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Thoughts on deer numbers...

iatreehugger

iatreehugger

PMA Member
I have been reading where many are seeing lower deer numbers (myself included). I had a few years where I participated in the hunt at Lake Darling to reduce doe numbers. Isn't it interesting that the same DNR who is caving to Farm Bureau and the insurance groups, would only allow two days (with a very specific number of tags) to reduce those doe numbers on their own properties, but they will keep the pressure on the Iowa deer herd now almost to February in our southern counties. With grain prices headed to where they are, you can guarantee that for many the motto will be... "if it's brown it's down".
 
With no hard evidence, just personal experience, i would say the deer numbers here are way down. It is not coincidence that a person goes from seeing 10-20 a sit to 3-5 a sit this year. Iowa is still a great state but we are hurting ourselves. I read the posts on here all the time about how its the DNR's fault for having these seasons, BUT just because there is a season and it is legal to shoot does doesnt mean you have to partake. Some of the same guys on here ( I wont mention names) that are complaining about "doe seasons" have 3 or more does in the harvest forum under "running doe count" that were taken during archery season. I have no problem with people shooting whatever makes them happy, or what they need to feed their families, but dont bitch about the "other guys" when you are part of the problem. Alot of guys have way overdone the QDM initiative and killed way to many does and it is impacting the whole area not just one farm. Our winters have been doing plenty of culling for us these last few years so I agree we need to do away with some of the "bonus" seasons, but I also think that us as Bowhunters are just as guilty as the Orange Army (and I dont even gun hunt) so its not like Im being biased towards one or the other. Plain and simple, we are the ones in the woods every day, we are the ones that have a first hand account of the deer numbers, we are the ones that need to be advocates for Iowa deer hunting and report to our DNR about what is going on,and we all need to practice what we preach. IF YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION, THAN YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!

If we would all as hunters, vote together and be heard together we could make a serious impact. Instead of coming on here and complaining about this or that, write and email to Jo Schmo senator or congressmen or the governors office and try to make a real impact, and for God sakes, if you dont like a season, than dont do it. Maybe then the DNR would get the hint.
 
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dedgeez...I completely agree with you. My son, who has never taken a deer yet with a bow, had a doe coming the other night, and he held off because we have decided we aren't going to keep helping with the problem.
 
I'm convinced deer numbers are down in Southern Iowa too.

I've been waffling on that opinion, due to things like changes in row crop(to wetland or crp), pastured cows in former CRP fields and more activity on some farms, but I'm in the camp that has noticed 3-5 deer in places I could always count on seeing 10+ does in a day.
 
I have participated in the Iowa Bow Hunter Survey the past several years conducted by the Iowa DNR and a professor from Iowa State. I looked at the data gathered over the past 6 years (or so) and deer sightings all over the state are down.
It doesn't take a degree to figure out that removing does from the population at the rate that has been going on the past 5 years will cause a dynamic and dramatic drop in population in a relatively short period of time.
So where does the line need to be drawn???
Some areas of the state could argue that there are still a few "too many" deer. County doe quotas the answer?
Some feel that this is not the answer because in their niche in the county there are not hardly any deer due to over hunting.
Anyway you slice it, it is a management nightmare.
 
Agree, agree, agree. Part of the problem is the mentality of changing deer hunting into a competitive sport! Just my opinion
 
I noticed the same thing last year where we hunt. There just isn't as many deer around, and it's kind of a shame.
 
When the local Farmers start asking ME if I am seeing any deer on their own land because they are not -thats an issue---and they have all asked me this year ! Massive doe season limits has truely impacted the herd in Allamakee Co. I am fortunate to see 5 does in an all day sit- yes they are dug in now, but it's been since early Oct.
Still the CASH CROP continues-The DNR may want to re-evalute the deer inventory if they want this cash crop to keep the dollars flowin in.
Yea, a bit bent out of shape--but honestly the Farmers are not even seeing the deer!!!! I'm talking about 10 farms and around 4500 acres--boys thats a pretty big whitetail desert.
 
The problem will always be, who thinks what,,is enough deer. To many, suburbanites, one is too many. To many farmers too. To hunters,,we'd like to have lots of deer to watch. Who has the most $$ clout? That is the bottom line. It is a fine line for the DNR to walk. How much revenue do hunting licenses bring into the DNR ? They could be cooking their golden goose. It is by far even worse up in MI where I came from . My friend up there says the fields are empty in the summer. When I left it was bad news. You could sit a week and not see a fawn. It is not that bad down in my part of SE Iowa yet, but I fear it's on it's way. My friend says the DNR still issues all the Antlerless tags you want up there. It is hard to figure?? Even if there are no deer big enough to shoot, you like to have something to watch, to while away the hours. Glad I got out here before it becomes Michigan!
 
