Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

My apologies.

I think the DNR is genius if they just want to make more money and shoot more does, everybody and their brother will want to come to southern iowa and shoot does with rifles, including myself. It's something most folks have never done before, and something they would like to try. But as far as everything else, I think it's pretty retarded
grin.gif
 
This season will not be issued on a year by year basis. It will be here to stay, and is only the begining of what is to come. There is not ever going to be a point where the DNR and the insurance companies sit back and say we have reached their goal. Its kind of funny that they want to rake in big nonresident dollars but at the same time are drastically trying to change what brought that money here in the first place. In a perfect world I believe what they are trying would work. However, there is just going to be to many little "side effects" to make the new seasons effective.
 
Here in Kansas we have had a Jan. any weapon doe season for the last 3 or 4 years. You guys are going to be sick when you see how many big shed bucks get killed. Thank god you guys have check stations so the DNR will see the problem.We don't have check stations here but you sure here about all the shed bucks showing up at the processing plants.You guys will be excited about hunting a buck you picked the sheds up from that won't even exist the following seson. Believe me, It sucks!
mad.gif
 
KansasHeadHunter.....thanks for the confirmation.....I think.
confused.gif



[ QUOTE ]

And I have found enough sheds in January to tell you that the 5 percent shed buck kill number will be going up!
frown.gif


[/ QUOTE ]
 
Guys,
This may be to late to respond but I just cannot shut my flapper on this subject. Being an NR and someone that lives in a rifle-state you should be really concerned over the slippery insertion(WJS) of a rifle season in Iowa. I love to hunt there when possiable, the people are honest and courteous and scenery is super. You guys are so lucky!
But, WJS is trying to pull the wool over your heads and lots of it! He's no doubt a loyal member of the IDNR but assigned the task of satisfying both the Insurance companies and the DNRs desire to make more money off your deer. IF Iowa wants the herd reduced, give out more does tags. Yep, I said "give"! Give the farmers 1 free doe tag per 10 acres, let him recover some of his crop loses. Give me(NR)a doe tag along with my Any-Sex tag. Charge me a reasonable rate if necessary. Heck, if you want to really reduce the herd, take the tags off does! Anything but opening rifle season. A lot of hunters(Iowans and NRs) would like to shoot more does to eat or give to the needy if more tags were available. The meat is like good beef, deer around my home state are strong and stringy. Not all of us(NRs) are trophy or nothing hunters. When and if I return to your great state and don't or do harvest a trophy, I would love to take home a couple does to munch on over the year.
You guys have good shooters there like we have good shooters here and some of your bucks are going to get whacked during other seasons! In the late rifle season for does you'er going to lose a number of shedded-bucks also. Hunters simply cannot see the empty burrs at 300-400 yds in often dim light! Once the door is opened, other seasons will follow and poaching will devastate your trophies. People, not necessarly hunters, will then have a reason for owning a rifle intended for something other than varmints. With shotguns shooting accurately at 125 yds and MLs at 200 yds, put a rifle in the shooters hands and 400 yds becomes a reality!
You have a great management program in place and enjoy some of the best whitetail hunting in the world, don't let them screw it up!
 
wjs, i too want to thank you for informing us of what is going on, and to commend you for throwing yourself into the "lion's den", especially on suc a hot button issue...that being said...

the late season antlerless season, originally started as a special season, for the botom two tiers of counties, and has now spread to virtually the entire state. my county sold 805 of the 1500 antlerless tags they were allotted. no way in hell are these new options going to improve the doe numbers to what the DNR is being forced to try to implement.
lets look at this from a business aspect, since many DNR/legislators see deer in terms of $$$$. if you have a surplus of a product (deer) the way to sell more product (deer tags) is not to add more seasons. most of us are shooting more deer than we want as it is. the way to sell more tags, is to LOWER THE PRICE. if a non-resident wants to come shoot a doe in january, let them have the antlerless tag for the same price as residents. leave anysex tags at $26, and make the first doe tag (or 2) $11, and any tags after that $6.

