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southern iowa late rifle (meatlocker) update???

gundog870 said:
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I think the late season messes with everyones head. Including those who are the most proactive deer "managers"

I think that many of you doe killers will see the implications of the deer numbers next year. I think that this year we were teetering on the edge. Guys that hunt late season to control there deer herd are doing it at the total wrong point of the year. The reason you have deer during the late season is because you are PROACTIVE, you have the best cover on your ground, and in most cases some of the best food sources, a large amount of deer come there when they have too. But they dont live there. You do not have that many deer!!

Not only are you feeding "your" deer (I dont mean this negative at all) but you are feeding all of the "neighbors" deer. My question to you is, how many deer did you see in October, and how many deer does your farm actually hold???

There are a number of farms that will hold outrageous numbers of deer every year, I have the priveledge of hunting some of them. But look outside the box fellas.


On topic to the post.... The shed buck season is stupid. I cant put it into words. But my god, give the deer a break, we have already chased them for 3+ months straight. It just doesnt make sense to me.
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Gunny,

I will agree to disagree with you.

If you take any of your deer (does) out at all which I and you have this
year others will move in just like taking out the bully buck.

I do see deer on my farm at all times of the year and also on all my neighboring farms. More can be shot to help the numbers.
It might be different in other areas in Iowa and people need to judge that accordingly on what they do or do not shoot.

As far as the late season being stupid I will agree to disagree here also. It has been a descent January and I have even been able to get my two young kids out and enjoy it once more this year. With everyone else pretty much hanging the season up it is quite nice having the woods to ourselves one last time.

While late doe season may be stupid to you. To others it is a great time to go out hunting one last time.
To each his own and if they do away with the season so be it I will be doing something else to get ready for next deer season.

BTW - We have been chasing them around for 4.5 months now. :thrwrck: :D
 
risto2351,if you dont mind me asking what kind of weapon are you using for this late antlerless season?i live in rifle country and i am taking out does daily,i see deer on me and all surrounding farms!go ten miles away and you will not see a deer track in some areas.

if you drive around during the weekend around here (southern iowa)all you see is northern county plates,guys that are wanting to bang with rifles.you can shoot 300 hundrend yards and hit a deer a good share of the time.now sprinkle in a few shed bucks here and there,the ones that are ran down from the rut,the ones that are the first ones in the field.the ones that fought of all the other bucks during breeding time,they are prime candidates for your southern iowa rifle bomber.the two biggest racked bucks i know of, are now antlerless,just prime candidates for the southern iowa rifle season!!!!!
 
I would love to see the state do away with the late season antlerless and holiday season. But i feel they, (the state), would recoup those losses by changing regulations and shooting more deer during other seasons. As in a shotgun/rut hunt. They see the $$$ roll in for shooting all these deer and they wont want to slow down a bit. Insurance companies and Farm Bureau have a far bigger influence than we realize. If i remember right, Thomas said in one of his threads that even Chet said if he was back in office, he wouldn't slow down on the number of tags either. It seems government has a one track mind.

Taking it into our own hands and shooting less deer is good idea, but in my situation, i have no control over the surrounding hunters. And there are alot of them that gun hunt. And i have seen a drastic decline on the farms i hunt. But i am doing my part by never shooting more than 1 deer a season.
 
hotshott2289 said:
Well since most people talk about shed bucks getting shot in the field feeding when they pick the larger deer out and shoot.. not so much run and gun there............:thrwrck:
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Well if you have read any of this thread you would know that most people on here are blaming the run and gun hunters for the killing of shed bucks.
 
Bowtech84 said:
Well if you have read any of this thread you would know that most people on here are blaming the run and gun hunters for the killing of shed bucks.
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And the over kill and continued stress on the areas most average Joes have access to public and private.
 
earthscratcher said:
risto2351,if you dont mind me asking what kind of weapon are you using for this late antlerless season?i live in rifle country and i am taking out does daily,i see deer on me and all surrounding farms!go ten miles away and you will not see a deer track in some areas.
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I mainly hunt with my Thompson's Encore with a good scope and

every deer gets a good looking over before I pull the trigger.
 
risto2351 said:
In all the areas? You know this because you are a deer biologist?

If so what do we do about the areas that still have a ways to go?

Just asking because we still have some areas that need a little thinning out.
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Good questions. This is how I'd answer.

No I'm not a biologist. But I do have eyes and spend a lot of time hunting and scouting each year. Also the deer biologist who is employed by Iowa says the numbers are where they should be or below in most of Iowa's counties.

Why do areas still have a ways to go after 5 years of extra doe tags and rifle seasons when 85% of the rest of the State has reached it's goals? Just asking. I believe it is because the deer are wintering in sactuaries where they are not accessable. So surrounding areas in the county where deer numbers are already too low get additional pressure because they are accessable while the other areas stay high. So continuing late rifle season will not reduce the deer herd in those areas and we will continue having the same discussions every year that they continue this season.

I'm not trying to bust your chops just what my observations have been. Areas with limited access or no access have high deer numbers and areas with access are really low. My stupid season comment was directed at pressuring deer at a time when they are usually stressed the most because of cold temps, deep snow and limited food sources. Also because most of the rifle hunters are not taking the time to identify shed bucks and button bucks. I agree that it is a great time to get a young hunter afield but at what cost to our herd in general.
 
iowaqdm said:
Good questions. This is how I'd answer.

