Sharpshooters are better?
Whitetail Deer
Iowa city wants the DNR to pay a ton of money to use sharpshooters to get their deer heard in check. They have fought tooth and nail for years to keep the bow hunters out of their city. No matter how overwhelmingly successful the urban deer hunts in iowa have been. Nut jobs
Been going on there for years. Iowa City has the biggest bunch of libtards in our state. Coralville (suburb of Iowa City) has allowed urban bowhunts for years. Been very successful with no issues for them.
I think Iowa City hires the firm “White Buffalo” to waste our dollars instead of generating revenue by selling tags to willing hunters.
Ya white buffalo is the firm iowa city wants the DNR to pay to shoot the deer. I'm glad to the DNR told them nooooooo.
"I somehow think these DNR guys just want to play 'Seal Team 6' "
Several years ago, a problem pig population in SoCal was being hunted till the county called "Designated Open Areas" off limits to hunting. I talked with the guys who would shoot the pigs at night once the local golf course complained to DNR about them ripping up the grass. These guys absolutely loved their gig. Why wouldn't they? That's not work...
White Buffalo, ugh! Another thing CT has to apologize to the rest of the country for. They are busy neutering bucks in NYC as we speak.
Sorry guys.
Yeah, it is/was White Buffalo in NE Ohio too...
I was told from a very good source they use a 12 gauge with slugs though a 5-6 foot suppresser aiming for heads shots...
Anti-hunters are usually more vocal and definitely outraged than hunters and the politicians just want this to go away. This same issue came up in Durham NC with the genius addition of possibly using deer contraceptives. (I'm not kidding). Surprisingly, hunting was allowed.
Our local Ag council brought in USDA sharpshooters one year. Many hunters raised a stink but they were the same passing all does. They have the opportunity to be involved in our nuisance bow only on town property but do not. I love it because it extends my season..... I have no interest shotgun nuisance hunting through summer....Its a commitment with a purpose!
Seen the shooters out back of my brother's old palace on the Burnsville Mn. River Bottom.The shooters come in with long barrel shotguns (slugs) and thin the herd, use to be able to bow hunt and there are some very large bucks roaming the bottoms. Thought it was a wast of revenue to the city to x-out the bowhunters. The town I live in charge an extra $30 to bowhunt and have to pass a proficiency test before the hunt. There is a place in Des Moines off I35 S that draw for bowhunting and there are some very large bucks that come out of there. Seen a couple of bucks that a taxidermist friend was doing that were kill from there, impressive.
They had a cull hunt here this winter where 60 deer were taken from inside city limits. The meat was to be donated to the local food pantry. They ended up donating exactly 1500 pounds. Do the math, that's 25 pounds per animal off of very healthy upper Midwest whitetails. Where did all the meat go????
I think you're on to something JTV, with a little bit of "we don't want anyone enjoying this" thrown in. The only things libs enjoy are mostly illegal or immoral IMO.
JTV.....it’s not just that they don’t want a fight with the antis’, they ARE the antis, or, at least, in bed with them. Iowa City is almost every bit as liberal as San Francisco. As Scrappy pointed out, much to their credit, our DNR stood up to the city council in Iowa City and shot down (pun intended) their proposal to hire White Buffalo. Not sure where this issue is at now.
jjs.........There are quite a few urban bowhunts here in Iowa that are very successful. Ames, Des Moines, Coralville, Cedar Rapids are a few that come to mind. I’ve never participated in in any of these hunts, and not sure if they are all antlerless only, or if there are some that issue buck tags once some criteria is met. I don’t ever recall reading or hearing of any negative incidents that have occurred during any of these hunts here in Iowa. I’m sure there have been a few minor things that have popped up, but, overall, they have been an overwhelming success in managing the urban deer populations here. I guess these hunts just make too much sense for these bureaucrats to sign off on.
I participated in the Coralville hunt, which butts right up against Iowa City, the first year it was implemented. I don't remember how, but there was a way to earn a buck tag or you got your name put in the hat for every doe you killed and they drew for a couple buck tags.
I was also in one of the park hunts in NE Iowa. The hunt was divided into 2 zones and whoever shot the most does in each zone, got a buck tag the next year.
There was another park hunt you had to draw for and I never drew....typical :-(
They all had specific rules to follow and you had pass a proficiency test. Usually, no ground hunting allowed. Had to be in a treestand. Stay off the hiking trails, etc.
All these programs were very successful as far as I know. That park in NE Iowa hasn't had the hunt for several years as they got the deer under control. Lots of fun!
I participated in the Davenport city hunt for about five years. Shoot three or more does earned you your buck tag for the next season. Season would open about two weeks earlier than the state wide season. I was having a blast until the farmers land I was hunting got yanked out from under me by the farmers sons new father in law.