if hunters, seen as the solution to this problem, have to help pay for the HUSH program (and it is NOT a $1 donation, if we HAVE to pay it). then where is a large donation from the insurance companies? they are the ones who have imagined this problem, and are the ones who will dirctly benefit if deer numbers are brougt down.

hunters are seen as the enemy for wanting to preserve the hunt quality we have, yet are the ones asked to shell out more money, kill more does, to solve a problem, we really don't see is as bad as we are told
 
I have kept my mouth shut long enough....and a part of me has told myself to keep it shut because I was afraid I would puke all over my computer screen.

Every time I think of these "new seasons" I feel like getting sick.

I hear all of you out there and I agree with you.....this is absolutely ridiculous. I NEVER thought I would see the day that high powered rifles are allowed in Iowa.

What a joke.

So we have an overpopulation problem? Then sell the doe tags cheaper (or free), expand HUSH for gosh sake, and don't implement new, conflicting seasons that gives people open season with high-powered rifles. What a nightmare.

Let me be clear on this: Our deer herd CAN be managed properly with the EXISTING seasons we have.

And another thing: I believe the first step in proper management of any animal is knowing (or at least trying to more accurately know) how many are there....and how many have been killed. Do NOT think for a minute that the state knows how many deer we have and how many have been killed. If we really want to take a good step in proper management we need to have some sort of check system so at least there is some "real" data out there. Hunter card surveys are a joke. I have gotten a bunch in the last 8 or so years....but how many has my father gotten who has been killing deer for ages???? Maybe 1. Whoops, looks like the state doesn't know about all those deer he has killed over the years.

There were several things that could and should have been done before opening up these special seasons.
 
I don't see where the early shotgun (thanksgiving weekend) is going to do anything but complicate hunting areas for people that hunt regular 1st season shotgun. So now you will have these does pushed into the leased ground where they are safe before the shotgun groups can get after them. These deer only tolerate so much pressure and then move into areas where they are safe.
confused.gif

Do you know how many people that are pheasant hunting that weekend will be putting a slug into the mix just in case they see more deer than birds? I pray that the people over the next hill don't become a statistic by thinking someone is only carrying birdshot.
 
Why not make the early muzzleloader tags also valid for late season muzzle. You could print on the tag that it would be good for any sex during 1st season muzzle, but only good for an antlerless during the late muzzleloading season. This would still limit you to 2 any sex tags, yet you could still fill the tag with an antlerless instead of throwing it away unused.
 
ALL antlerless tags should be valid from early muzzleloader season, through the january late antlerless season. but, that would put an emphasis on harvsting does, NOT on selling more tags, which is what the DNR and legislators want....right?
 
We're going down the same road here in MI, trying to lower the deer population due to the insurance companies bottom line. The DNR keeps coming up with new seasons and longer season dates (new this year: ML season is now the entire month of Dec.). One thing they got right a few years ago are the cheap doe tags, $4.

But our biggest mistake, we are still allowed to shoot 2 bucks. I think IA is making the same mistake.

1 buck tag good for any season and cheap doe tags is the solution. I know that won't be popular with a lot of hunters and it brings in less money for the DNR. But a lot of guys won't shoot a doe as long as they have a buck tag in their pocket.

Tim
 
Out of the mess of what is called deer hunting here in MN, one good thing that we have is that any one person can only take 1 buck per season. And that includes the bow, gun or muzzleloader season.
 
I think one buck would work, as long as you purchase the any sex tag and it is open to be used any season. So that I can have the opprotunity to take my one buck with whatever weapon of choice, as long as it is in season. I like that idea in MI and MN as well, maybe some food for thought, I can't imagine the monsters running around this state if that happened.
 
Hi All!

Again, my thanks for your responses. The main reason for the post was to try to explain why decisions were made in a short period of time. I hope my post helped explain what happened and why. It seems I really fanned the flames of discontent for some. Again my apologies for your frustration. There were several questions that were asked and I will try to answer them.

