Numbers

[sep0667]

How are the herd numbers where you hunt this year? Numbers are down without a doubt in the majority of the state from a few years ago. Are they leveling out where you hunt or continuing to drop? Maybe increased? I have not seen any threads on the topic so far this season. I'm glad the doe tags were reduced, Nov gun hunt gone, and shed buck season shortened, but I think they should be dropped more in a few areas. Especially after the EHD. Maybe give a region of the state where you can provide some input from.

A property I hunt in the central part of the state I use to see 10-20 on a regular basis. Past couple years now its been 10 or so a sit, this year no more than 5 a sit.

A property I hunt in the Loess Hills last year I would see probably 8 to 15. I've only hunted there three times this year, but have not seen more than 5. I'm not saying numbers are down there after just 3 days of hunting.

Also gained access to a property in the south central portion this year and this is the first season of hunting it. So I don't have anything to compare it to. Seen just 2 to 3 a couple times, then 10 a few times. I have four stands on this property. Didn't get access until September so I didn't scout much and pretty much just hung up the stands where I thought I may see deer just from looking at it on google maps. I already want to move 3 of the 4, but will wait until next year. Its my first season hunting the famed southern IA and so far I have not been impressed with the numbers from what I was expecting for this specific property, although I am very happy with the amount of shooters I have on cam there, just have not seen any from the stand.

It has not been a good season for me at all so far, very frustrating.

 

[buckfever321]

Here in Ringgold county we are hearing people say in the southern part of the county numbers have dropped by 50% because of the EHD that was such a pain this summer. In my part of the county I am seeing just as many deer that I've seen in the past, maybe slightly fewer numbers because of the doe seasons.

 

[Handcannon]

I hunt rural Woodbury & saw 10 different deer all season, about 90 hours in the stand. 5 of those were does, 1 nice 8, 1 medium 8, 2 forkys & a button.

 

[rc10pt]

5-10 yrs ago in Chickasaw/Howard and winneshiek we would always see a herd of 50+ in the late season. Biggest I've laid my eyes on was over 100. As of late its been 10-15 in a herd, but that being said we've had a little warmer Decembers so they haven't herded up as much. But yes the numbers are way down.

 

[6x6]

I do think #s are down in Monona county because of EHD, especially the older class of deer.

 

[Elitebowhunter]

Some of the farms I hunt are almost extinct it seems like and others you wouldn't think anything has changed...Combining this fall I found so many dead bucks on those low numbered farms it would make you sick.

 

[1luckyguy]

Still decent #'s in Allamakee and Clayton counties in NE Iowa. Not as many as I would see in 2000-2005, but still a good herd. I hunted my best stand 5 times this fall and saw 11, 8, 9, 5, and 5 bucks each time I sat that stand. In 2005 I would see 10-13 different bucks on a sit during rut. So I guess I'm seeing more than some people but #'s are down a bit.

 

[LYON]

Numbers seemed to be down quite a bit last year, but I've been impressed so far this year. I've been seeing anywhere from 5-20 deer an almost every sit. Last year was quite a bit lower.

 

[DoneRight]

Ehd definitely hit our farms hard. Last year we avg 15 deer per sit. This yr the avg is 5. But our farms are in Madison and Warren co. Some of the most hardest hit areas by ehd. I want to say to those gun hunting in the upcoming season please have an idea of the doe population in the area you are hunting before you go whacking a bunch of does. It would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Daver]

Numbers right on our farm are probably the same as last year, fairly good, but like a lot of places, down a lot from 5-8 years ago. But what is really easy to see is that we commonly drive to our farm after work/school on Friday evenings. A few years ago we would easily see 20-40+ deer per trip, including several instances where we would have to slow/stop to allow deer to cross the road in front of us, etc. Now...we maybe see 3-5 deer per trip. The trip is basically down Highway 1 from Iowa City to Fairfield and then south of Fairfield through Libertyville, etc.

This year, we had decent trail cam pics through the summer and into the fall. While others were unfortunately finding dead deer in areas all over the state, we did not and it seemed to us that we escaped the EHD bug. Now after hunting through October and most of November now, I am suspecting that we must have gotten bitten too, but maybe later, like mid-October.

Last night my son and I sat about 300 yards apart. I had 3 fawns in front of me and one semi-decent buck, but no does(moms). My son had 14 deer visible throughout the evening and some were just a few feet away from him...maybe one adult doe, 7-8 fawns and a couple young bucks and one that was probably 3 years old. Not only are we not seeing mature bucks like we think we should, we aren't seeing adult does to speak of either. We run limited cams during the season, but what we are seeing lines up with an apparent absence of many adult deer in our timber. It is also true that we have shot 3 adult does, but there are still a very disproportionate number of lonely fawns this year.

