Second shotgun deer season could see a few more hunters than usual this year. The combination of warmer than usual temperatures during the first shotgun season and the Iowa Hawkeyes playing in the Big Ten championship football game kept many first season hunters out of the timber.
The message to hunters planning to go during the second shotgun deer season is to plan to buy their license early to avoid long lines at the retailer Friday night.
The DNR expects as many as 55,000 hunters to participate in the second shotgun season and so far, around 32 percent of the licenses have been sold. Iowa’s second shotgun deer season begins Dec. 12.
Hunters reported harvesting nearly 57,500 deer as of 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Successful hunters are reminded to report their deer harvest by midnight the day after the deer is recovered.
For hunters with Internet access, the online harvest reporting is the easiest way to register the deer. Hunters can report their deer online at www.iowadnr.gov, by calling the toll free reporting number 1-800-771-4692, or at any license vendor.
Accurately reporting the harvest is an important part of Iowa’s deer management program and plays a vital role in managing deer populations and future hunting opportunities. Reporting the harvest is required by law. Hunters will be checked for compliance.