November antlerless season.

[wjs]

A total of 16,845 licenses (13,828 regular and 3,017 landowner/tenant) were issued for the November antlerless season. Eighty five percent of hunters in this season obtained 1 license, 13% obtained 2 licenses and 2% had more than 2. Based on these sales I would expect that 10,000 to 11,000 deer would have been killed during the 3 day season and that 8,000 to 9,000 of these deer would have been does.

About 40% of the regular licenses were issued in counties where the antlerless quota did not fill last year. This could potentially increase the total number of deer killed in these 27 counties by 6 to 8% and increase the number of does killed by 10 to 12%.

In those counties where the antlerless licenses sold out in 2004 it is difficult to predict what impact this season will have on the total harvest. I would expect that it will shift some of the kill out of the January antlerless season since these are the last tags to sell. The actual impact will not be known until all of the harvest surveys are completed.

 

[G6]

Willie are you saying that hunters are shooting 20 to 25 percent bucks during this special Nov. season by mistake??? If that were the case then it's probably worse than having a late Jan. season and hunters shooting shed bucks. I'd be very unhappy to hear this if it's the case.

 

[Scott]

WJS,
Are all of these extra doe seasons being used as a tool to generate more revenue and control the doe population as a another avenue to avoid involving more non-residents? If this is the case, I dont see these seasons as necessarily a bad thing. We all know that the population problems are due to land access and that this is a problem with increasing #s of NRs, leasing, and outfitters in the state. As long as the DNR doesnt go and double the NR tags under the radar(like I think they did with the new doe seasons), I guess I can see how the new seasons are justified. The nonresident is a short term fix, let the residents solve the problem.

 

[J Becker]

I don't think that the November season is the worst thing, but the extra rifle season in January is horrible. For one thing, bucks without antlers will be shot from over 200 yards away!! Next, this may possibly cause a buck rifle season in the future which should never happen in Iowa!!! This rifle season will just cause too many problems!!

HunterMan

 

[TimberPig]

Thank you wjs, that is interesting information. Although I dont like the new seasons, I really appreciate your input to this site.

I dont think the November season is all that bad of an idea for areas that need additonal pressure and which did not normally sell out under the old system. However, I have a hard time seeing how it benefits those counties which have always sold out without this season. Perhaps if the season was only held in those counties that need the extra pressure, it may encourage hunters from up north to travel south? I still dont know where they are going to hunt though.

Thanks again for the stats.

p.s. I'm assuming the difference in projected deer killed vs does killed reflects the take of button bucks?

 

[teeroy]

i belive, that if your county had sold over half of their allotted antlerless tags, as of nov. 12th, then your county did not get the november gun season. thus, eliminating the counties that always sell out, and (trying to) focus on areas where tags are more plentiful

one other thing. using the survey cards as a "legit" method of documenting the number of deer harvested is a JOKE

 

[CR Archer]

[ QUOTE ]
i belive, that if your county had sold over half of their allotted antlerless tags, as of nov. 12th, then your county did not get the november gun season. thus, eliminating the counties that always sell out, and (trying to) focus on areas where tags are more plentiful

one other thing.

[/ QUOTE ]


Linn County had 249 Antlerless tags left starting out on Nov 12th, which was far under the half they had and they were available for the November 3 days gun hunt.

That means at the most only 249 gun hunters were out in Linn County for the three days. Being that it did not sell out for over a week I would think it was not that popular in Linn County (my opinion).

 

[wjs]

As explained above, the other 20% are antlerless deer, either button bucks or short spikes). An antlered deer is defined as a deer with at least 1 forked antler.

 

[Skully]

Seven of us went out on friday and harvested seven deer in Keokuk County. Fun hunting, but it really stinks that four of the deer shot were button bucks! Makes you wonder what they would have been in three or four years. To me its fairly easy to determine a button buck while bowhunting," more time to view deer with optics and closer encounters", but while driving deer to standers its harder to tell. I myself won't shoot a button buck "on purpose" but it makes you wonder how many get killed in the state each year.

 

[G6]

[ QUOTE ]
As explained above, the other 20% are antlerless deer, either button bucks or short spikes). An antlered deer is defined as a deer with at least 1 forked antler.

[/ QUOTE ]
I see what your saying now Willie, that the other 20 percent were in fact buttons and spikes. I just read it wrong, sorry my mistake.

 

[IA ML'r]

It is the legislature that determines how many NR tags are available, not the DNR.

Director Vonk is appointed by the Governor and it's part of his job to balance the books that's why the DNR is continually asking for more NR any deer tags.

It's our job to let our legislators know we don't want any more NR any deer tags available.

I guess I was one of the 2% 3 bought and 3 filled in Chickasaw county. Of the guys I hunted with they took 18 total, only 1 was a button buck.

Teeroy, any antlerless tags available as of Nov 12 could be bought for the Nov season.

From the list on the DNR site it would look like about 325 or so got bought in Chickasaw and there was a fair amount of shooting going on.

P.S. a survey card is a survey, you don't have to count every deer to get a reasonably accurate estimate of the number of deer taken.
That said do you remember when the DNR instituted mandatory reporting of deer and turkey harvest?
I do, it got killed before the season started.
By who?
Our old friends in the legislature reacting to the squeaky wheels among our own group (hunters)

 

[TimberPig]

Speaking of interesting statistics...
I spoke to our local CO last Wednesday and the topic turned to the Nov season. He did not like it either as he expected it would be a convienient season for poachers.

By 9 am Saturday morning he knew of 7 bucks that the DNR had confiscated, one of which was in his truck. I didnt hear how the rest of the weekend went.

There are less than 100 CO's in the state so its anybodys guess how many got away with it.

Any antlerless tags available on Nov 12th were eligible for this season, regardless of how many were left.