Iowa Gun Season
Whitetail Deer
Any Iowegians noticing a drop off in the number of 1st and 2nd season gun hunters? I'm bowhunting a park during the gun seasons and haven't been hearing much shooting. Also, not seeing many trucks parked or orange in the field on my daily travels.
It's the same almost everywhere. Hunters are aging out and not being replaced.
More and more crossbow kids my way. Late muzzleloader has been growing bigger and bigger here as well. To the point I’d rather hunt 2nd shotgun than muzzleloader do to people.
I thought it was illegal to bowhunt during first 2 gun seasons in Iowa even with a bow tag and not legal to use a bow to fill a gun tag
He said he was bow hunting a park. Different rules for that I believe.
4nolz, ^^^^what he said. Park management hunt.
First season was relatively quiet around my place, but second season traffic seems to be on par with what it has been the past 4-5 years. I do agree in that there aren’t as many big groups (15-25 guys) as there used to be. Only 8 more shotgun season days left, and 14 more days till Christmas! Not sure which one I’m more excited about…..
Nick…….is your hunt an antlerless only hunt, or an “earn-a-buck” type hunt?
10 gunners of a family & took 10 Deer (brown down shooters). They said it was not easy. Drive, drive, drive & more than a couple days. The farm I hunt they killed ZERO (400 acres). The 10 came from 2 other farms totaling over 1000 acres & lots of timber. Also, one of Iowas better counties in the N.E. Personally, past years I've spent over 100 hours IN the stand (I do bowhunter state survey so know the hours for sure). I haven't shot Does for several years & set a goal at least 10 years ago for my next Buck (I've been blessed with many & that is why). I told them I was seeing fewer Deer each year & also Turkeys are down in the area I hunt.
Same as ahunter76, and same area. Numbers are down, turkeys are down, coyotes are up.
Troy, antlerless only. One of the parks I'm hunting awards a buck tag for the following year to the first 2 guys to kill 3 does. First time hunting this one and there are very few deer. I've actually seen more bucks than does and I've spent a lot of time in here. Had a real dandy bed down 75 yds from me yesterday. Never saw a doe....again.
N. Edge of Clarke County Iowa. I live in the country. Have not heard a shot or seen a hunter. Numbers hereabouts are way way down.
The politicians listened to the auto insurance lobbyists instead of the DNR and the January antlerless rifle season followed by the EHD years decimated the herd.It probably will never recover the glory days of the 80s/90s.
do they allow gun hunting in the park? State Park?
4nolz…….Nick is bowhunting.
Yes I understand I wondered if they allowed gun hunting since he said he didn't hear much shooting.I gun hunted The Ledges near Boone in college and I know Viking Lake has had some controlled gun hunts in the last few years (SW Iowa near Stanton)
Nothing derogatory implied just curious
No gun hunting in the parks I've hunted.
It's way easier as a NR to get a gun tag as well so that can maybe help explain the drop in gun hunters.
Midwest...
I agree, way less shooting. From what ive seen, there are plenty of deer. The guys just cant get at them anymore.
Most of the timbers in my area have one or two guys just sitting in stands. Thats it. The big groups cant get access to drive them any more.
The few spots they can go, they get one push and the deer run to someplace they cant go and stay there.
In the old days, everyone did deer drives. The deer were constantly getting bumped around. You could hunt the same chunk of land multiple times, because it would fill back up.
Just doesnt happen anymore. That is my perspective anyway.
Big groups and deer drives appear to be going the way of the dodo in my area.
Whether that is good or bad depends on individual opinion. I mostly see access being an issue. For all forms of hunting, which i happen to think is not good.
Agreed, Patdel, pretty evident the big groups and big deer drives are dwindling. All you have to do is see all the tower blinds that have been put up in the last 5 years. Serious big buck killers that have land bought up or leased would be smart to wait until late muzzy season.
I think it a trend in many states with rifle seasons that fall outside the rut...people are switching to vertical compounds or crossbows due to the advantages
