January Anterless Season Poll

[huntemup]

Our hunt for doe down there is not hurting too many residents, trust me. For starters, this guys ground we hunt on we have hunted for nearly 30 years. Now the mighty dollar has taken over as he has leased all of his ground to a non-resident group of hunters. As did his neighbor who we used to hunt for many years as well. Nearly 1500 acres that are not being managed correctly now due to the leases. The landowners know this as they have said it to me, but that quick buck is worth much more to them than the health of the herd. They're your typical non-hunting farmers and for years have complained about the over population and how they destroy their crops each and every year. So blast me all you want, I dont care. My group has taken more does out of the herd down there than the non-residents have taken bucks and does combined. Each year we see around 150-200 deer, all on this less than 1500 acres. And we have yet to shoot a shed buck out of the many does we have taken. Selfish attitude, maybe. Somebody explain to me how my moronic theory of herd management is any worse than what is happening with these Non-residents leasing the ground and NOT managing it at all?? They're shooting an average of 6-8 deer a year. All of which were bucks this year. Not one single doe off all of that land in 2009 with the exception of the ones we shot, last January.

By your own admission in your first post, you dont care if you shoot shed bucks or not. Simply because it is not your normal hunting area. Sorry, but that definitely fits my definition of selfish and moronic. You even stated that you would not like the season in your hunting area. Quite a double standard.

 

[loneranger]

Once a season is instituted, it is hard to get rid of. Kinda like a federal program. Iowa will always have,"Too Many deer", in most of the public's eys. Here's hoping,,anyway.

 

[G6]

Our hunt for doe down there is not hurting too many residents, trust me. For starters, this guys ground we hunt on we have hunted for nearly 30 years. Now the mighty dollar has taken over as he has leased all of his ground to a non-resident group of hunters. As did his neighbor who we used to hunt for many years as well. Nearly 1500 acres that are not being managed correctly now due to the leases. The landowners know this as they have said it to me, but that quick buck is worth much more to them than the health of the herd. They're your typical non-hunting farmers and for years have complained about the over population and how they destroy their crops each and every year. So blast me all you want, I dont care. My group has taken more does out of the herd down there than the non-residents have taken bucks and does combined. Each year we see around 150-200 deer, all on this less than 1500 acres. And we have yet to shoot a shed buck out of the many does we have taken. Selfish attitude, maybe. Somebody explain to me how my moronic theory of herd management is any worse than what is happening with these Non-residents leasing the ground and NOT managing it at all?? They're shooting an average of 6-8 deer a year. All of which were bucks this year. Not one single doe off all of that land in 2009 with the exception of the ones we shot, last January.

It was your first post on the subject of shooting does when you said you don't care if you shoot shed bucks because you don't hunt there normally that POed everyone. Now you want to backtrack and tell us the real reason which I don't see anything wrong with if it is in fact overpopulated with deer. Save the selfish comments if you don't want to get flamed. BTW are you using rifles or shotguns to shoot your shed bucks?

 

[JNRBRONC]

Once a season is instituted, it is hard to get rid of.

That is kind of what I thought as well. Both counties I hunt were dropped from the November antlerless hunt and the late antlerless season for Jan 2010, as the DNR felt the population had approached target levels. So I would offer that there is hope it will go away in other areas, if the deer population levels are met. Whether you agree with this level is a totally different topic for discussion.

 

[GregBickal]

In order to fill my freezer Id like to get 6 does a year. Averaging 35lbs per doe. Pretty impossible to fill 6 tags during 2nd season shotgun seeing as how I can really only hunt on the weekends.

So I buy 2 tags for second season shotgun. I typically don't party hunt. It usually takes me the full two weeks to fill those 2 tags unless I get lucky like I did last year.

In order to have more time to hunt I bought a muzzle loader. I have a week off for Christmas, so I even have more time. I get 2 tags for this season, but even with the longer amount of time, it takes me equally as long to fill my tags. I personally don't like the muzzle loader and would really like to hunt with my shotgun instead. Rules are rules however.

Both the public land that I hunt and private land that I hunt has alot of deer, and hardly nobody hunts it. However, with no real food plots, you basically have to walk the property hoping to sneak up on them as they bed down. I put in 3-5 miles every day and still took hunting every chance I could get to fill all of my tags.

Linn County had a quota of 1900 antlerless tags last year, and the same this year, however since no deer could be shot during late antlerless season that puts even more pressure on Shotgun and Muzzy, which for the reason I stated above is to hard to do already.

Cut us a break already. If you want to cut out the late antlerless season, consider changing late muzzle loader season to include Shotgun. That would certainly make me happy. Or maybe CO's could grant special permission or something.

 

[Liv4Rut]

What I like about the season is there is no pressure to hunt like you do when your buck hunting. You don't have to worry much about anything except going out and hunting and not shooting shed bucks. Who cares if its a half crappy set up as long as the winds good. Its kinda nice once in awhile.

 

[Jordan46]

If you want to cut out the late antlerless season, consider changing late muzzle loader season to include Shotgun. That would certainly make me happy. .

Consider aiming and you wouldn't need all those shots that you like to have with your shotgun Yupp thats all we need is people out deer driving with shotguns during muzzleloader, that would be fantastic.

 

[archery95]

I checked the DNR site on Sunday night at 9pm.There had been 820 shed bucks shot statewide by then.As of 10 minutes ago they had 1200 reported shed bucks harvested.380 in 3 days of the Jan. antlerless season.It makes me sick.

 

[blake]

IWF

 

[biggest buck]

I dont see any backtracking in my first post whatsoever. I simply did not feel the need to elaborate at that point. We as a group try not to shoot any shed bucks, as do the few of us that bow hunt try not to shoot any button bucks. As for caring if we do accidently shoot a shed or button during the rifle season, I don't. There are so many deer in the area that it won't matter one little bit if we did shoot one or even two. Eventually it will happen. The state offers the season, we take em up on it.
BTW G6, so far out of the 15 deer we have taken in 2008, 2009 ALL have been does. So please dont insinuate what you dont know. And all were taken with our rifles. And I have absolutely NO problem getting flamed. :grin:

Huntemup, I dont want the season in my area because my area does not have the overpopulation problem Taylor County does, not even remotely close. Find somebody who hunts both counties and ask them about the difference. I do not think this is a double standard.
As of right now, there are fewer shed bucks shot in Taylor County than in Pott. County. There have been more deer harvested there with fewer shed bucks, than in my area. Not a huge difference in total deer, but as many have stated this season, I to am not seeing near as many deer in my area. Its been many years since I've seen any large numbered groups in Pott. Co. Each and every year in Taylor Co. there are huge groups of them. We're not even denting the population with the 15 does we have taken.

SeDeerslayer, my understanding is this is a large group of out of staters that rotate the years they come to Iowa based on the point preferance system. At least on my friends ground. So the numbers arent really that odd. This is bow and shotgun season with two separate landowners leasing. The neighbor leases to someone else.

 

[GDCooper]

The late season has been a valuable management tool for us, taking 6-10 antlerless each year by centerfire. Not one shed buck, take great care to be selective--we hunt from stands, and w CF you should be able to be careful. If hunting in drives it would be a greater problem, but those hunting in drives w CF will probably be eliminated themselves via natural selection. Not to say an occasional slip is impossible, but at least shouldn't be a monster.

For most hunting in our area late season is about the only "management" that gets done, are too busy shooting bucks the rest of the year even though some talk the management talk. Still are a considerable #deer, DNR quotas haven't cut the population excessively thus far.

IF CF is eliminated we likely wouldn't do late season, already been there done that, both bow and shotgun proved to be a total waste of time, deer WAY too spooky after being shot at for almost 2 months by any human catching a glimpse of what might be a deer.

Slob hunters are out in every season, trespassing, etc. I don't think there's a greater number in late season, in fact probably are more participating in the regular shotgun seasons with their slob friends--at least that's when we have the most problems with jerks.

 

[corygnc]

We shot 5 does tonight. Had 2 guys in the tower analizing the does and almost killed a shed buck and 2 button bucks.

No matter how good you are, it is far too hard to judge shed bucks right now.

When we took them to the locker tonight, there were 5 deer that were just brought in and 3 of them were shed bucks.

This is not a good thing!

Maybe November Muzzleloader should be antlerless season alsol and you can only shoot with Muzzleloader.

Don't know what the solution is but I don't like it now.

 

[Windwalker]

This is a season that be dropped . Wake up DNR

 

[loneranger]

Anyone who cares about seeing quality deer,,,and shoots a shed buck by mistake,,,seems to me would be sick about it and not try it again. Guess there are alot out there that don't care about seeing mature bucks. Obviously DNR cares little about quality. Just get those NUMBERS down!

 

[loneranger]

Who of importance should we write to about this subject? I hunt in one of these counties.

