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Special Season Reality......

Kansasdeerslayer is right. Illinois DNR lost its right to control by Farm Bureau and the outfitters. It is wrong for them to do this late Dec. hunt on spur of the moment but let it be. You have to help reach their quotas. There has been talk on other forums already about Iowa on the verge of opening the gates for non-residents. I'm from Illinois and you ain't gonna like it. Good luck you guys.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kansasdeerslayer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">... I can only say that you all need to do anything in your power to help the IDNR maintain control of their ability to run the show...Look at the long term effects of what your Legislature running the show will be and focus your fight on making sure that this does not happen. Your politicians will get a taste of big NR tag money and will DESTROY YOUR DEER HERD in short order. This is where your fight is fellas. </div></div>


Truer words could not have been spoken. I wholeheartedly agree with the above statement which is why the content of my e-mail to them didn't so much focus on the LM issue (although I mentioned it) but more to the points that I think could cause this to be somewhat of a debacle. It's just too difficult to throw together a quick hunt amongst other seasons that were designed to NOT overlap for a reason. My focus is to try and bring forth ideas that they may or may not have already considered to avoid a public relations problem that's worse than what they're trying to fix by having the hunt. This is a copy of my e-mail from earlier this evening which was sent to the two individuals mentioned in the early stages of the thread:

Gentlemen,

I’ve been thinking about the proposed special hunt to include the dates of 21, 22, 23 December and have thought of some potential drawbacks to include the following:



1.) If antlerless tags can be used on these dates, it gives an unfair advantage to 2nd season shotgun hunters. This season is ongoing so they can still buy up antlerless tags legally at this time with no other intention than to use them in the newly made season.

2.) It’s likely that many 1st season shotgun hunters will have already disposed of their leftover tags feeling that they were worthless only to realize that they could have used them afterall. Anger on this point seems almost inevitable.

3.) This season will run during 2nd season bow. How can it be justified to keep bow season open during this time when it’s always closed during the shotgun seasons for reasons I’m assuming to include safety? I hate to think of the public relations nightmare that could erupt if a bowhunter were shot out of his or her tree by a slug due to the season overlap that is present. I do feel that the number of bowhunters at this time is quite low but sometimes it can be of benefit to consider a worst case scenario, particularly for those who are in decision making positions.

4.) I believe there is a notable impact on the late muzzleloader hunters, particularly since they had to make the choice to hunt this season and many choose that time due to the lack of gun competition. I actually hunt early muzzleloader so please realize I’m not mentioning this as an issue that is personal to me, just one that seems to cause some drawbacks for some.





The main reason I decided to send my thoughts on the matter is that I firmly believe the DNR is far and away the best agency for regulating fish and game in the state of Iowa and I want it to stay that way. In my opinion, a legislature based regulatory system would be a disaster of monumental proportions. I can see some potential issues here and hopefully they can be avoided either by deciding against the season or at least by using careful consideration of the ramifications when laying the ground rules which I’m sure is an effort that is already underway. Good luck in whatever you decide.





Best regards,

Signature/Address
 
I guess my issue with this whole situation is that the deer numbers are going to be hurt regardless. So they are down a bit, you open up the season for 3 days to shotgun hunting and it is antlerless only, I know that being an antlerless only season the number of guys that will take advantage of the situation is probably going to be much less than what the DNR and state are thinking, not to mention that tags are lost/tossed in the trash (but I guess the DNR can make some cash for reprints here). Next you have a bunch of guys trying to fill bow tags and late muzzy tags, the deer get pushed for an extra week and in some areas where they have been driven like a rental car for a few weeks it does take time for the deer to settle down and get to the point where they may become patternable again for the late bow and muz hunters. So this new season opens and the deer are now skidish until the first part of January and the muzzy and late bow season is really hurting. The hunters during these seasons harvest less deer because of the interruption in the season and we are back to where we started, less deer harvested. So you took many extra days from the guys who choose to hunt late in the year because of less hunting pressure and still got nothing accomplished. Hell, the early bow season had some days where it pushed 90 degrees, maybe we can get some extra days of bowhunting because there is no way I was going out in that and no deer were harvested on these days. I know plenty of guys who hunted first season during the terrible weather and they had great years, I think the only reason we had down numbers is because for the most part the fair weather hunters didn't hunt. Please don't take this personal if you hunted everyday in the miserable weather as I admire that and as we all know hunting is hunting and sometimes things don't go our way and we eat a tag.