Problem is mainly from guys that aren't reading this or on iowawhitetail.com. They r the un-educated and non-serious hunters out for a casual few weekends to shoot stuff. They are the guys buying their tags and bullets at wal-mart the night before opening day of gun. I am not bashing them as much as just saying they aren't educated and don't have much reason to care. This is a massive amount of the hunters. Why the real answer will be through regulation and season adjustments
**Loneranger is right about MI!!!!
 
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The problem is you can just about shoot as many deer as you have money. Unfortunately we are part of the problem. We all share the same passion but some have no concept for passing on deer! "Our" running doe counts are a PRIME example. Some areas need this much of a harvest, but I'm pretty sure all of the people on the above mentioned thread are not hunting just those select spots. I have a bad feeling for the future.
 
M350 said:
When the local Farmers start asking ME if I am seeing any deer on their own land because they are not -thats an issue---and they have all asked me this year ! Massive doe season limits has truely impacted the herd in Allamakee Co. I am fortunate to see 5 does in an all day sit- yes they are dug in now, but it's been since early Oct.
Still the CASH CROP continues-The DNR may want to re-evalute the deer inventory if they want this cash crop to keep the dollars flowin in.
Yea, a bit bent out of shape--but honestly the Farmers are not even seeing the deer!!!! I'm talking about 10 farms and around 4500 acres--boys thats a pretty big whitetail desert.
Click to expand...

I hear ya Mike. I'm hearing it from just about every person that walks in the door at the shop. The #'s are just not there. We'll see if the DNR recognizes that for the past few years the #'s of deer shot were way above the #'s called in and a few bad winters really does take a toll on the deer.

I just hope they start to draw the line and ELIMINATE these stupid doe seasons...
 
Numbers are down I would agree and last year couldnt keep track of the number of does and a few shed bucks that I seen dead while I was shed hunting well over 20... It was a little sickening but something needs to be done about it otherwise it will just keep getting worse
 
Dale Garner, chief
DNR Wildlife Bureau
Deer hunters reported
harvesting 136,504 deer, including
71,273 does this past fall. It
was the fifth year where the doe
harvest exceeded buck harvest.
This harvest has reduced deer
numbers in many areas of the
state to a more acceptable level.
We appreciate our hunters’ role
in helping the DNR manage the
deer herd through hunting. Hunters
will see reductions in the antlerless quota in some
areas where deer numbers are at goal. In other areas
of the state, more work still needs to be done. Hunters
need to continue to harvest does in these areas to get
our herd to the population goal.
This is directly from the DNR publication. I was trying to find the quota numbers in counties to compare them to this year, but when you look at the sheer number of available tags in many counties...without any knowledge those numbers would suggest that we are absolutely being over-ran by deer. The county I live in still has double the number of available doe tags it did a few years ago, but nearly as many deer as when the doe quoata was less than 1000.
 
Yes, I agree that each of us has a responsibility, but I think we also forget that many of our young hunters can't even remember a time in which you basically couldn't shoot as many deer as you wanted. It has become a cash cow for the state, and I believe will be a hunter's nightmare in a very few years. I think it's fascinating that in many places our deer numbers are wayyyyy down, and yet even those of us loyal to Iowawhitetail.com still see a "running doe count" every year.
 
I completely agree with Sligh 1. Shotgun season mainly is when guys who have basically no knowledge of the deer numbers or really care go out and do drives and kill everything that runs out of the timber. Also someone else stated that most people who live in the suburbs or farmers if they just see a deer that means there is too many. If the DNR can get it to where no counties will have a quota on doe tags the job will be complete. And seriously, who wants to go hunting in these counties that don't have a quota for doe tags, not many, because theres hardly any deer there to hunt. No one wants to go sit in a stand and only see 3 to 5 deer at most all day, how good do you think the chances of having one of them come within 30 yards are?

I'm not sure if the southern counties will ever really get the numbers down like the DNR wants if the land continues to be leased out to people and bought up by NR's who are only after a mature buck. Those areas are turning into sanctuaries, I think the numbers will always be high there.
 
Three to 5 deer a day? How bout 3 to 5 in two wks.? Now some will say I exagerated,,or say I must move alot in stand, or say I pay no attention to scent control,etc. But I do all that, and back in 2004 and 5, I did see 3 or 4 deer at least in two days. They have since dwindled! It does take dedication to sit day after day seeing Zilch, but once into hunting you become dedicated!
 
Numbers are down and I'm pretty concerned about the quality of next years hunt. The DNR should be sick of our phone calls this year if we know what's good for us.
 
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