FWIW, other neighbors are reporting very similar things. Sooooo...I think there are some racks and skeletons out there in the ditches to be picked up this winter from what I can tell.

 

[KnuckleDragr]

My spots in Boone and Story counties seem lower, but not by much. I am not sure if ehd even affected these areas or not. Monroe county, however, seems to be down 50% or so from my observations.

 

[JNRBRONC]

Last night my son and I sat about 300 yards apart. I had 3 fawns in front of me and one semi-decent buck, but no does(moms). My son had 14 deer visible throughout the evening and some were just a few feet away from him...maybe one adult doe, 7-8 fawns and a couple young bucks and one that was probably 3 years old. Not only are we not seeing mature bucks like we think we should, we aren't seeing adult does to speak of either. We run limited cams during the season, but what we are seeing lines up with an apparent absence of many adult deer in our timber.

I've been seeing bucks locked down with does, bedded out in the wide open cut corn fields. That might be where your adult deer are, Daver.

 

[limblounger]

Ehd definitely hit our farms hard. Last year we avg 15 deer per sit. This yr the avg is 5. But our farms are in Madison and Warren co. Some of the most hardest hit areas by ehd. I want to say to those gun hunting in the upcoming season please have an idea of the doe population in the area you are hunting before you go whacking a bunch of does. It would be greatly appreciated.

x2...Madison County near Pammel Park, numbers are way down from past years. Still saw good action, but hardly any does around. Sad....too bad any mid-season adjustments of tags couldn't have been/be done. I filled out my bowhunter survey and sent it in - hope it helps for setting future year tag limits.

 

[hunter25]

Numbers are down in greene co. as well.

 

[pete]

I've been seeing bucks locked down with does, bedded out in the wide open cut corn fields. That might be where your adult deer are, Daver.

I agree all weekend I saw 1.5 year old bucks and fawns. Made for a frustrating 4 days. Took a drive midday on Sunday and saw 3 pairs of mature doe/bucks locked up in open fields.

 

[jclaws]

Right now the mature bucks are locked down with does, and the does that are not in heat yet are hiding from the immature bucks. Im sure they dont like being harassed all the time. I hunted a clover field yesterday that is usually loaded down with does.had 7 younger bucks come out early just waiting for them. As soon as all the bucks moved on the does filtered in right at last light. Its just that time of year. Before that the deer numbers were just the same as last year.

 

[Daver]

I've been seeing bucks locked down with does, bedded out in the wide open cut corn fields. That might be where your adult deer are, Daver.

I hope you are right Randy, and I think yuo easily could be. But what concerns me more is that we aren't seeing much on cams now either.

I suppose though that when the bucks push the does out into the hinterlands they aren't getting their picture taken much back at the regular spots. Oh well, we'll give 'er another go this weekend.

I think my number of bucks passed this year is somewhere around 20 though! BUT, the gross, aggregate score of about 17 of those guys might be 100"! In other words, we have been seeing A LOT of dinks!

 

[rosh]

In nw ia I bought my farm in 99. i would say that the numbers today are down at least 60%. I have been calling the dnr for 3 yrs with my concerns. Glad my neighbor this yr did not get any dep tags even they are finding new places to hunt.

 

[Rackmup65]

Northern Monroe county has been hard hit by EHD in some areas. On a 1 mile stretch of healthy creek there have been 7 bucks found and on a farm just 3 miles away, also on a normally healthy creek, 10 deer dead, 8 bucks. On another farm 3 deer dead just 1 mile away. In comparing notes, it seems that 80% of the loss are bucks, anyone else seeing the same with the bucks? It seems like the areas, which are close to fresh water like rivers and lakes, have not been hit quite as hard. This is all just feedback from comparing notes with trappers and other hunters so far.

Average deer per sit 5+ years ago was easily 8-12, last year 3-5, this year 0-2.

We are dealing with an incredible amount of hunters this year. In a 2 square mile radius there are minimum of 8 hunters and near 12 at some times. When you are walking out it will be a parade of trucks and four wheelers. I think this has pushed the deer to be much more nocturnal than in the past. In years past there was 3 - 4 of us and we all communicated for the most part. Have never dealt with anything like it in 25+ years of bowhunting. I have heard rumblings of a very nice deer in the area but have not laid eyes upon him myself. So if he is a bruiser, cant say I blame them i guess.

If there is a silver lining, perhaps this will thin out some of the outdoor channel "groupies".