Once you start giving on issues like this, it opens the door for the state to get involved whenever they want and impose whatever rules. This particular situation might not be all that bad but future ones might get much worse.
 
I have to agree jkratz I don't think this season will accomplish anything but screwing up the late muzzy season and late bow season. They will be hunting already spooky deer in unfavorable conditions and we all know what happens with that. I don't think there will be many hunters at all that will take advantage of it but there will be just enough to spook the deer into hiding and running 10 miles ahead of hunters. This season would be better held during the late doe season (which we didn't want to begin with) where it may work to everyone's advantage. If this season takes place then I think like was said we late muzzy hunters and late bowhunters should get our season extended into the following weekend just to be fair about it. Personally I don't think this chit will end until we have NO DEER left in Iowa. Ask the guys that hunt the Ammunition Plant how things are working out down there as far as quality hunting goes since this form of management has taken place.
 
I'm willing to give up my late bow season, as long as the IA DNR stays in control of our deer population. I dont want someone behind a desk that is afraid of a gun to decide my hunting future. That is what we need to fight for......
 
What happens if the weather is awful that weekend too? the weather service says more stormy weather by that weekend. Since when did hunting seasons get regulated by the weather? thought the challenge of the weather was part of the challenge of hunting? Iowa is following in the tracks of Michigan. I left there, " the kill all the deer,,,mentality" It has followed me here.
 
I'd LMAO more if one of these guys voting for the season actually hit one of the deer as it ran across a road during the season. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
I just don't think they are going to get the hunters they need on these dates. A lot of people are having there Christmas dinners on this weekend, or are getting ready for the holiday. How many people are going to travle out of town on this weekend to go shoot a doe?
 
Teeroy, thanks for the links. I think one of the reason that the deer kills are down is because of the way the antlerless Non-resident was set up this year. Last year my dad bought a late season ML antlerless only tag, and there were still tons of them left. This year he drew a tag, but just for kicks, checked to see how many non-resident antlerless tags there were. Sold out. They went by county this year, anyone correct me if I am wrong, but it was by zone or a whole lump sum of tags. I'm not sayin we need more non-resident buck tags, I'm sayin we need more non-resident antlerless tags. In adams county, there are alot of groups with out of state hunters with them that didn't get to come this year because for non-resident, Adams county only allowed 55 nonresident doe tags.

Now I'm not sayin open the gates, but I think a big reason that the doe kill was down, was do to the lack of non-resident doe tags. They are expensive enough, most out of state hunters are going to fill them.
 
Has anyone else seen this posting on the IDNR website? If I am reading it right they are wanting to allow anyone that has an unfilled tag from Youth season and 1st and 2nd season shotgun season to be allowed to hunt during their special season. Now that is just a little crazy.

Seems to me that it could be a good time to get shot if you go out hunting during the special season if the IDNR gets their way

Here is the link: http://www.iowadnr.com/news/07dec/nrc.html
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just another thought to throw into the mix is the 1st season guys who have already disposed of their tags thinking they were worthless only to realize they could have been back in the game. </div></div>

Is there any way to get a lost tag re-printed? Luckily I saved my 3 tags, but my buddy threw his away and he definetly wants to go.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: GregBickal</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">you opted to buy Shotgun season tags, knowing you could have watched the weather prior to purchasing your tags, which would have allow you to wait for more favorable hunting conditions, unfortunately your tags went unfilled, that was your choice!</div></div>

Being the rookie that I am, I thought you were able to hunt all seasons, so thats why I bought first season, thinking if I didnt fill my tag I would go buy a license for second season. Now that I understand how hunting works, I am better prepared for next year and I will hunt 2nd season shotgun instead of first.

As for the weather, I was out there all day every day even in the freezing sleet. You have to buy your doe tags before the quota is sold out, and you have to pick the season in which they can be used, which the sell out happens well before you can predict the weather for that week of hunting.

Could this be the beginning of a serious change to the way Iowa does deer hunting?

