Iowa DNR News
New Changes In Store For
Iowa's Deer Hunters In 2005-06
DES MOINES -- Iowa hunters will
be encouraged to take more antlerless deer in the upcoming
season, with a three-day gun hunt in late November and with
center fire rifles being allowed in southern Iowa, during seven
days in January. The state's Natural Resources Commission also
approved 19,000 additional county antlerless tags, 41 special
management zone deer hunts and adjustments in the landowner tag
program.
Though noting there would be
some disagreement to the November gun season and the southern
Iowa rifle season, Department of Natural Resources deer
biologist Willy Suchy says the adjustments are necessary to
reduce deer numbers in underharvested areas, specifically in
southern Iowa. "We are adding the (November gun) season to
precede the first shotgun season. Traditionally, first season
hunters don't take as many does," explained Suchy. Tags for the
hunt - to be held the Friday, Saturday and Sunday after
Thanksgiving -- will not be available until Nov. 12 and must
come from any remaining tags in a county's antlerless quota.
Suchy noted that most counties with tags remaining then have
been across southern Iowa, with a few northeast Iowa counties
also. Any firearm legal for use in other seasons (shotgun,
muzzleloader, handgun) as well as bows could be used with the
November tags. A landowner could also use one of two landowner
tags in the three-day period.
The rifle hunt would apply only
to the southern two tiers of counties in Iowa, and only during
the seven-day extension of the January antlerless season. A
rifle must be .24 caliber or larger and cannot contain more than
six rounds in the chamber and magazine.
"We want to direct pressure to
southern Iowa and to northeast Iowa, where numbers are higher,"
urged Suchy, noting that other areas of Iowa are at, or closing
in on, deer management goals. "Most counties in southern Iowa
(though) did not sell out their allotments of antlerless tags
last year. We need to substantially increase our deer harvest in
southern Iowa to meet our goal."
DNR staff emphasized to the
Commission that the two new seasons are not seen as permanent.
"We are at the point in southern and northeast Iowa where we
have to do something different to reduce the number of does.
Simply increasing antlerless license quotas does not work
there," emphasized wildlife bureau chief Dale Garner, noting
legislative pressure in the last couple years to reduce deer
numbers. "As deer come under control, we plan to go back to the
traditional deer seasons as long as they keep deer numbers at
desired levels.
The Commission also approved a
19,000 tag increase in county-by-county quotas. About 40 of
Iowa's 99 counties will see an increase, with 103,000 available
overall. Additionally, special management zone hunts were
approved for 41 areas (up from 28 last season); ranging from
state and county parks to urban areas. That includes three youth
instructional gun hunts this November.
State Record Channel
Catfish Caught In Missouri River
DES MOINES - A Bellevue, Neb.,
man is the new record holder for the largest channel catfish
ever caught in Iowa.
Dustin Curtis' 38 pound, 2
ounce catfish bested the old record by 1 pound, 10 ounces, held
by Ron Goodwin of Earlham. Goodwin caught his 36 pound, 8 ounce
channel catfish in August 1993 from the Middle Raccoon River in
Dallas County.
Curtis was fishing the Iowa
side of the Missouri River, about a mile south of Lake Manawa in
Pottawattamie County, the morning of June 11 when he discovered
the 40-inch catfish on the end of his bank pole. Curtis said be
baited the bank pole with a creek chub.
The weight of the fish was
verified by Lake Manawa State Park manager John Maehl, but the
fish was transported to Cabela's in Kansas City for display
before it could be positively verified as a channel catfish.
Missouri Department of Conservation fisheries supervisor Joe
Bonneau verified the fish was indeed a channel catfish upon
arrival in Kansas City. The fish was placed in a holding tank,
and later transported to an adjacent store pond in hope it would
recover from stress associated with the trip. However, a
Cabela's spokesperson Monday indicated the fish died the next
day.
Early Pheasant Nesting
Indicators Look Promising
DES MOINES - Iowa pheasant
hunters could have something to look forward to this fall and
winter as early indicators have shown favorable nesting results
and survival so far this spring.
The news comes on the heels of
a year when Iowa's pheasant population declined an estimated 34
percent.
"Last year's numbers declined
because a snowy winter reduced hen survival, and very heavy
rains late in May of 2004 also reduced nesting success," said
Todd Bogenschutz, DNR upland wildlife biologist. "Last June our
weather models predicted the decline, and the August roadside
surveys and hunter reports confirmed it."
This past winter and spring
offer a bit more optimism than last year, said Bogenschutz.
"Our pheasant population
typically shows increases following mild winters (Dec.-March)
with springs (April-May) that are dryer and warmer than normal,"
he said. "This past winter was very mild, as the statewide
average snowfall was only 18.1 inches, 28 percent below the
1961-90 normal. Statewide April-May precipitation averaged 7.35
inches, only slightly above the norm, while the mean temperature
over the same period was 56 degrees, or 1 degree above normal.
Perhaps the best news for
pheasant hunters this fall is the mild winter Iowa experienced
this past year. According to the state's climatologist, in 118
years of records, only 13 winters had less snowfall than this
past winter. Mild winters lead to high hen survival, said
Bogenschutz, and more hens laying eggs equals more chicks, which
in turn means more roosters this fall.
Spring nesting conditions
initially were very favorable as April was normal for rainfall,
but much warmer than average. Statewide, temperatures cooled off
a bit in May, and NW, NC, WC, and Central regions of Iowa
reported monthly rainfall totals 1 to 3 inches above normal.
However, rainfall in the eastern third of Iowa was on average 2
inches below normal. Localized heavy rains were reported in
Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Adair, Madison, Dallas, and Guthrie
counties in May. These areas may see a poorer nesting effort as
flooding may have destroyed some nests, said Bogenschutz. A
number of wildlife staff reported seeing their first pheasant
broods around the week of May 15, which is early, said
Bogenschutz. Indications are the warm April encouraged early
nesting, and early hatches are usually a sign of a good nesting
season.
However, Bogenschutz cautioned
hunters Iowa pheasants are not out of the woods yet. Continued
dry conditions during the early summer are crucial to overall
nesting success.
Based on the weather data,
population models predict Iowa's pheasant numbers will be higher
in 2005 than in 2004. Bogenschutz noted that predictions based
on weather data are correct about 80 percent of the time and
over the last four years the models have been correct.
Bogenschutz says the DNR's August roadside survey is the best
gauge of what upland populations will be this fall. The DNR will
post its August roadside numbers on the DNR webpage
www.iowadnr.com around Sept. 15. Those with e-mail can sign-up
on the DNR's website to receive roadside survey results once
they are completed.
