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

Slug season.....

Guys you are all getting out of control here. I party hunt for the first two days of second season and then my buddy and I go down south for four days to hunt for some big boys on our own. I and he will never give up that opening weekend. Why? Because we enjoy hunting with our friends and family. You will never catch us tresspassing or running around with our heads cut off. There is always going to be people breaking the law. Trust me I know I am a cop and deal with scumbags on a daily basis. You can't blame some bad apples misdoings on everyone else. If you people are seeing the law being broken then you need to do something about it. Be proactive, moaning and groaning gets nothing fixed!
 
Tinks, we are not out of control, it's the Party Hunters that wrecked everyones elses hunt that are out of control. I have been pro-active, have called the DNR for the last few years giving them information and license numbers...wish I had your badge and authority, I'd do more. Now if I can get this information, why can't the authorities?

I agree, that not all party hunters are the problem.....DNR officers tell me the highest percentage of complaints come from that method of hunting....there are only a small number of states that allow it, what's that tell you? That's probably the reason most states don't allow it.

The title of this post is "Slug Season", don't be offended if everyone didn't have a good one....
 
Thank you LoessHunter!!!!!
I opened this post because I was excited about the upcoming slug season....and I was just wondering how many people were getting ready....that is all.....I don't want to see people fight back and forth about what "hunting" and "party hunting" is......All I wanted to do was make some friendly conversation......and I think the key word is "friendly".
Good luck and good hunting!
 
Rembrandt, when I am talking about "Out of control" I am talking about the bickering back and forth. Like Gunnerjon said, this was supposed to be friendly. I caught a guy shoot a 16 point last year that probably would have scored in the 180's. He shot it out the window of his truck going about 35. He was coming right to me and that really upset me. I called the DNR and they fined him and took his truck and gun. I know they don't all get caught, but we only have so many DNR officers to do the job. I do feel badly that you and so many other ethical hunter's had such a bad outing in the woods. I just wish everyone could have as good a time as me and my friends and family and then everyone would be happy. Hunting is supposed to be fun, that is why we all enjoy it so much.
 
Tinks69, I think it is you who are missing the point here. As a cop, you probably learned this, so I'll explain it for the others:

Criminology 101: The human brain functions in a way such that there will always be a "lower class" of people. We see this everyday in the news broadcasts: In times of peace, Gary Condit dumping a watch box is front-page news. It makes the rest of us feel superior if we can come up with something about "the bad ones" that we don't like.

I myself have been reading a lot of posts on Iowawhitetail lately that bother me. Things like, "Pass on the small bucks," "How can we get more big bucks," "Party hunting should be banned" are becoming fairly commonplace.

The reason a big buck is a trophy is because it is a rare animal. It had to be smart to make it to an age where it's antlers are worthy of going on the wall. If every deer in the woods has a rack that reaches the sky, what will constitute a trophy then?

I've hunted here with my family and friends since I was old enough to carry a gun. The growth of a trophy whitetail population has, in my opinion, done more to wreck the deer hunting than help. They've followed the route of pro sports in taking something that families have enjoyed for centuries and turned it into a cash crop. A Wisconsin DNR officer once called the whitetail, "Wisconsin's #1 cash crop." How far behind is Iowa, if we're not already there?

There is nothing wrong with party hunting. Ending it will not prevent people from being reckless, trespassing, or getting extra tags for dead grandmothers. It will not even make it more likely that they will get caught.

Let's not also confuse the term 'party hunting' with 'driving deer.' I have shot a deer with every legal weapon in this state using every legal tactic. I can tell you that deer drives with my family are easily the most fun, the most physically demanding, and the most difficult shooting conditions of any, so all of the B.S. about needing more skill to bowhunt or muzzleload is just that: B.S. If the scouting skills are so top-notch, then stop posting pictures from your camtrakkers there, Davy Crockett.

As far as I know, hunting from the saddle is illegal in this state, so get off your high horse. Most of the complaints are coming from people who admittedly don't shotgun hunt, so how is that different from people who don't celebrate Christmas banning Santa Claus in Maryland this year?
 
Tinks, I think what upsets me the most was that I took my 11 year old nephew out last weekend for his first deer hunt....and this is what he saw, that's sad. Granted, he got a small buck and was thrilled. My tags are for antlerless second slug season and buck tag for late blackpowder....I look forward to this as much as anyone else each year.....but this first slug season was a shocker.
 
Wow! Was a mess this can of worms has made!

Let's get something straight. The party hunt law in Iowa allows shotgun season hunters to continue to hunt even if their tag is used, so long as someone in their group has an unfilled tag and is in a reasonable distance to tag a deer that might be killed by another hunter. That is party hunting.

The big debate I'm seeing here is driving deer. That is not party hunting and is used by many hunters in many states. Driving deer by using pushers and blockers can be used in shotgun season, muzzleloader season, and even bow season. In other states it is used during rifle seasons. Is this fair chase? I think so. Can a deer get away from 30 people? It sure can but this is pushing the ethical part of the fair chase issue.

