It is my opinion, unfortunately, that Texas hunters are ruining Iowa hunting.

Chancey that is the only explanation I can come up with on my own. That is why I was asking what other reason would they need that information for.

I have some theories but I'd like to hear your's too.

ADC, they can get all the age, weight, and antler data from mandatory check stations, processing facilities, etc. This is good info as far as population dynamics when they couple it with their regulatory surveys.

I think what they may be trying to determine is the % of yearling bucks (1.5 year old deer) and young bucks harvested.

We don't have check stations. You kill a deer, you call a number tell them the county and if it is a buck or doe you killed. That's it.



Why?

I worked in SE Iowa guiding for three years in the early 2000s. Coming from Texas, it was an incredible experience. Met some wonderful farmers that had some incredible deer they shot over the years and just threw the head in the antler pile in the yard, or hung it on the barn.

Back then, there were big deer on all the farms. Outfits like the ones I worked for started leasing up farm ground for hunting rights. They started paying farmers either an acre amount or an amount per deer (doe or buck) they shot off the lease. Farmers started realizing they could make money off their deer rather than them being a nuisance.

More people from the south came up because in Texas, WTD hunting has become a pay to play game. They realized they had the opportunity to kill much bigger and better deer in IA for less money, than in Texas. So, people started heading to IA for deer hunting and the ball never stopped rolling.

Back in the early 2000s, a good ole local boy could walk up to a farmer in IA, do some work, help out a little, and have access to possibly shooting a 200" freerange deer off a 150 acre farm. That was the good old days. Since then, I still have friends that guide in IA, but they say it has become like Texas. Pay to to Play. Very unfortunate.

My opinion it’s just maybe overall health of the herd related to age . I’ve been killing these things since I was 12 , I’m 59 now and I do believe that to many people worry about a trophy buck and yes I’m always looking to when I’m hunting I’d be a liar if I said otherwise but I do kill does and smaller bucks if I want the deer to eat but overall the DNR are in the business of selling deer and juggling regulations trying to keep people interested in the outdoors. I fish , hunt and trap for me and not to impress anyone else and I think that’s a large part of the problem because everyone wants to be like the guy on TV . If this makes any sense to you lol

Thanks fellas I appreciate your input. I guess, if I'm wrong in their motive, we'll find out in the next few years.

A lot depends on the dogma/ideology of the current big game/deer lead biologist in the state. There are very smart and good biologists that think differently about this; the ideology depends on the state, what's acceptable, and culturally allowed.

However, in my opinion and opinion only (I don't know the DNRs future goals), if more absentee hunters are heading to IA for 3-4 day or 2 week trips for a buck of a lifetime. They may sit and pass for a while, but none of them want to go home without anything. On the last day, when that 2 year old 130 class walks out, they will bust him. If this is happening, then their aren't enough older bucks that are "trophy" for the demand.

Depending on the leadership and the commissioners at DNR, they will set policy to study it. Hunting is over a billion dollar industry in Texas. Most wtd hunters that pay (not everyone) are not meat hunters. They want to see more bucks; and particularly bigger bucks. If that is the case, then you have to protect the young portion of the buck population to make sure there are plenty of bigger more mature bucks.

Chancey very respectable info on the subject I totally agree

My suspicion is some hunters are pressuring the dept. to lower harvest of adult bucks & the game n fish know they have no data on age of harvested deer. So they want to collect something, anything, to support or deny, short of mandatory check. Just an uneducated guess.

Probably need to ask the Farm Bureau.

I have heard that an exorbitant amount of vehicle collisions can lead to lobbying for increased doe harvest.

That’s absolutely the truth in Illinois with the insurance lobby

Lots of interesting thoughts for sure.

They are the largest lobby group promoting higher permit numbers and harvest in WI and have been for decades. Deer collisions are considered to be comprehensive coverage here and thus rates don't go up based on those conditions. Rates go increase but not during those contract year or years. In WI we average about 60-70k of deer related collisions each year. If we have what is estimated as a deer herd of say 1.8 million during summer and fall that means 3-4% of those 1.8 million are involved with car crashes. Does not sound like an issue but economically deer related collisions are very costly. Most of our deer herd is also where most of the people live or near those people. Even areas with average to lower numbers of deer cause high numbers of collisions in our southeastern counties as thousands of workers are commuting 20-50 miles one way and in the fall that is during dark or llimited light going and coming.

Bryce

Jace Elliot is Iowa's White-tailed Deer biologist. He's located in Boone IA and his phone # is (515) 249-7056 if anyone wants to contact him.

Give him a call Craig. See what he says. You can report back here.

Why?
They want to try to age class bucks and the ensuing results will dictate whether or not to implement antler restrictions in the future.
Protecting smaller-antlered bucks and harvesting larger-antlered bucks within an age class reduces average antler size in older age classes—if antler development in younger bucks predicts future antler development. This is called “high grading” and is similar to removing better-quality timber and leaving lower-quality timber for later harvest. In my opinion- this what they're planning to accomplish with the data.

Illinois has written in the regs that they control the deer population to maintain no more than 11% deer/vehicle collisions. Once the doe permits started years ago, the buck sightings for me drastically were reduced. In general, hunters shoot does if legal then complain they aren't seeing many deer.

I grew up and lived in rural NYS until 2004. We had great deer hunting, including all age of bucks. UNTIL the state implemented doe permits due to vehicle collisions. Insurance companies run more that your health benefits.. It got real slim pickin's within 4 years to find a buck.