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I have had this very discussion regarding thermals with a couple CO’s, DNR employees, and numerous friends, we discussed the area’s CO’s cover and what is best for deer hunters and all of Iowa’s outdoorsmen. This is exactly what I have said to my friends, and what I will say here….I don’t...

Not all thermals have the ability to record. I also agree with you, I don’t think poaching with thermals is a big issue. Some neighborhoods maybe. (But those neighborhoods are also heavily patrolled and would be pretty risky). However, as a whole across Iowa’s landscape…no way. You’d hear...

I understand what you think will happen by banning thermals. But it won’t stop the poaching. Just like you think one buck will somehow get top end bucks to age 6. It won’t happen. As Muskrat24 mentioned, at our current deer numbers none of these changes will change our trajectory. We know...

Honest question…So under current Iowa law, I am not allowed to possess a firearm and any artificial light or night vision in my vehicle at the same time? So you are saying that if I am driving down the road with a firearm and a high powered flashlight the game warden can start writing me...

Yes. Most hunting handgun calibers between .35 and .50 caliber that generate sufficient energy and are straight-walled are legal for deer season in Iowa under the pistol/revolver seasons. So shotgun 1&2, and late muzzleloader. ATF regulates which AR receivers are serial numbered as a pistol...

You read through these 10 items. Think about how many of the 160,000 deer hunters don’t want even one of these things taken from them let alone several or the whole list. Think about how many phone calls the legislators will take if you are trying to take these 10 things away. We need our...

I 100% agree. I don’t know how these polls would go on ISC Facebook but agree with booneriverbucks that it would turn out similarly. However, not one of the polls had over 100 votes cast. There are 160,000 deer hunters in Iowa. I personally know tons of guys that coyote hunt with thermal...

Or just make late muzzleloader season like it was originally. Black powder muzzleloaders and bow. Could continue to allow crossbows or not, I am fine with or without crossbows. Never understood the logic of allowing handguns during late muzzleloader. They were already allowed during gun 1&2...

You will have to ban all pistols during late muzzleloader. Judge already ruled that the ATF determines what is considered a pistol. DNR and Iowa legislators can’t. You could allow muzzleloading pistols I would imagine. But will have to blanket ban all regular pistols. Which I personally...

Great questions. All you can do to slow high grading is to let better genetic bucks live and cull mature low scoring bucks. The only way to increase the number of top end bucks is to increase the total number of bucks on the landscape. Grain prices will dictate habitat loss. Lower prices =...

You are absolutely correct with the checker board analogy. You have to remove the extra doe tags allocations for the county otherwise the areas with access will continue to be beat down. Areas with high populations still have the ability for landowners to decrease the population on their farm...

From a previous post. Regardless of the county, we need reduced extra antlerless tag quotas, limited anysex tags in counties with really low doe populations, maybe buck only during both gun seasons and implementing no party hunting in those areas for the next few years. I would base all...

I agree 100% that there are other factors for sure. But we can’t legislate or make rules by just guessing or assuming things. You can try to make some estimates. Sure there are bucks and does shot and lost each year. Are there are a lot of deer hit by cars that are not reported, absolutely...

I apologize if you thought I was attacking you. That wasn’t my intention. My intention was to point out that if guys who manage only have one buck tag they will not waste it on a cull buck. It changes their whole perspective on how to manage their tags and what they will shoot. Many guys...

Other than extreme NW Iowa the 8 deer per square mile catches most of the counties. By that I mean most counties have more than 8 deer per square mile. Therefore, I like to generalize across the State because not everyone hunts Decatur, Madison or Appanoose county for example where the...

That is not even close to accurate. First off Iowa’s age structure is in line in many area’s based on the population. On my farm it seems like we lost around 50% of our does, as well as the majority of our two and three year old bucks to EHD. So this year I had a similar number of five year...

First off let me say, I am no math major. Here is how I got those numbers. Well because we truly only have population estimates we have to go with what we’re told. So if before hunting season we have 450,000 deer. If we use Iowa’s 55,857 square miles of land that gives you an average of...

You act like mature bucks are stupid. We’re not hunting in Kansas prairie in box blinds over corn/protein feeders. I spent most of the late season trying to get two kids on two different cull bucks. Both bucks were on the farm all season. Both kids hunted in box blinds over standing grain or...

This is the exact reason / attitude that causes high grading of the herd like they had in the Amana Colonies. The exact reason a one buck limit is a terrible idea for Iowa and for guys trying to manage for top end bucks. You should always be culling mature bucks with inferior genetics from...

I am glad to hear you’re not in favor of one buck. The only increase in mature deer will be cull bucks (if your goal is to harvest 130” five year old eight points then by all means push for a one buck limit). If we do go to a one buck limit, everyone else managing for top end bucks will see...