The other debate is the illegal activity accusations. There are laws and it is easy turn in violators. How many of you accusors have done your part of stopping a repeat violation other than to whine about it here?
 
I'm sorry that I had to add fuel to the fire but I think party hunting and driving deer is a joke. I bow hunt which I feel is the only ethical way to hunt deer, and unfortunately I've tried party hunting a time or two and must say I probably won't do it again. I don't like it for a few reasons, for one I never felt safe in the woods. As Big Timber was talking about earlier, you never know who is going to be on your property. He is definitely right here, every time I've party hunted I've ran into other groups in the woods that didn't have permission, not a good situation. How many shotgun hunters have been killed this year? How many bow hunters have been killed this year? Shotgun hunting is not a peaceful hunt in the woods with your quary, its a reckless, out of control, fear for your life hunt. I think all deer hunters need to pick up a bow and hunt the right way. Party hunting may be fun with family and friends, but personally I have a better time bow hunting with family and friends. Do away with this party hunting crap and climb into a treestand, get into a blind, still hunt, do anything else with a shotgun but party hunt this is not what hunting is suppose to be like. You get'um party hunters.
 
Bone Crusher,

If there was no shotgun season, then who would find the deer the bowhunters shoot and don't find!

[This message has been edited by smokepole (edited 12-04-2001).]
 
I Have to agree with bone crusher that party hunting is not safe at all.I bow hunt and hunt late season muzzleloader from the same tree stand. I hunt south of Des Moines and have a great relationship with the land owner of the property I hunt. We always keep in contact with each other, and she is the best scouting tool I have for locating deer. She does not allow party hunting on her property, but she does allow bow and muzzleloader hunting which I do. She allows one other neighbor to bow hunt her property also. This person constantly asked for permission (no less than a dozen times) to shotgun hunt her property this year. The answer was always NO! Saturday morning while she was working on her fence, slugs flew over her head from guess who and his party. She called me right away to tell me she had the HELL scared out of her and wondered what she could do to prevent this from happening. I guess that NO in the mind of the party hunter means GO AHEAD, just don't get caught. If we can't respect our land owners wishes, or have respect for their safty, the land owners can take all of our rights away! I'll leave you with this thought, what if the land owner would have been shot and killed by a person not having permission to be on her property? Would her family have the right to sue the persons responsible? Would they have the right to sue the Department of Natural Resources for allowing party hunting? Would the shooter go on trial for manslaughter or second degree murder? These are serious consequences that could arrise from a day in the woods with family and friends. Thank God nothing bad happened, but we need to think of these things and put safety ahead of all other things! Safe Hunting the rest of the season to all!!!



[This message has been edited by Mikey (edited 12-04-2001).]
 
Smokepole,

I don't think shotgun hunters have any room to talk when it comes to finding deer. You're trying to tell me that when a bunch of guys unload their shotguns at 20 deer that you can tell which ones you hit and which ones you missed, give me a break I've seen it first hand and it's ridiculous. Every year after shotgun season my hunting partner and I go survey the damage (untagged deer) on his property done by shotgun hunters and its depressing. The most depressing part about it is that my hunting partner owns the land and no one has permission to shotgun hunt there. We've bowhunted his property for 7 years and between three of us we have lost one deer which we are confident didn't even die. I'm not trying to ridicule all shotgun hunters because there are irresponsible bowhunters and muzzleloaders too. Shotgun hunting does play a role in deer management and I understand this. But in general party hunting with automatic and pump shotgun is reckless, unethical, and should be banned in my mind.
 
sludge.....that is exactly the reason I don't shotgun hunt! Maybe you can try muzzleloading for the ladies.....
 
150, I'm not talking about deer drives, the 5 groups we chased off were all "Party Hunting" by your definition...go back and re-read my posts....we did do the proactive thing by contacting the DNR, we don't carry badges...they do, it's their job to enforce the law, we have helped by giving information and license numbers.....not much else we can do beyond that.
 
For 24 years I hunted deer with my family (6-8 people most of the time)using small drives to take our deer.It was more of a social thing more than anything. We saw our share of slob hunters and their tactics. I guess my point is that I see on these posts about wanting to ban party hunting and that shotgun hunting should be done away with and that worries me. The people on this site are hunters. The people that do this other crap are not.These people also hunting opening day of pheasant season and pull the same stuff. As a bowhunter for the last 6 years, I have pretty much put the shotgun away, unless the landowner wants some meat for the freezer. I hate to see this division between bowhunters and gun hunters because that just what the anti-hunting people want. Some break in the wall. Just some ramblings. Thanks
 
I think that this is a good discussion and would rather have it here on this forum than face to face in the middle of some timber. At least here you have to think about your words before you can type them down.

My first slug hunt was three years ago and I am on my second archery season. I greatly enjoy both. They are different in there own respects but each type can incorporate aspects from the other.