Yes, I will thoroughly evaluate the impact of these changes (as well as the rest of our regulations) after this season. My hopes are that with these changes an extra 10,000 deer will be taken during the November antlerless season and another 4,000 during the late season. Our harvest surveys indicate that about 80% of the deer killed on the antlerless tags are does. With this additional harvest I hope to see a reduction in the aerial surveys in January and the spotlight surveys in April.

If/when the surveys go down to our stated goal (about where we were in 1997) then the antlerless quotas will be reduced/eliminated. Which seasons will be eliminated and and in which counties will depend upon whether the data suggests we can continue to kill enough does during the regular seasons. I can say that my preference is to allow hunters within existing seasons to accomplish this task.

A point for you to consider however is, if the anltlerless quotas for a county are set low (< 200 ) and they all sell out before November 12th (as they will this year in 35 – 40 counties) then even though there is a November season, there would be no tags available (and essentially no season). Likewise if all the antlerless licenses in a county sell out during the November seaon or during the regular firearms or late muzzleloader seasons there will be very few hunters out during the bonus January season. So although the counties in northern Iowa are “open” during the January season there will be few hunters and fewer deer killed. Sure, a few hunter buy their tags early but with the ELSI system most licenses are bought in the last week before the season opens. Filled antlerless quota = no hunters.

I would love to be able to eliminate both the January antlerless season and the November antlerless season next year and won’t hesitate to make that recommendation if the data show we are at our goal and can maintain the population at that level without them. I doubt that we will make it there in one year, however the data suggests that we could be there in 2 years in most of the state.

I have no intention of trying to make centerfire rifles a legal weapon during the regular shotgun season. In fact I count on your support in making sure that doesn’t happen if that is what you want.

I prefer not to think about what the next step will be if we do not make progress in reducing deer numbers but we do discuss these things among ourselves and with our stakeholders (such as the IBA). I also talk to deer biologists in our neighboring states and around the country to see what is being tried and what is successful. Many of the things you all bounce around on this board... problems with access, earn-a-buck, antlerless-only for a year, reduced priced licenses (I hope you do understand that the DNR does not set the price of a license), have been mentioned and will be considered in the future. Your input is vital to me and I value your opinions. That is why I ended my last post stating that we can continue to have one of the best deer programs in the country but only if we work together. I stand by those words.

wjs

ps. yes shotguns would be a legal weapon during the proposed November season.
 
As a non-resident, I know my opinion isn't worth much, but I believe Iowa's first priority should be to get a firm handle on its deer harvest numbers by instituting the check station system.
 
NebWhitetail, I agree. This guessing & estimating is stupid. It makes more sense to have actual facts BEFORE implementing a Quick fix . And this is not a fix by any means, not for anyone on either side. I think it will do more damage than good.
 
If the dnr opens these two new seasons for getting rid of a few more does and to bring in more income, they better be hiring more game wardens to patrol the roads. Both of these new seasons are opening the doors for the poachers. The new rifle season just gives the poachers a reason to carry the gun in there truck... Still hoping that someone that still have there mind wakes up and puts the stop to these new seasons..........
 
Why is the DNR trying to perform brain surgery with a chainsaw? Institute check stations, get factual data, and make educated decisions. Coming on here and patronizing us is insulting. We all know where this is going. Heck, there are folks getting on here from all over the country that have seen this happen in their own state and have witnessed first hand the results. This was no doubt a professional back door job. Very well done! HHHMMMM, I remember when a certain somebody wanted to make it okay to carry a pistol in the bow season so he could shoot coyotes. When questioned about those that would take a crack at that big buck out there 50-60 yards, his reply was, "Well they are gonna do it anyway". He also tried justifying it by saying that it made it easier for the DNR law enforcement because they wouldn't have to remember that it couln't be used in the bow season. Things will never be the same and some people will always be remembered as being part of this mistake.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom