be focusing on shouting about. If the DNR had more funds we would have more public hunting/access, more officers, the HUSH program would be expanded to where it should be ect...
 
Our group shot several deer this past year, but most of us can't handle eating or storing more than 2 per year. I gave away two to some friends, but the HUSH program was basically finished in the areas that I looked. I shot 5 deer last year, but I would have gladly shot 10 more if I knew where I could place the deer afterward and if it didn't cost me over $100 to do so. I'm with the rest of the guys on this board. If we have such a big overpopulation problem let us shoot them for $2 a doe. You will see a ton more deer shot. Set up donation sites where people who really need some meat can wait for me to drop off a deer and they can cut it up for themselves. Heck get me in touch with a needy family and I'll help them cut it up. It seems like the DNR or whoever sets the license prices are using shady tactics to justify new seasons and increased NR tags ( Any sex ) just to get more money. We ( R and NR )can fix the problem if they would just let us help without going broke.
 
I am with all of you on this whole thing. I am suprised that no one has said to give the youth and disabled hunters another tag, I mean what better way to get some more youth in to the sport that we all love that to let a 12 year old go out and shoot a couple of does, I bet that would hook em for life.
 
...can anyone remember? - were 1st season shotgun hunters restricted to only one antlerless tag last year as they were in previous years?...
 
wjs,

If in fact these two new gun seasons are a done deal, and you claim they can be removed if doe populations get under control, the very least the DNR can do is plaster all over the regulation booklets that these seasons are "EMERGENCY" and "TEMPORARY" multiple times, in bold print. After these seasons get a grip, gun hunters will harass legislators to no end, and in great numbers, to maintain these seasons. That is how gun hunters and politics work. I've seen it over and over and over in our crappy deer management states, like mine.

I wish they'd at least have required shotguns for this late antlerless season. The rifle is the tool of the poacher and you are inviting them to step right in and shoot'em up. I quit hunting one specific FWA in southern Iowa because the CO's even told me they could not control the "midnight raiders" crossing over the line from Missouri with nighttime rifle jaunts. The only difference this year is the poachers won't have to conceal themselves in the darkness. They will simply return after dark to retrieve their trophy bucks laying in the weeds. No doubt the beer cans were popped and plans formulated after these 2 new gun seasons were annnounced.
 
Being from Missouri you have to show me. with out check stations how do you know how many deer are being killed. when i am luckie enough to get drawn i have never gotten a survey slip or what ever you call it.one more thing when who ever calls the shots retires and gets on a fixed income i hope social security & theit 401k are all broke.(i forgot they don't pay social security. one more thing it would have at least sounded better if you said we are rasing the price of nonresident tags by a 100.00 but you now can take a doe also. sounds better than manditory doe tags. same money. also you could make much more revenue by opening dove season
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jj6, Actually I believe they are raising the NR price by $100 and putting a doe tag on there for 2006. That is what I read anyway.

There's no dove season in Iowa? That really surprises me. That belongs in america's heartland.

Hey I heard antler restrictions are expanding in your state. Hope the quality rebounds in a few years. Wish we had'em. The third year of one buck is helping a bit here in Indiana.
 
Well said Zim. You know, the irony is almost laughable, except for the serious perpetual effects that are sure to follow.
The irony is this, that a group that lobbies the legislature so hard to keep the NR landowner next door from hunting his own land, just so they can kill the buck next door themselves, is now going to have bubba from down the road shoot the buck when it has no antlers. Great deer management!
Members on this site have been vehement about keeping out an additional 6000 NR hunters, who might have taken out 2000-3000 bucks if they were extremely successful. Now you will lose many, many, more bucks than that to the high powers and gun hunters who will shoot the first deer without antlers they see. Not some, but MOST of the bigger antlered bucks will have shed by this late season.
I have been outspoken about Iowa’s policy in regard to NR landowners, most of you know that. I have been bitter toward fellow hunters who exclude us from our own land, and you know that. Now I am sorry for you. I pity you because I know where this will take you. I know how it feels to be forced to accept bad legislation or policy.
If anyone needs convincing that this is not good for Iowa, come to N.C. and hunt my land. We have always had rifles here, we are still over populated in most areas and our bucks average 100” or less. It isn’t getting better fast. Our wildlife commission implemented a rifle doe season in the Shining Rock Wilderness here over ten years ago. The deer herd never recovered there. You are hard pressed to even see a deer there today. You are now heading down that same road. You will still be over populated in some areas, and have no deer in others. This is your wake up call. Do hunters run deer policy in Iowa, or big business, the legislature, and the DNR?
 
180, come on . . don't even pretend to care about Iowa hunters. You know, and most on this site know that your motives go a whole different direction. ($$$$$) You only post when it relates to non-resident hunting opportunities. Your contributions to this site beyond that topic are virtually none. Now, that is your option, and within reason, you can say whatever you want. So, why then haven't you made some suggestions as to how the state could better control the doe population. . . other than 'open it up for thousands of more tags to non-residents'? Non-res hunters are welcome in Iowa, and always will be - we just want the numbers kept to reasonable levels. Your 'solution' does NOTHING to help the doe population problem, and you know it would likely make it much, much worse, as more and more land would get locked up by leasing and outfitting. I usually stay out of these debates, but you're way over the top on this one. If you had been honest in the beginning, it would have been a different story.
 
I'm a nonresident landowner and would love to be able to reduce the doe population if allowed to at a reasonable price. I'm strictly a bowhunter and hate to see the rifle season get started. I don't think anyone who appreciates quality deer hunting wants unlimited NR tags or a rifle season. I'd love the opportunity to help reduce the herd but I don't have that chance. The way this was handled is very disturbing.
 
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I have been outspoken about Iowa’s policy in regard to NR landowners, most of you know that. I have been bitter toward fellow hunters who exclude us from our own land, and you know that.

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yes 180, your every post on every website, is supportive of your own personal agenda....we know that

nothing you have ever said, has had any merit from a wildlife biology stand point...we know that

you also like to take pictures from these sites to try to sell hunts on your land.....we know that

that being said, a landowner who doesn't draw an anysex tag, should be able to get an antlerless tag, without breaking the bank (any NR that wants to come shoot a doe). but if someone were to try that "temptaion" crap that was spewed in the register a few months ago, there iowa privledges should be yanked...permanently
 
Antler ristriction in Mo. what a joke they did away with check stations how can they have a antler restriction. JJ6 in Mo.
 
Whew! those outside forces. Luke watch out. The main force involved here is the IBA. They are the hardest lobbiest envolved in the legistlature and spend the most funds to restrict both NR tags and any changes into the firearms season. This I know for a fact due to my research of Senate file #206. Now all you defensive insanely uneducated Bowhunters may start your bashing. I am a bowhunter and also a firearms hunter. I also hunt elk, antelope, moose, and deer in other states every year and enjoy those states allowing me to share their wildlife. I found it highly entertaining that the key speaker at the IBA was Chuck Adams, a guy who pays big money to kill his animals with outfitters and purchased tags. Talk about hipocritical. And that I attended the banquet with several key TV hunting hosts and they were recieved with a warm welcome applause, yet are now being bashed in the celebrity tags post. Get real people, Iowa could give out another 3-6 thousand tags and still have a deer problem, heck put two doe tags in with each anysex tag and we still have gods plenty deer. The IBA is a brainwashed don't let anybody kill our big deer org. (TRUE) hunters don't discriminate between any weapon or residency.....Let me hunt in your state, but stay out of mine.
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Now all you defensive insanely uneducated Bowhunters may start your bashing.

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By reading your well articulated post I can see you're a true intellect yourself.
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Let me begin by saying I agree with the IBA on most issues, to include their NR position, for the most part. However, I tried to raise this in another thread. Did the IBA drop the ball on the rifle issue? With so much attention being placed on NR's, which of most would be bow hunters with a less than 50% success rate, did the IA legislature come in the back door? I do not support any type of rifle hunting in Iowa. In fact, I wish they would ban the rifle in PA, but I'm laughed out of every conversation I'm in when I mention this possibility.
I don't think allowing more NR's would solve the problem, but most politicians don't know that. Maybe if there were a little give on each end this rifle season would not have been considered. Not trying to ruffle feathers, but something to think about for the future.
 
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