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Retrieving game law

Seems like this is so hard to really lump fence sitters in together just by the distance they are from the fence.
I hunt one sanctuary where I put the stand clear up against the fence just to keep myself out of the sanctuary and to blow my scent into an ag field behind me.
Yes I’m 12’ off the fence but nothing ever comes from there or goes there. And the only reason any deer are in that area is because of the sanctuary on the property I am hunting.
If the shoe were on the other foot and I was on the neighboring ag field 12’ off the fence I feel like it would be a totally different vibe.
 
All you have to see is Sunberg’s elk story to see we have it the right way in Iowa. Elk rotted just because it died on the ranchers side and he’d rather it rot than a public land hunter harvest the bull.

I know for a fact my neighbor wouldn’t let me track if the law changed to having to have permission.
 
It's a touchy subject anyway we look at it.
If I had 300 acres, I'd most likely be fine letting someone trail a deer (aways),
But I dont: I've given SO MUCH time/ effort/ blood/ sweat n tears to manage my little piece of Heaven. One intrusion into the heart of it could ruin what I wait for all year.
That being said, if it was early in the season, late in the season I'd say yes as long I knew the person was legit and only if I was along on the trail.

Disclaimer: , I used to be the [ guy】 that pulled this crap years ago.:rolleyes:

I pulled ALOT of shit when I was young and got away with it !!!

Made MANY archery deer drives to buddies under the disguise that I " wounded" a deer and could I follow the trail.

I will be WAY more likely letting young kid/ woman trail a deer onto mine then a guy that's been hunting for years. Not sure if that the " right" way but that's the way I see it. Remember, I'm talking small acreage.

And, a Warden has better things to do then getting caught up in a quarrel between neighbors.
If a landowner says no, no it should be.
Be fun to interview a bunch of Wardens that have years on the job and ask them the Buck/ Doe ratio conflicts they been called on to assist on retrieval.

I've come to terms year ago that I may poorly hit a deer and it end up on a neighbors property. I will call and ask permission and if they say no, so be it.
My nearest stand to my north boundary is about 40 yards from the property
line and I only hunt it in the morning as 9/10 times, they are traveling onto mine to bed and will 9/10 head that way when hit.
I won't hunt there in the evening.

Not being a fence sitter can show you at least have some respect for you neighbors.
 
CurtisWalker said:
All you have to see is Sunberg’s elk story to see we have it the right way in Iowa. Elk rotted just because it died on the ranchers side and he’d rather it rot than a public land hunter harvest the bull.

I know for a fact my neighbor wouldn’t let me track if the law changed to having to have permission.
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I disagree, even tho the rancher was being a dick not letting him retrieve the elk, it’s the ranchers private property that he bought and pays taxes on and nobody including the government should be able to tell him who he has to let on his property.
 
MarkF said:
I disagree, even tho the rancher was being a dick not letting him retrieve the elk, it’s the ranchers private property that he bought and pays taxes on and nobody including the government should be able to tell him who he has to let on his property.
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I guess you shouldn’t be able to shoot the deer on your property then because it’s the state’s deer.
 
So do we want better deer hunting or do we want to ruin it more. The fact people think that hunters wouldn’t be denied is comical.

How about a settle in the middle. Landowner has to be notified but they can’t deny access.
 
No way. A landowner should have latitude to say no. Bucksnbears said earlier he would access land to do small pushes, credit him for honesty, under the premise of a wounded deer. If a landowner feels something isn’t right he/she can deny.
 
CurtisWalker said:
So do we want better deer hunting or do we want to ruin it more. The fact people think that hunters wouldn’t be denied is comical.

How about a settle in the middle. Landowner has to be notified but they can’t deny access.
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I like the idea that the landowner needs to be notified but you have the right to retrieve. It gives the landowner the opportunity to be there. That would eliminate almost all BS excuses or wandering around aimlessly when you lost blood hours ago on a non lethal shot. We also wouldn't have animals rotting away on the other side of the fence because a jerk won't let you get it.
 
Another part that ties into this is the growing practice of High fences. Both times i have been involved in the building of high fences it was a direct result of someone sitting on the property line and hunting knowing they could retrieve anything they shot without asking.
So i guess if people want to push the line at least landowners have this “ Final Solution”
 
hillrunner said:
I like the idea that the landowner needs to be notified but you have the right to retrieve. It gives the landowner the opportunity to be there. That would eliminate almost all BS excuses or wandering around aimlessly when you lost blood hours ago on a non lethal shot. We also wouldn't have animals rotting away on the other side of the fence because a jerk won't let you get it.
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I think I would be in this camp too. ^^ While I have not personally experienced a deliberate trespass under the guise of looking for a wounded animal, I do know of several people that have. The main problem is that "people" are involved and there are too many snakes out there that make it really tough to have rules that make sense that the snakes will not then manipulate. So...the "good guys" start making taller fences, more stringent rules, etc. and there are many innocents that are negatively impacted. Ugh.

I will add this...I went on a hog hunt in South Texas a number of years ago now and down there "the fence was the fence"...period. You didn't even think about crossing it, even if your game was laying stone cold dead 2' over the line. I fear that we may be heading the same way up north here in Iowa...for the same type of reasons.
 
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hans1 said:
Another part that ties into this is the growing practice of High fences. Both times i have been involved in the building of high fences it was a direct result of someone sitting on the property line and hunting knowing they could retrieve anything they shot without asking.
So i guess if people want to push the line at least landowners have this “ Final Solution”
Click to expand...
So they built the high fences because they didn’t want neighbor fence sitter to retrieve game on them or because they didn’t want neighbor fence sitter to shoot THEIR up and coming 3 yo…..? I’d say we all know why most fences are built.
 
There are bad eggs on BOTH sides. I’m guessing there are plenty of legit cases of dead animal two feet over the fence where the landowner is a jerk and wouldn’t let the game be retrieved if not forced to allow it by Iowa law.
 
Like it or not whether a person is sitting 2’, 40 yards or as far away from the fence as they possibly can be, if the game animal is hit and travels across the fence the hunter is legal and should be able to retrieve the animal if they have a blood trail. There is no law of setback on how far off the fence where a hunter has to be. At that point the neighbor is also trying to control his neighbors property. Problems with both sides of the argument but Iowa has it right in siding with the hunter and allowing for the responsible retrieval of the animal. That being said it is a good idea to reach out to CO and landowner to let them know. If there is a blood trail the hunter should be able to track.
 
Not tracking on my property without permission. Period. It’s an oversized goat, not gold. If a hunter is courteous and reaches out to me, shows me the trail, I’d give permission every time. A hunter crossing fences because of an alleged hit deer, no way.
 
Technically putting a high fence up can be charged as hunter harassment if somebody wanted to fight it in court. You can’t deliberately put obstacles to impede on someone’s hunting it’s right in the hunter harassment laws.
 
You can sure tell who the boomers are in here. Probably still on board the MAGA train even though their so called hero is selling us out to Israel.
 
Your last comment is ridiculous. Asking that a hunter contact me about a possible dead deer on my land, asks permission to retrieve, shows me the trail, and me giving the go ahead equates to political affiliation and insult. lol. BTW I’m Gen
X!!
 
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