Northwest Iowa — Many area bow hunters will be heading out into the field this weekend, trying to fill their deer tags, and a wildlife research supervisor with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is reminding those hunters who are successful to report their hunt to the state’s harvest reporting system.
Chris Ensminger says around 20-percent of hunters who kill a deer fail to report it to the DNR.
Other hunters may intentionally fail to report.
The reported harvest is an important piece of information used when wildlife experts discuss possible changes to seasons, antlerless quotas, or other potential regulation changes. Hunters who are caught failing to report within 24 hours of the deer kill can face a fine and court costs of roughly $80. Bow hunting season is open now, and the first of Iowa’s two shotgun deer seasons opens on December 3.
