Iowa's busiest deer seasons are almost here

   Iowa’s most popular deer hunting seasons are just around the corner, when roughly 100,000 hunters take to the timber for the long-awaited gun seasons.

   Iowa’s first gun season is Dec. 7-11. The second gun season is Dec. 14-22.

   Last year, hunters reported around 60,000 deer during these two seasons, which is more than half of the total deer harvested for all seasons, and wildlife experts are forecasting a similar harvest.

   So far this fall, youth, disabled hunter, early muzzleloader and archery hunters have reported more than 25,000 deer through the harvest reporting system, which is about the five-year average.

   “We’ve had a strong harvest in Eastern Iowa, but the declining population in Western Iowa has impacted hunting opportunity and led to an overall lower harvest,” said Jace Elliott, state deer biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

   The 2024 harvest to date is about six percent behind the 2023 harvest.

Archery season got off to a slow start due to summer temperatures extending into early October, but harvest has been strong as the calendar turned to November. The long-range forecast calls for above normal temperatures extending into middle December.

   “More hunters participate in cooler temperatures,” Elliott said. “Cold weather puts deer on their feet and hunters in the woods.”

   The gun seasons have been traditionally associated with groups of hunters walking through the timber, pushing deer towards other members of the hunting group, but results of the recently completed deer hunter survey found that gun season hunters are divided evenly in how they pursue the deer.

   About half participate in traditional deer drives, while the other half prefer to hunt from stationary position. The deer hunter survey found that overall, 80 percent of respondents indicated they are satisfied with the overall deer hunting experience, citing the social aspect of the hunting groups and the opportunity to put deer meat in the freezer as two reasons they hunt.