No I'm not a biologist. But I do have eyes and spend a lot of time hunting and scouting each year. Also the deer biologist who is employed by Iowa says the numbers are where they should be or below in most of Iowa's counties.

Why do areas still have a ways to go after 5 years of extra doe tags and rifle seasons when 85% of the rest of the State has reached it's goals? Just asking. I believe it is because the deer are wintering in sactuaries where they are not accessable. So surrounding areas in the county where deer numbers are already too low get additional pressure because they are accessable while the other areas stay high. So continuing late rifle season will not reduce the deer herd in those areas and we will continue having the same discussions every year that they continue this season.

I'm not trying to bust your chops just what my observations have been. Areas with limited access or no access have high deer numbers and areas with access are really low. My stupid season comment was directed at pressuring deer at a time when they are usually stressed the most because of cold temps, deep snow and limited food sources. Also because most of the rifle hunters are not taking the time to identify shed bucks and button bucks. I agree that it is a great time to get a young hunter afield but at what cost to our herd in general.
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I can see where you would think that. Good answers.

You at least have done some research and spent some time afield
and have came to a good conclusion.

Some people do not do the research and only hunt 5 days a year and follow like sheep because they are not seeing 20 deer a sit.

I actually hunt in NE Iowa and deer numbers in pockets have been high for some time. Not all the areas but some.

I do see deer in the fall and the same in the winter depending on food sources.

The reason some have reached their goals and not others could be terrain or possibly population of people close to the area (some people would rather hunt close to home than travel 2 - 3 hours all the time).

I do believe what the biologist say and I believe they said that they met their goals in some of the counties and would reduce tags in others.

As long as it is open I will harvest a few more does depending on what I see and call it a season.

Just because we and myself included are trophy hunters also remember others may not be and that does not make them terrible people. They may actually just love to hunt a few more days of the year than most. Hopefully they have the deer herd and their fellow sportsman in mind when they pull the trigger.

I honestly could take the season or leave it. We will see what happens to the seasons next year.
 
Risto- What you dont get is that you are wrong because I said so. There doesnt need to be any additional justification. So there.

But your success is a perfect example which I feel is not the norm. You have had success as to why, I am not sure. But I dont feel like you killing does has given you an advantage.

As far as kids go. I could care less if your kids go out and shoot 6 shed bucks a yr, or single handedly ruin the IA deer season. There just kids, and hunting legally, that is a WIN/WIN situation.

I just dont feel that anyone, especially in a farm set up were there is no way a deer spends the majority of their time on your farm can you honestly make a judgement on your deer heard.

I dont have a good argument here if you cant tell.
 
I'll be down in Ringgold County this weekend after does with the rifle. While I don't think the season needs to stick around for another year...I still want to take part in it at least once before it goes away.
 
Seems the lockers would be a great place for the agents to drop by...see how was naughty or nice by chance? :D

Also get a better idea of what is really being taken during the late season to report to the head biologist per haps?
 
I hope the buck that carried these sheds doesn't make it to this years shed buck harvest data!!! FYI it is in a rifle county!!!

3374-1-25-12_sheds.jpg
 
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52....... Yes I said 52 shed bucks reported to be harvested in Van Buren county alone. Makes me sick. There are a lot of deer that don't get reported also but that's a whole different subject...
 
No, not possible, deer don't shed until February!!! :)
I like the link to Winke's site (them finding that big set) how he's claiming almost all deer shed between like mid January to a little before mid-Feb or something like that.... A large # shedding during late antlerless season- which yes, we already knew that. Heck, this buck above and Winke's giant could possibly be top contenders for the shed buck competition!!!!

Deer Nut said:
52....... Yes I said 52 shed bucks reported to be harvested in Van Buren county alone. Makes me sick. There are a lot of deer that don't get reported also but that's a whole different subject...
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Not surprised!!!! And when I ran into many folks in SE Iowa, several groups would openly brag about how they don't call them in as bucks- they call them in as does so the season stays or they don't get called in period. It might say 52- which is disgusting!.... BUT.... I'd lay money on it that if we could find the truth- it's double or triple that amount!!! The part that's WORSE yet- I'll bet you ANYTHING that most those shed bucks killed are shot disproportionately from little farms and "regular" farms where lots of guys have permission. I'll bet you anything- those shed bucks are NOT being killed off the guy's land that is managing for balanced herd and older bucks that knows what he's doing and has 500 acres (to his credit). It's a shame and it's the regular guys that will suffer.


LAST FOOD FOR THOUGHT.... In a SIMPLISTIC thought... It's called "Late ANTLERLESS Season"- obviously the verbiage is "Deer with the absence of antlers".... WHY IN THE WORLD would they PURPOSELY & thoughtfully schedule this season, which they plan and set dates to, during the prime time of bucks losing those horns and fitting the season targets & premise and guidelines perfectly: ANTLERLESS or deer with absence of antlers?!?!?!? It boggles the mind & just makes me scratch my head on who these grand-wizards of deer management are that created this?!?!?
 
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i was out shed hunting on public ground yesterday,on the way out a rifle hunter was on his way in.i talked with him and he asked what i was doing,i said i was shed hunting,he said you are not going to find anything,they do not shed until feb.

this is what a high percentage of people think,but if you have time, stop by your local meat locker this weekend,and it will change your mind!!!!!!!
 
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