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

late doe season!!!! will it ever go away?

OOPS, I posted this in another post and Earthscratcher called me and CHEWED MY BUTT!!! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif Kidding!

DNR (apparently someone is reading this TODAY)-
What I would suggest is an early doe season. Something to think about: every hunter I know is tired and burnt out by late season. If you created an early do season - people would come out of the woodwork. They have not been out ALL YEAR and would be PUMPED to get out and focus on does. This would also take away some of the late season pressure that kills so many shed bucks. (more shed bucks are being killed than reported- I hear guys who leave them or don't report for many reasons including even embarrassment for shooting one PLUS too many folks are shooting "does" with rifles at 200 yards late season). *In my opinion- the late doe season with rifles is a tragedy.

Early doe season in southern tier and relaxing how many does are shot in northern part of state would be my suggestion.

*I will also ADMIT- I don't like the fact that we have to ADD any season- most anything they add will have a downside AND once you add something- good luck removing it later, after you've met your objective. To some extent- adding any season won't solve the problem. If we can't kill enough does from oct 1 through January 10th- I don't think the problem is solveable. It's not that hard to kill does, just a lot of areas and folks who aren't willing to do what they need to- no law will ever solve this. BUT- I still say I'd rather have an early doe season compared to the late rifle season which is destroying buck hunting PLUS I see far more up side to early doe season compared to other options.
 
The DNR allready implemented an early doe season over Thanksgiving and quite a few people are against that. Why would holding one in September be any different?
 
I think an early doe season would have too much potential to promote poaching of bucks that are still in their summer feeding patterns.... not a good idea in my opinion.

I would really like to see something like a "earn a buck tag" implemented statewide. This would be for those who do not own land to earn an extra archery buck tag. The logistics would likely be difficult to oversee.... but say those who would harvest 4 does could purchase an additional buck tag.
 
I honestly would like to know when everyone wants an antlerless season, because the ones we have in place right now, nobody seems to like.

Lets see, we have

early muzzleloader season (limited of course)
Thanksgiving antlerless (I really like this season0
Shotgun season (you can hunt antlerless in 1st or 2nd, even if you are bow hunting and late ML hunting)
Late antlerless (I like this season as well.)

There seems to be an excuse why each antlerless season needs to go away. When would the apropriate time for an antlerless season that would make everyone happy?
 
Some times this issue is very hard for me to understand. On one hand some say it is awful that 1752 shed bucks are killed, mostly because of the January season, but on the other hand say we need to kill more does. Don't you get it that the 73,000 does that were killed this year represent about 60,000 BUCKS for next season that will never even get the chance to shed anything? Aren't these bucks way more important to the future than the shed and button bucks that are killed in this late season? I am not saying that we shouldn't be harvesting does, but I am saying that I disagree with a population goal of just 170,000 deer in Iowa and an annual harvest of 70,000 to 80,000 deer per year. Most of us have already reported big declines in population and even the ariel surveys are showing declines, but yet no one will put forth an actual population estimate. I honestly believe that if we knew the real current population most of us would abandon the doe only seasons. If we actually drop the herd size to 170,000 deer we probably won't have to worry much about NR tag numbers, or NR landowner, or outfitters, or high recreational land prices. If the deer quality and numbers fall to this level and the State continues to issue 400,000 licenses not many hunters will be coming to Iowa where there is only a 1 in ten chance to kill a deer and maybe a 1 in 100 chance of killing a trophy. Where is that little gremlin on the soapbox when you need him?
 
I would like to see them expand the doe season a little in the form of a doe tag is good for any season you have a valid either sex tag for. So if I bought 3 doe tags, an archery tag, and an early muzzle loader tag then the 3 doe tags would be good for either of the two seasons. With the ability to also buy a doe tag for a different season as well if you wanted to limit yourself to a doe only in that season. I know this idea needs some work but I think it should be able to be implemented. I know I for one would buy more doe tags if I knew I would have more opportunities to fill them than during a set season. I really enjoy hunting the late season, but my dad can't take the cold anymore and switched to early muzzle loader season. So I had to give up hunting the late season so I would still be able to enjoy the week of deer hunting with him. If I could buy a early season doe tag and a late season either or tag that would be great for me, but I will continue to hunt the early seasons only until dad decides to stop deer hunting.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: nannyslayer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I honestly would like to know when everyone wants an antlerless season, because the ones we have in place right now, nobody seems to like.

Lets see, we have

early muzzleloader season (limited of course)
Thanksgiving antlerless (I really like this season0
Shotgun season (you can hunt antlerless in 1st or 2nd, even if you are bow hunting and late ML hunting)
Late antlerless (I like this season as well.)

There seems to be an excuse why each antlerless season needs to go away. When would the apropriate time for an antlerless season that would make everyone happy?
</div></div>

I agree with you Brian.

The seasons right now are fine (Thanksgiving may be the only one due to archery still in the field).

Noone will ever be able to agree on what is good for them.

I will just deer hunt everyday that they let me. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom