Question for wjs
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Re: my 2 cents
I sat this weekend by my house. Saturday and Sunday there were 2 fella's walking around in full orange, pushing deer around. On Friday deer were coming out into the fields in scattered areas. By Sunday all deer that entered the fields were coming out from directly behind my house. Scent control to me is a religion, and I never use routes entering or leaving stands that will bump or give any reason to put pressure on deer. These deer continue to relocate to my backyard until a group of shotgun hunters that I allow permission to, walk through and bust them out. Then they live in the fence rows until mother nature forces them back in. My point, I could notice the difference in behavior and sense of alarm these deer were already put into to. When they would enter the field on Sunday, 2 of the larger does were always on alert while the others fed. They all eventualy walked across the road to the picked cornfield, but took their time in doing so. Now my sancuary isn't that large, but the deer population nearly doubled just by 1 group of 2 guys. It's not hard to see how these deer are already into refuge or large tracts that are not opened for depradation.
The other thing that put uneasyness into my bones was the fact that I DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE OUT THERE HUNTING UNTIL I SAW THE ORANGE. I do trust the people that have permission to walk through during shotgun season, but every year there is a new group that thinks they are sneaky and can get through here and push the deer onto someone else's ground and then shoot them. The problem there is that most of the deer are bedded within 100 yards of my house, which you can't legally hunt because it is within the 200 yard limit. All it takes is some newbie in the tresspassing group to stumble upon these deer, which break out through my back yard, and upon intial instinct to shoot, I mean that's why they are trespassing for in the first place, and send the slugs directly at my house because they didn't know it was just over the hill they were shooting towards. Now take the scenario to me sitting in my stand, thinking I am the only one around like usual, and having these guys come through in orange. Makes you think a little bit. These guys were on someone else's ground, but the distance between us was well within slug range. Although my children were gone this weekend, these hunters were on the trails they use to walk and ride 4 wheelers around on, once again within slug range.
I agree with everyone that this Holiday hunt was not a "NEEDED" or even a "HUNTER SAFE" extra season. There are too many guys sitting in trees with no camo, and people running around with slugs. I'm not much of a gambler and the DNR shouldn't be either. Odds are they will crap out if this continues...
I sat this weekend by my house. Saturday and Sunday there were 2 fella's walking around in full orange, pushing deer around. On Friday deer were coming out into the fields in scattered areas. By Sunday all deer that entered the fields were coming out from directly behind my house. Scent control to me is a religion, and I never use routes entering or leaving stands that will bump or give any reason to put pressure on deer. These deer continue to relocate to my backyard until a group of shotgun hunters that I allow permission to, walk through and bust them out. Then they live in the fence rows until mother nature forces them back in. My point, I could notice the difference in behavior and sense of alarm these deer were already put into to. When they would enter the field on Sunday, 2 of the larger does were always on alert while the others fed. They all eventualy walked across the road to the picked cornfield, but took their time in doing so. Now my sancuary isn't that large, but the deer population nearly doubled just by 1 group of 2 guys. It's not hard to see how these deer are already into refuge or large tracts that are not opened for depradation.
The other thing that put uneasyness into my bones was the fact that I DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE OUT THERE HUNTING UNTIL I SAW THE ORANGE. I do trust the people that have permission to walk through during shotgun season, but every year there is a new group that thinks they are sneaky and can get through here and push the deer onto someone else's ground and then shoot them. The problem there is that most of the deer are bedded within 100 yards of my house, which you can't legally hunt because it is within the 200 yard limit. All it takes is some newbie in the tresspassing group to stumble upon these deer, which break out through my back yard, and upon intial instinct to shoot, I mean that's why they are trespassing for in the first place, and send the slugs directly at my house because they didn't know it was just over the hill they were shooting towards. Now take the scenario to me sitting in my stand, thinking I am the only one around like usual, and having these guys come through in orange. Makes you think a little bit. These guys were on someone else's ground, but the distance between us was well within slug range. Although my children were gone this weekend, these hunters were on the trails they use to walk and ride 4 wheelers around on, once again within slug range.
I agree with everyone that this Holiday hunt was not a "NEEDED" or even a "HUNTER SAFE" extra season. There are too many guys sitting in trees with no camo, and people running around with slugs. I'm not much of a gambler and the DNR shouldn't be either. Odds are they will crap out if this continues...
