If you are one of the 70,000 Iowa hunters planning to deer hunt December 3-7 in the first shotgun season, here are some helpful resources to help with your hunt.
- Safety First: Review basic safety and firearm rules, and share these tips with friends and family hunting with you. The goal is for everyone to come home safely.
- Get Your License ASAP: Go today or early tomorrow to get your license and tags. Crowds are much bigger the night before the season opens.
- Add an Antlerless Tag: Some counties still have several antlerless tags available. Check out current antlerless quotas for residents.
- Tagging Deer: Group hunting is popular during the first shotgun season. Remember that anyone participating within the group can tag the deer, but they must use their own tag. Additionally, any deer must be tagged before it is moved or within 15 minutes of being found, whichever comes first.
- Report Your Harvest: Visit the online Harvest Reporting page or call (800) 771-4692. Curious about what is being harvested in your county? You can see reported counts on the DNR’s Deer and Turkey Report page.
Know the TIP Line: If you see illegal behavior in the field, please report it ASAP to help protect other hunters, wildlife and natural resources. Visit the TIP web page to report an incident, or call toll-free: (800) 532-2020. - Donate to HUSH: Learn more about how you can donate a deer to the Help Us Stop Hunger (HUSH) program, at the bottom of the DNR’s deer hunting page. Last year Iowa hunters donated more than 3,000 deer to the program, providing more than 600,000 meals to the hungry.
- Hunting Predictions: Iowa’s overall deer harvest across all seasons last year was 105,401, down 30 percent from the 2006 peak; the 2016 harvest should be similar. The 2014 harvest was estimated at 101,595. Iowa hunters have been instrumental in helping to manage the deer herd in ways that provide excellent opportunities, and yet keep the herd at acceptable levels within the state. The DNR is continually working to keep that balance with deer management strategies.
We hope you enjoy deer hunting this season. Have fun and be safe!