I have second season for deer here in central Iowa so I have not experienced and not heard of any problems in my area, yet. In my three years of hunting I think that I learned from the begining, from ethical hunters, how to ethically hunt, and these great guys pound it into my head every chance the get. I have also learned that a landowner can be your greatest source for sucessful hunting. Not only can he tell you of the deer patterns, but with his cooperation, I beleive that you can beat the knot-head, unethical, rif-raf. In my small town area we have or share of hunters that never ask permission or are brazen enough to tell landowners when they will be hunting on the property. And if word gets out about good deer harvest we get our fair share of big city party hunters as well. Most of the time we know who these people are and if you have these problems every year you should know who they are to. Talk to your landowner I'm sure he has had run ins with the same people and over time you can beat them. I have seen it happen and I have only been hunting for a few years.

Loud vulgar language and well placed craps only make things worse. Stick to you ethics and think rationally and you will prevail.

If you don't agree with some aspects of legal hunting in Iowa then you can voice your opinion, but remember that an ethical hunter will always make his hunt as challenging as possible. One thing I have learned with hunting deer is that there is is no such thing as a sure thing.

Keep up the good discussion, but lets not turn on ourselves.

God Bless
 
I did not mean to create such a stink with this subject. I just don't see the 'hunting' in getting a bunch of drivers to move deer to some standers to unload on a running deer and filling other people's tags. You will never convince me of that. I have many friends who are gun hunters, and I am a muzzleloader hunter too. (They don't allow party hunting with either one of those styles of hunting, which is why I do it). I always thought hunting was a more solitary experience and that is what I enjoy. My friends enjoy big groups, but they also have no shortage of trespassing,ethics problems with other hunters, and confrontations every year. But they have their own fun and admit that there isn't much hunting skill involved in party hunting.

I just think if a guy goes out hunting he should shoot his own deer. Period.

As a side note, the DNR is looking at increasing the fine for NRs hunting on res. tags. This has been the biggest violation of the year and they are looking to make it hurt the pocketbook even more.
 
WOW! From earlier threads, I only thought that Non residents were the slob poacher hunters in Iowa.
smile.gif


Rem.. you mentioned in one of your early posts that some people had radios that scrambled the channels like the military uses. Although I've been out for a while, the military has a SINGARS radio that does do a frequency hop that is syched with other radios. I'm wonder if this is what you are referring to and if so, just where on earth would you get such a radio? I've never heard of that technology being available but it could be - just wondering.

On topic though to slug season, slobs and party hunting... our neighbors cant hunt some land anymore, it has been leased. Sunday morning, they went on a property that borders it and fired over 25 times into the woods on it. They were "Driving" deer off of it onto their land that borders it on the other side. I couldnt beleive it, it was foggy as well. A guy in NE Iowa leased the land and re-sells right to others for some pretty good money. There was at least one hunter from Indiana somewhere on that land as these guys were firing blindly into the woods.

AC
 
When we hunted in a group, there were six to eight guys. The night before opening weekend we had a meeting to go over safety and look at maps of the land that we were hunting, that ensured that everyone knew the rules and where others would be! Over the years there were people that joined the group that had disregard for the law and they were ask not come back the next morning. As far as party hunting, we had people continue to hunt after they filled their tag. Those people were the drivers and helped the others fill their tag. I don't agree with the groups of 20-30, but I don't condemn them either.
 
I'm curious to know how many bowhunters would be willing to forget about the bucks and start taking does if they ever did take away party hunting. I've been hunting for 14 years now, and have yet to see a bowhunter go into the woods with the idea of taking a doe. I'm sure if we just had bow hunting, the number of does shot would not be nearly enough to keep the deer population in check. This is not a rant in any way, just a question from a guy who hunts both bow and second shotgun season.

My family owns about 600 acres of timbered pastureland. We have bow hunters, and first and second season shotgun hunters who hunt it. The bow hunters only seem to take bucks, or their tags go unfilled. The first season shotgun hunters have about 11 people, and fill their tags with mostly bucks, depending on what kind of tag they have that year. I hunt second season with my family and some great friends, and our ratio is about 1 buck to every 5 does. And yet, even with the does that get killed, we have to many deer on our property. I can only imagine what this would be like if party hunting was taken away. I would feel sorry for any farmer who owned land near any kind of timbered ground.

Sometimes we forget why we have the privilage to hunt. It's not so we can go into the woods and show off our "skill". That is a personal belief, and I have met some very skilled hunters in my life, as I'm sure that most of you who post here have as well. But that is not the reason.

We are allowed to hunt for two reasons, one off wich is debated, and the other wich is needed. To put food on the table, something that those anti-hunter scum say we don't need to do anymore, and to control the population.

On a side note, I have to disagree with anybody that says there is no skill in drive hunting. You have to know the lay of the land, what kind of escape routes deer take, and have to be one hell of a shot to drop a deer that's running at full speed.

As far as bad hunters go, they are around during every season, not just shotgun. A guy who lives a couple miles from here found one of his cows with an arrow sticking out of its hind end. Nobody had hunting rights on his land either.

Be safe everyone, and be thankfull that we have the right to even hunt at all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom