Deer with a rifle in Iowa?

[~ADC~]

Any chance of them allowing rifles to hunt deer with in Iowa... besides the little ignorant doe season in the southern counties?

~ADC~

[LLLTrapper]

No way! I hope they never allow the hunters down here to rifle hunt bucks. I know how they do things and slugs are bad enough. Someone would be drinking coffee in there kitchen and get whacked by someone a mile away. Some places that are more wide open I could see it but how would they ever divide those spots up? LLL

[~ADC~]

Don't be such a wussy Larry. ;D Coyote hunters use rifles all the time in open country.

~ADC~

[LLLTrapper]

Feb 26, 2011 15:33:42 GMT -6 ~ADC~ said:

Don't be such a wussy Larry. ;D Coyote hunters use rifles all the time in open country.

~ADC~

And that is what I said "In open areas". How would you set areas or would you let people do this in more suburban sprawl? LLL

[Deleted]

Iowa will never allow it... buck quality would go waaayyyyy down. And the deer herd would be decimated ... AR-15's 20+ round mags...herds of running deer... bad shooters... you get the picture ;D

[iayogi17]

I think most people are just to edgy about using rifles for deer hunting, Thinking people will be shoot or house, livestock, and so on. I don't see the point about a 20 round mag destroying the deer herd you can only shoot the number of deer you have tags for. Iowa is just not a rifle friendy state.

[Pinky "P"]

Maybe they'll go back to just slingshots and whittled sticks

[roosterk0031]

I'm for opening up the whole January doe season to rifles state wide but don't allow party hunting(just like late muzzleloader is supposed to be(have to shoot & tag your own deer). Stick with .24 caliber as cheap 223 ammo doesn't cut it.

[~ADC~]

Oh course there would be regulations on the rifles, like ,243 and larger and 5 round cap. max. something like that.

Decimating deer heards is a GOOD thing Nick. And deer quality? Texas allows rifles, lots of big bucks there.

[Deleted]

That's not the way the people handling the $ feel about it!

If they REALLY wanted the deer under control, it would have been done YEARS ago!!!

[~ADC~]

I'd like to see them allow you to shoot deer Nov. 1 - Jan. 1 and you must tag your own deer... but allow you to buy as many doe tags as you want and only one buck tag.

[riverbandit]

Mo allows rifles......Is their land scape any more wide open than ours?

[walleyehunter123]

not a chance the deer poaching is bad enough in the state then let them start using rifles would just make is that much worse southern iowa is bad for poaching and the state gets big money for those deer for the nonresident tags and the reason is because iowa is known for big bucks.

[~ADC~]

Feb 26, 2011 17:22:37 GMT -6 walleyehunter123 said:

not a chance the deer poaching is bad enough in the state then let them start using rifles would just make is that much worse southern iowa is bad for poaching and the state gets big money for those deer for the nonresident tags and the reason is because iowa is known for big bucks.

If they did their job and caught the poachers, there would be even money for the state. ;D Don't the poachers already use rifles?

~ADC~

[riverbandit]

Kind of like saying, if guns were banned, all crimes involving guns would cease. LOL

[roosterk0031]

Right after early Muzzleloader is over, open up a firearm doe season that runs right up till the Sunday after thanksgivings, no party hunting(shotgun rifle or handgun).

2 shotgun season and one late muzzleloader season as they are, this is the only time bucks can be shot with guns, but you can only get a tag or tags for one of the three seasons. Now groups split who buys buck/doe tags so they can buck hunt multiple buck seasons.

Enforce no party hunting during late muzzleloader.

After late muzzleloader, early doe tags still good till Jan 31st.

[roosterk0031]

Feb 26, 2011 17:39:12 GMT -6 riverbandit said:

Kind of like saying, if guns were banned, all crimes involving guns would cease. LOL

+1,000

[walleyehunter123]

well heck then why not just whack off all the bucks during the season with rifles then why not ! every time i go down to hunt with the bow during the rut it s always 3 or more i see laying with the rack cut off know down there they have the countryside to live longer and have the right food ect. and there is a reason there are not any extra doe tags north of des moines because they do not have the cover and rooling hills that they survive on even along the river over east same thing cover for them most of the deer hunters dont even like the late doe season to many busks are taken with no racks just stubs that they thought was a big doe but it turns out its was a big buck . its easy for the people in those areas to come up with a suggestion like this when you have the deer to do it but in other parts of the state we do not have the population of deer to substain some kind of rifle season

[riverbandit]

I guess I'm not understanding your logic here walleyehunter. Whether we hunt with a rifle, muzzle loader, shotgun, or bow, the tags issued for bucks or does remains the same. It makes no difference to a poacher which of the aforementioned weapons are legal, they will use whatever means they want to poach with. Todays modern, rifled slug guns, and in line muzzle loaders have roughly the same range as some of the smaller rifle calibers. An increase in number of bucks poached or number of bucks harvested won't change one bit should rifles become legal. Why would they?

[catting]

isnt this a trapping forum? As a trapper and muzzy hunter I often have to bite my tongue when I hear of these self proclaimed biologists making suggestions. The point is yes, the dnr could do a better job with the management of the deer herd in the state. If I remember correctly the DNRs job is to make decisions that will take the opinions of the public and biological data and come up with seasons and limits. Make no mistake we could very easily ruin what we have in this state by opening up rifles and non-residents to this state.
ADC- not sure how you conclude that any officer does not do their job?

[Eric Rector]

Feb 26, 2011 16:52:11 GMT -6 ~ADC~ said:

Oh course there would be regulations on the rifles, like ,243 and larger and 5 round cap. max. something like that.

