Iowa's Deer Hunting Woes
This is probably a “too late call to action” type of post, but I'll point this out anyway. The Des Moines Register reports today on the Iowa Natural Resources Commision considering a few proposals to thin the ever-growing deer herd in Iowa.
One of them immediatey jumps out:
Biologists with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources want to add two doe seasons. Officials are calling for a one-week high-power rifle (.24-caliber and up) season in January and a three-day shotgun season on Friday through Sunday after Thanksgiving.
I hate to say this – but the thought of allowing high power rifle hunting in Iowa is insane.
Our population is too dense – and our hunting seasons collide too
frequently – to allow folks to use high-power rifles in our rural
areas. (The problem, of course, is that high-power bullets travel
farther than other methods like smaller muzzleloaders and shotguns.)
The article did continue to discuss the safety issues with allowing a rifle season.
Randy
Taylor, president of the Iowa Bowhunters Association, said he has
safety concerns about the proposed weekend season after Thanksgiving,
when many pheasant hunters and bow deer hunters are also in the field.
But
Suchy said some neighboring states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota and
Missouri, already have some rifle deer hunting, and the hunting
accident rates in those states are not higher than Iowa's.
Jeremy Flannery, sales manager of JLM Gun Shoppe, 10079 Hickman Road in Urbandale, said he would welcome a rifle season.
“Rifles
would extend the range and the accuracy potential for hunters,” he
said. “I'm for anything they can do to thin the population.”
The only thing we need to add to that is “… and the need for high-power rifles would boost my sales.”
I know the chances are slim – but remember, it only takes one stray bullet.
Blog For Iowa 
“Rifles would extend the range and the accuracy potential for hunters,” he said. “I'm for anything they can do to thin the population.”
Just WHICH population are they talking about thinning – the deer or the hunters?
My aunt and uncle used to live on a lake in Wisconsin. Every year during hunting season, they'd stay indoors because of so much stray ammo.
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First of all, let me frame this by saying that I am a very active deer hunter and a member of an organization called Whitetails Unlimited.
I would strongly disagree with any DNR decision to allow high powered rifles to be used for deer hunting in Iowa. The reason for this is that Iowa, unlike other states, has a strong tradition of what is called party hunting which means that a group of hunters (a 'party') work together to hunt deer. This does work rather well when using shotguns because the shotgun slugs don't travel very far (about 150 yards) and generally everyone knows where everyone else is at. If rifles are introduced into this situation, then people will be shooting at deer that are further away and with that there is an increased chance that members of their own party could get hurt. Or even another party that happens to be over a hill could get hurt because of the distance that a bullet can carry. Another concern is that opening up a rifle season may bring people out who haven't been active hunters because they think that it will be easier to get a deer with a rifle. These people may not be as responsible because of lack of experience with high powered rifles.
I do own a high powered rifle that I use to hunt coyotes. But in that situation there are few other hunters out at that time and I am very careful what I'm aiming at as well as what is behind my intended target.
So, in my opinion, if the DNR wants to increase the number of deer harvested by hunters in Iowa, then they should allow more tags that are free or at a reduced cost especially in areas that are considered to have an overpopulation of deer. And they should also keep the season structure we now have with shotgun, bow, and muzzleloader seasons.
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So, in my opinion, if the DNR wants to increase the number of deer harvested by hunters in Iowa, then they should allow more tags that are free or at a reduced cost especially in areas that are considered to have an overpopulation of deer. And they should also keep the season structure we now have with shotgun, bow, and muzzleloader seasons.
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I agree wholeheartedly with that. I've also heard that the state is actually having problems selling the number of tags that they have made available as it is – reducing the cost would probably help with tag sales.
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