I was told (again by a good source) that they only shoot does, or a aggressive buck that won't allow others to the bait pile...
a friend of mine works for the northern va park service & they have used police sharp shooters before & he said it's discussting. apparently the onlo thing they have killed is paper because they get so nervous they can't shoot. he said one guy shot a doe in the guts then was shaking so bad he missed at 3 ' with his pistol. I agree 100% let bohunters do it & they do have bow hunts but everyone that gets drawn is after big bucks because there is several there. it's a no win situation
Timex you are correct. The town needs hunters who are committed to shooting does, that is the purpose. In my area and I believe in general that’s a low percentage. Many hunters bitch about sharpshooters coming in but aren’t committed to be part of the solution to cull the herd.
I don't think there are any of these controlled hunts in Iowa that aren't doe only. Only a handful of buck tags are issued and usually used as an incentive to kill more does. Plenty of guys willing to kill does whether they get a buck tag or not.
What do "Sharpshooters" do when they're not whacking deer in some city park somewhere...Sit around and play cards, watch porn, polish the brass pole they slide down when the bat-phone rings? Seems like it would be a lonely life, being a so-called sharpshooter..
South farm.. I don't really play cards and don't have brass pole to slide down.. but I do watch porn, lots of porn! I have also been called a sharpshooter, sometimes while watching porn.. so, there ya go, hope that answers your question
Sounds like there is a prime business opportunity for one of you rabid anti “horn porn” guys to make a killing. You could offer your services to these towns that are having trouble finding enough guys to shoot does. You could recruit some of your like minded buddies as well.
Agree with midwest. Doesn’t seem to be a shortage of willing participants here.
A lot of these hunts go right through Iowa's gun season when we can't hunt with bows but you can still bowhunt in the park or city limit hunts. Guess where the deer go when the guns start going off?
not to get off topic but where I live there are a lot of doe's & imo the main problem is most hunters around here especially lets say under the age of 40 are far more interested in a big set of horns than a freezer full of venison. I'm very lucky iv got a reputation for killing lots of doe's & actually have some good places to hunt because of it. not saying I won't kill a big buck of course I will & be proud of it but if a fat doe comes by first well she's going in the freezer every time
I participated in one of these metro cull hunts in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, as did my son. As far as I know there were no problems. That hunt has been going on for 10 plus years. Bowhuntrs have to pass an accuracy test to hunt in it. My sone has killed 5-10 deer in that hunt, over the years.
I love shooting big bucks just as much as anyone and if I can find a good one I will target that buck. With that said, I absolutely love shooting does! I have signed up for "cull" hunts here in NJ but the problem that I have seen is that the directors of these hunts save all the good properties for themselves and their buddies and give out the inferior properties to everyone else. The way they run them here in my area of the state is you can only hunt a specific property in the town. You are at the mercy of the director who controls that towns hunt. I got tired of hunting crappy properties so I gave it up.
On a positive note, at least they are shooting the deer and not tagging them and giving them Vasectomies as they are doing in NY, Staten Island (White Buffalo's project).
Ooph.
The worst thing is that sometimes these "hunts", after long fights, when they finally are allowed to happen, they (organizers) are forced to put so many rules on them, that you can't successfully hunt the area, the attempt fails, then the "anti" folks say: "see, told you"... Ugh. A well set up sub/urban hunt can work well - as JTV noted.
I participate in an urban hunt and I have done so for over 10 years. Doe only. The numbers and available spots is close to an equilibrium. And yes we do make a difference in deer numbers. But when the river ices over, the neighboring city's deer (Where they do not have a hunt or population control) repopulate our areas. Yes I do enjoy it! It is convenient and I have a bow in my hunt. What is not to like? It is pretty tough to slip condoms on the bucks.
Our hunt director publishes a post hunt report and I cannot remember any negative interaction with public in the past 5 or 6 years. (Early on, their was one citizen who didn't want us there so she complained.) I am pretty sure I had interaction with her a couple years ago and explained the biological and social function the hunt provided. Apparently (over time) she figured out her fears of bowhunters were unfounded. (I think she still is a deer lover. But I guess we have that in common!)
T-Roy I’m not a rabid anti horn porn guy, to each his own. All I’m saying is many guys say they will commit but many don’t. The town wants you out as much as possible. Many guys can’t commit enough time with work, family etc..
Hunters have been being quiet as to not offend and attract attention for too long. The antis are loud and obnoxious. Hunters need to be loud and proud. Especially in matters like this.
There is an island in NH that was infested but also lots of summer houses. They brought in sharpshooters who took 99 deer with 100 shots. Bowhunting is now used to maintain the level. LOTS of rules and requirements and tests, but it's a slam dunk kill
Local city hunt went with a double earn a buck - shoot 2 does and you can shoot a buck after that. Number of deer taken went way up when they changed to that system. I love this hunt to put some meat in the freezer.
Couple places we hunt have what the Rancher calls the "Titanic Rules".
"Women and children first......"