Decimating deer heards is a GOOD thing Nick. And deer quality? Texas allows rifles, lots of big bucks there.

Hell, we have regs now with shotguns, like they matter. I would venture to say that 90% of the land in Texas is managed for Deer production. AND THE DEER HERD IN SOME PLACES HAS BEEN DECIMATED ALREADY!!!!!!

[Eric Rector]

Feb 26, 2011 20:26:29 GMT -6 catting said:

isnt this a trapping forum? As a trapper and muzzy hunter I often have to bite my tongue when I hear of these self proclaimed biologists making suggestions. The point is yes, the dnr could do a better job with the management of the deer herd in the state. If I remember correctly the DNRs job is to make decisions that will take the opinions of the public and biological data and come up with seasons and limits. Make no mistake we could very easily ruin what we have in this state by opening up rifles and non-residents to this state.
ADC- not sure how you conclude that any officer does not do their job?

Used to be that way, however our friend at the "FARM BUREAU" have a bigger say then the hunters who pay the salaries of the DNR

[~ADC~]

Feb 26, 2011 20:26:29 GMT -6 catting said:

ADC- not sure how you conclude that any officer does not do their job?

Well, if poaching is as rampant as WH stated, then it seems it wouldn't be too tough to catch a few poachers in that area if the DNR tried to. I thought it was their job.

~ADC~

[cody13]

Bad idea. Too many accidents would happen. One reason we can't use rifles is because there are't many trees or hills in most of the state so there is nothing to stop bullets.

[justwannano]

I had some areas --years ago --that I trapped where I was concerned going into during shotgun deer hunting season.
I mostly row trap now a days because I can't get into those areas anymore --Arthritis has forced me into not so much walking. That's why I like row trapping.
Anyway I can imagine some great white hunter taking that long range shot with drastic results.

jmho
just

[iayogi17]

Feb 26, 2011 23:34:40 GMT -6 cody13 said:

Bad idea. Too many accidents would happen. One reason we can't use rifles is because there are't many trees or hills in most of the state so there is nothing to stop bullets.

yeah that argument doesn't hold any value in my book

[roosterk0031]

Rifle IMO would allow better population control with less lead flying, not just because rifle bullets are 1/4 the size of slugs, but if no party hunting, doe hunting only (outside of December season) people are out for the meat or for the one on one hunt, or one shot one kill type of hunting that I prefer.

Thinking we can't control ourself with rifles is just like thinking we (Iowans) can't control ourselfs with carrying weapons.

I don't want rifle during shotgun season. Iowa has a tradition of shotgun and muzzleloader hunting that I don't want to do away with. I don't want buck rifle hunting, leave the current buck records as they are, shotgun, muzzleloader or bow.

But let us meat. non-trophy hunters, or dads taking his kids hunting, go out and sit/stalk the woods for our "trophys" with the the weapon of our choice with out the shotgun driving crap going on.

Forget the discount doe tags, make the doe tags good for 2+ months long and I no problem paying full price or even a higher price for them, I think with that system 3-4 doe tags per person would be plenlty.

[amestrapper]

Rooster i think you are spot on. Most rifle hunters would use a soft point or ballistic tip bullet that would not bounce as far as a slug

[oldbuck]

I'm not pointing my finger at any trapper on HERE. BUT if they made high powered rifles legal 4 hunting deer in iowa in MY AREA north central iowa it would NOT be safe to be setting traps along creek beds , tree lines , timber areas or such areas where i trap at during daylight hours. When your say DEER hunting in this area , the deer hunters LIGHT BULB up stairs ( brain ) goes OFF . I'm talking neighbors, farmers , business owners , all go nuts enough now i would hate to see if they could legally use rifles . I used to deer hunt ( shotgun ) until i seen up close 20 yards ( as i was sitting in a deer stand ) deer hunters firing into the air and tree tops trying to scare deer out of the private permissioned ground i was on . I climbed out the tree stand to confront them and they told me to F off and if i didn't like it to tell the property owner to let them hunt on his ground, With a rifle and 4 x scope to shoot out of their truck window I WOULD have to where ORANGE clothes just to check my traps on permissioned trapping land. I LOVE TO TRAP but i'm not getting SHOT because some idiot thinks my carhart coat looks like a deer moving in brushy areas. I currently have very few traps set out during shotgun season because of the crazys . OH YEAH the DNR knows what goes on during deer season in this area and they catch some every year BUT they would have to hire on a extra 100 officers just to try and stop it .

[roosterk0031]

I've party deer hunted as a young and dumb kid, heck yes it's a lot a fun, just like coyote hunting out of a truck, it's as close as you can get too the rush of football/wrestiling etc.... I've done legal party deer hunting & illegal. A legally killed deer is a trophy, you could be the lucky person that just put the last slug into it or the 1st person to spot & kill it, either way a legal party kill that is trophy, heck you could have been neither just the last person with a tag and that Iowa record buck has your tag on it, that the nature of the game.

But the rest of us are outside of that game, I don't want my 11 yo to ever have to go thru my learning curve, I want him to respect every animal we kill & eat, be it a tree rat or 170" deer.

I just want more time for him and meto hunt together for that big doe that give us the perfect shot for him to put a .243 or 7mm bullet right behind her ribs to drop her cleanly. If he wants to hunt "trophy buck" that for when he's hunting on his own that will come soon enough.

And I want more time for myself, I don't want to go chase deer all over the county. I want to be able to go find a good spot and wait for deer to come to me. I'm lazy I want to out wait them, deer or not I've never had a bad day sitting in the woods. I love sitting in the woods, and 2 month doe tags with some of that time being warm would be incredible.