I am supportive of whatever extra hunting that I can do, cause having to wait a whole year for a few opportunities to hunt really sucks.

Last season, cleanup crew, anyone with left over tags go for it, count me in.

</div></div>

I hear this all the time up here in MN because the gun season is so "short" - that's what the gun hunters say - if you want more time in the woods then start bowhunting or get a muzzleloader and hunt the early or late season. You have a lot more options that just gun season and don't have to wait a full year for the next gun season to come around.
 
Here is the problem that I have, in the years past I have had does tags and even anysex tags left over that I did not fill and I accepted that. Now its the shotgun season that is having a tough time filling tags and they are granted an extension to the season due to weather?? I can remember quiet a few late muzzleloader seasons where the weather was not favorable. It was to warm and deer just werent moving, however 2 days after season the temps dropped and the deer were scattered everywhere. However thats hunting and hey, I accepted it. I think that the season should be chalked up as a loss and it will be something that you can talk about in the futher years on how chitty the hunting was in 07.

Now..............thank god for this site and the way that people act on here, with maturity and not bitchin and groanin. I can now see the other hand of this extended season. Not because of the hunters that didnt fill their tag but the need for the larger harvest and the numbers that need produced. However I also feel that this season should be during the Jan. ANTERLESS season. Just sucks anyway ya look at it, unless your a shotgun hunter /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jkratz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Next you have a bunch of guys trying to fill bow tags and late muzzy tags, the deer get pushed for an extra week and in some areas where they have been driven like a rental car for a few weeks it does take time for the deer to settle down and get to the point where they may become patternable again for the late bow and muz hunters. So this new season opens and the deer are now skidish until the first part of January and the muzzy and late bow season is really hurting. The hunters during these seasons harvest less deer because of the interruption in the season and we are back to where we started, less deer harvested. So you took many extra days from the guys who choose to hunt late in the year because of less hunting pressure and still got nothing accomplished. Hell, the early bow season had some days where it pushed 90 degrees, maybe we can get some extra days of bowhunting because there is no way I was going out in that and no deer were harvested on these days. I know plenty of guys who hunted first season during the terrible weather and they had great years, I think the only reason we had down numbers is because for the most part the fair weather hunters didn't hunt. Please don't take this personal if you hunted everyday in the miserable weather as I admire that and as we all know hunting is hunting and sometimes things don't go our way and we eat a tag.

Once you start giving on issues like this, it opens the door for the state to get involved whenever they want and impose whatever rules. This particular situation might not be all that bad but future ones might get much worse. </div></div>

Great thoughts Kratz! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

I planned on tyring to fill a doe tag on some public ground the first weekend of Late Muzzy with my bow, but if this goes through (and it sounds like it will) I think I may be out of luck. The deer will just be settling down and then gonna get chased around again. I have Dec 21 - Jan 3rd off but I feel that these 3 days will set me back about a week on public ground. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif Yes, I am being selfish.

We all have to deal with the weather, both good and bad. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. That's life in Iowa.

I know that sometimes we need to pick and choose out battles, but making our voices heard on all issues adds credibility to us as hunters.

I still can't believe this is probably gonna happen. Hope were not headed down a slippery slope.
 
This is most likely going to happen, but no one knows for sure....

there should be a press release available by noon today...

keep your fingers crossed
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I hear this all the time up here in MN because the gun season is so "short" - that's what the gun hunters say - if you want more time in the woods then start bowhunting or get a muzzleloader and hunt the early or late season. You have a lot more options that just gun season and don't have to wait a full year for the next gun season to come around. </div></div>

As for me bowhunting, I have a torn rotator cuff injury, so don't know as I could do it. Crossbow sure, but Bow Hunting and Shotgun hunting are as different as Catfishing versus Bassfishing.

If I am having trouble taking a deer with a shotgun, what makes you think I would be sucessful with a Bow or Muzzleloader...Jeez... Let me get proficient with one method of hunting before I try to expand my skills.

Bowhunters get 2 full months to hunt, shotgunners only gets 1 week. How is that fair? I think they need to merge the shotgun season into 1 season, and have it 3 weeks long. Maybe that would also spread the hunters out a little more and there wouldnt be such a rush.
 
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