W
wjs
Guest
Hi Loren!
Sorry I didn't answer your question sooner. I spent the 3 day November season riding with CO's and talking to hunters and haven't been able to get back to this forum until now.
As you know there was a lot of pressure from the legislature to "reduce" deer numbers during the past session. When the harvest and survey data were collected it was very evident in southern and parts of northeast Iowa that we would need to kill more does to reduce deer numbers. Because of the political pressure we (myself and DNR administrators) decided to try to find a way to kill more does rather than risk going into the next legislative session (with the same legislators) and not being able to show that some steps had been taken.
I recommended the November antlerless season with the idea that it would allow hunters to kill does earlier in the fall when fewer shed antler bucks would be taken. This season was also open to all hunters (just like the late antlerless season) without regard to what other seasons had been hunted. I knew that it would be unpopular with most bowhunters and hunters who hunt during the first shotgun season.
From what I observed this weekend and the feedback I’ve received so far from other DNR officers is that they didn’t see many big parties and that things went a fairly well. I started a new thread with some summary info on the November hunt.
Let me know if you have nay other questions.
Sorry I didn't answer your question sooner. I spent the 3 day November season riding with CO's and talking to hunters and haven't been able to get back to this forum until now.
As you know there was a lot of pressure from the legislature to "reduce" deer numbers during the past session. When the harvest and survey data were collected it was very evident in southern and parts of northeast Iowa that we would need to kill more does to reduce deer numbers. Because of the political pressure we (myself and DNR administrators) decided to try to find a way to kill more does rather than risk going into the next legislative session (with the same legislators) and not being able to show that some steps had been taken.
I recommended the November antlerless season with the idea that it would allow hunters to kill does earlier in the fall when fewer shed antler bucks would be taken. This season was also open to all hunters (just like the late antlerless season) without regard to what other seasons had been hunted. I knew that it would be unpopular with most bowhunters and hunters who hunt during the first shotgun season.
From what I observed this weekend and the feedback I’ve received so far from other DNR officers is that they didn’t see many big parties and that things went a fairly well. I started a new thread with some summary info on the November hunt.
Let me know if you have nay other questions.
J
jj6
Guest
Re: my 2 cents
i would like to respond to all. Party hunting or driving deer is probably acceptible
It is party shooting that every body has a problem with.
no one should be allowed to tag a deer someone else has shot.
as far as controling the deer heard how can you possible know how many deer there are when you never have to check them.
i have been fortinuate enought to hunt up there 5 or 6 times since non- resident hunting was allowed i have never seen a form or anything to fill out.as far as revenue why doesn't iowa have a dove season that would bring the state alot of additional money. next year 120.00 extra to kill a doe. they should have just said next year the tags are going up 120.00 and you can take a doe. same difference but doesn,t sound as dumb.Mo. my state is getting just as bad. 4point limit on one side and then they do away with checkung stations. it all boils down to(MO MONEY-MO MONEY)
i would like to respond to all. Party hunting or driving deer is probably acceptible
Shoot2Kill
Active Member
Re: my 2 cents
Bomaker...didn't mean to get anybody rialed up with my recent expereince with party hunters. When you wrote about placing younger and older hunters in places to harvest deer it took me back to my younger days when the guys that took me did exactly the same....good point. I was just ranting I guess about my recent experience that I can guarantee wasn't a planned drive..they all just stormed right in and did one big push...no blockers, nobody on the sides, etc. To top it off while they were on the road they were littering, cussing up a storm, doing donuts in the parking lot to the public land in thier trucks, and just acting like idiots. It just put a bad taste in my mouth...I know not everyone is like that. No harm ment. Good luck during gun season.
Bomaker...didn't mean to get anybody rialed up with my recent expereince with party hunters. When you wrote about placing younger and older hunters in places to harvest deer it took me back to my younger days when the guys that took me did exactly the same....good point. I was just ranting I guess about my recent experience that I can guarantee wasn't a planned drive..they all just stormed right in and did one big push...no blockers, nobody on the sides, etc. To top it off while they were on the road they were littering, cussing up a storm, doing donuts in the parking lot to the public land in thier trucks, and just acting like idiots. It just put a bad taste in my mouth...I know not everyone is like that. No harm ment. Good luck during gun season.