 

[G6]

I dont see any backtracking in my first post whatsoever. I simply did not feel the need to elaborate at that point. We as a group try not to shoot any shed bucks, as do the few of us that bow hunt try not to shoot any button bucks. As for caring if we do accidently shoot a shed or button during the rifle season, I don't.
BTW G6, so far out of the 15 deer we have taken in 2008, 2009 ALL have been does. So please dont insinuate what you dont know. And all were taken with our rifles. And I have absolutely NO problem getting flamed. :grin:

Hey it's winter and it's getting boring already so I'm just giving you chit about your not caring comment about shooting shed bucks. I don't agree with the late doe season and never will so we're going to have differing opinions on that pure and simple. I'm just glad we don't have it here where I hunt right now because I know of 2 big bucks that I'm sure would get whacked if some of the people I know were able to hunt the areas. There are plenty of other opportunities to kill does if someone really wants to do it, like bow season and second shotgun season and you can hunt both. One of the best times to kill some does is the first 2 weeks of bow season before the hunting even gets good for bucks. I'd like to know how many shed bucks actually get shot that get reported as does because guys that hunt the late season don't want to lose their (special ) season.

 

[bloodhoundhandler]

Myself and a group of 5-6 friends have hunted Taylor county the last two years. Personally if this were in my normal hunting area I would not be too fond of it. But since its an area we cannot hunt during the bow/shotgun season anymore, I really dont care if we shoot the shed bucks or not. Down there if it doesnt have antlers, its getting some lead thrown at it.

Are you serious I cant believe I just read that do away with the doe seasons all together we have already seen the good old days of deer hunting we as hunters that are concerned should stop shooting does we are stepping on our own feet

 

[bloodhoundhandler]

Our hunt for doe down there is not hurting too many residents, trust me. For starters, this guys ground we hunt on we have hunted for nearly 30 years. Now the mighty dollar has taken over as he has leased all of his ground to a non-resident group of hunters. As did his neighbor who we used to hunt for many years as well. Nearly 1500 acres that are not being managed correctly now due to the leases. The landowners know this as they have said it to me, but that quick buck is worth much more to them than the health of the herd. They're your typical non-hunting farmers and for years have complained about the over population and how they destroy their crops each and every year. So blast me all you want, I dont care. My group has taken more does out of the herd down there than the non-residents have taken bucks and does combined. Each year we see around 150-200 deer, all on this less than 1500 acres. And we have yet to shoot a shed buck out of the many does we have taken. Selfish attitude, maybe. Somebody explain to me how my moronic theory of herd management is any worse than what is happening with these Non-residents leasing the ground and NOT managing it at all?? They're shooting an average of 6-8 deer a year. All of which were bucks this year. Not one single doe off all of that land in 2009 with the exception of the ones we shot, last January.

Thats pretty simple you tell the nonhunting farmer to stop complaining about the deer destroying his crops if he is leasing his ground.There is a price to pay when you do that its easy to take that check to the bank but most guys that lease ground could give rats butt about heard management i would let loose on any farmer that bitched about deer but in turned leased their ground out

 

[GregBickal]

Consider aiming and you wouldn't need all those shots that you like to have with your shotgun Yupp thats all we need is people out deer driving with shotguns during muzzleloader, that would be fantastic.

I do not shoot deer with my shotgun the way some shoot trap. I am a military man and pride myself on the sniper shot. I am using the High Velocity Sabots with my shotgun and can easily reach out to 175 yards. I hit my buck this year at 150 yards.

The muzzleloader is a PITA in all aspects. The pushrod rattles around and is always gettig caught on stuff as I climb through brush. You gotta take off your gloves to load it. You gotta carry around all that extra bullshit. If you dont get the bullet seated just right, your consitancy is off. After 2 or 3 firings its dirty as hell. It sucks to clean it. The smoke is annoying. Etc Etc Etc.

If they let people hunt Coyotes with High Power Rifle up here, then let us hunt deer with them. If that would alleviate your concerns about flinging bullets everywhere.

Most of the hunters I know are in this sport for the meat and the thrill of the hunt, sometimes I wish Bucks never had antlers ever, might take all the arguing out of this sport. You dont see us arguing about squirrel hunting like they do with deer.

 

[biggest buck]

That does sound like a simple thing to tell the farmer. However, I have no desire to piss him off by telling him how to run his ground. If he wants to lease it to out of staters that dont care about anything but the racks then his crops will continue to suffer. But on the flip side who can blame a guy that doesnt care about the deer and can make some serious cash simply by not allowing us to hunt it like we used to. How can I get mad at him when he has allowed us to use his land to not only hunt deer, but shoot the heck outta quail for the last 30 years. Last year he was getting $10 an acre. Thats over 6 grand for doing absolutely nothing, except kicking us off. And I believe the neighbor is getting $12 an acre. What do I care if they violate their contract by letting us shoot some does, not my loss. As a whole I have never been for the season, but as I said, the state offers it and I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts no matter what any of you think! As someone here stated earlier, once the season is here, its hard to get rid of. And I can take alot of chit, you get used to it in my line of work:way: