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Extended Shotgun
Season Adds to Doe Harvest
DES MOINES - Despite poor weather
during the shotgun season extension, hunters got out and shot more
than 5,000 deer, of which more than 90 percent were antlerless. Of
those antlerless deer, around 3,600 were does.
The extended season was intended
to increase the doe harvest by allowing unfilled tags from either
shotgun season to be filled with antlerless deer from Dec. 21 to
23. Prior to the extended season, the doe harvest was 7,500 below
estimates. The extension halved the doe harvest deficit.
"It was not as successful as we
had hoped, but was a big step forward to catching us up on our doe
harvest," said Willie Suchy, wildlife research supervisor for the
DNR.
There are still plenty of
antlerless only tags for the remaining seasons. The late
muzzleloader season runs through Jan. 13 and there are nearly
20,000 licenses remaining in 25 different counties. These are the
counties where the DNR want's to have the deer herd thinned.
There are more than 13,000
licenses remaining for the January antlerless only season across
Iowa's southern two tiers of counties. The DNR has allowed center
fire rifles as a selection for this entire season. All the
information is on the DNR website. Go to www.iowadnr.gov then
click on Hunting and Wildlife, then on Availability of Limited
Quota Licenses toward the bottom of the navigation bar on the
left.
Bucks have been dropping their
antlers since the end of November. To maximize the doe harvest
during these antlerless only seasons, hunters should look for deer
that are part of a group, or a deer that has a sleeker frame. A
doe often has fawns with it, and a buck almost never. A buck will
have a square top of the head where the antlers were.
"If you have any doubt if it is a
buck or doe, one way to improve your chance of taking a doe is to
not shoot a deer standing by itself," Suchy said.
Nonresidents have about 300
holiday licenses remaining for antlerless deer in 25 counties.
Those nonresident holiday antlerless only licenses cost $55 in
addition to a small game license and a habitat fee, and are valid
through Jan. 2, 2008.
Suchy said enough antlerless deer
hunting opportunities exist and the DNR is not looking at any
further extensions this year.
For more information, contact Tom
Litchfield at 641-774-2958.
Big Creek Area Target Shooters
Encouraged to Use Olofson Range
POLK CITY - The Iowa Department
of Natural Resources will require all target shooting at the Big
Creek wildlife unit to take place at the Charles "Butch" Olofson
Shooting Range. Previously, target shooting was allowed in the
parking area of the wildlife unit. The change is effective
immediately.
"The Big Creek wildlife unit is
unique because it supports various types of recreation and is near
a large and growing population area," said Ben Berka, shooting
sports coordinator for the Iowa DNR. He said "No Target Shooting"
signs will be posed at all parking and access areas for safety
reasons.
"We want to make sure everyone
can enjoy this area safely. Target shooting in parking or access
areas around the wildlife unit could pose a risk to other users
and to nearby residents, since safety features, like adequate
backstops and safe shot-fall zones, do not exist," Berka said.
However, target shooters at the
Big Creek Area need not go far to sight in or practice their
marksmanship skills.
In addition to all necessary
safety features, the Olofson Shooting Range at Big Creek offers
many other amenities. There are two 50 yard ranges and one 100
yard range for rifle and handgun shooters. Shotgun shooters will
enjoy the trap and skeet field and archers will soon be able to
practice at the new archery range (renovations complete by June).
Shooters must check in at the
range office pay a small fee to use the facility, however the
range is supervised at all times to ensure the safety of all
shooters. In addition, the range frequently offers many shooting,
firearm and hunter education courses. Current range hours are
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Noon to dark and Saturday and
Sunday, 8 a.m. to dark. The range is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
For more information on the
Olofson Shooting Range call 515-795-2067 or visit
www.olofsonrange.com.
For more information on the
changes for target shooters at big creek, contact Ben Berka at
515-281-0140 or Ben.Berka@dnr.iowa.gov.
State Preserves Board to
Meet Jan. 18 in Des Moines
DES MOINES - The State Preserves
Advisory Board will meet at 10 a.m., Jan. 18, in the fifth floor
conference room, Wallace State Office Bldg., in Des Moines. The
meeting is open to the public.
Members of the State Preserves
Advisory Board are Deborah Lewis, Carl Kurtz, Gail Brown, Scott
Moats, Armando Rosales, Cynthia Peterson and Liz Christiansen,
deputy director of the DNR
A more detailed agenda is
available on the Iowa DNR's website www.iowadnr.gov under State
Parks / Preserves, then click on Preserves Advisory Board link.
The following is the meeting
agenda.
- Approve Agenda
- Approve Minutes of October
Meeting
- Requests for Proposals Fiscal
Year 2009
- Final Environmental Impact
Study for Highway 100 Extension
- Proposed Bicycle Trail at
Starr's Cave Preserve
- Proposed Bicycle Trail at
Lamson Woods Preserve
- Vincent Bluff Management Plan
- Hartman Bluff
- Cedar Island
- Preserve Updates
- Glenwood Resource Center
- Eureka Woods
- Hanging Bog
- Silver Lake Fen
- Woodland Mounds
- Open Discussion
- Next Meeting
For more information, contact
Daryl Howell at 515-281-8524.
