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DNR News Releases

Archive by tag: DeerReturn

Polk County minors charged with intentionally killing a deer with their vehicle

• 11/18/2020 6:52:00 AM
• View Count 2805

Polk City - Two Polk County minors have been cited for intentionally hitting and killing a buck deer with their pickup truck in Big Creek State Park on the evening of Nov. 11.

Donated deer hides benefit disabled veterans

• 11/18/2020 6:46:00 AM
• View Count 3826

Hunters donated more than 4,100 deer hides to Elks Lodges across Iowa last year, which was a slight decrease from the 2018-2019 season. The deer hides are used by the Veterans Leather Program to make professionally-crafted leather gloves for veterans in wheelchairs and also turned into leather used for therapy programs for recovering veterans.

Basic firearm rules are important for a safe hunt

• 11/18/2020 6:43:00 AM
• View Count 3587

The first of Iowa’s two shotgun deer seasons opens on Dec. 5, and while optimism for a successful hunt is the primary focus, hunters are encouraged to brush up on safe hunting practices.

Iowa's popular shotgun deer seasons are just a few weeks away

• 11/18/2020 6:39:00 AM
• View Count 4967

Blaze orange clad hunters moving through Iowa’s timber will be a common sight when the first of two shotgun deer seasons open Dec. 5. An estimated 120,000 hunters participate in the shotgun seasons, harvesting about half of the total number of deer for the year.

Iowa’s archery deer hunting season begins Oct. 1

• 9/29/2020 1:02:00 PM
• View Count 6418

An estimated 60,000 hunters will be heading to the timber in the next few weeks as Iowa’s archery deer season gets underway Oct. 1. For hunters in the derecho corridor, this year will not be like seasons past.

Iowa’s youth only waterfowl season starts Saturday in the north zone

• 9/17/2020 6:40:00 AM
• View Count 9847

The first of Iowa’s two-day youth waterfowl seasons begin Saturday in the north zone, allowing the kids to experience the fun of the hunt, without the pressure of keeping up with the adults, or fighting lousy weather.

Iowa’s youth deer season begins Sept. 19

• 9/15/2020 1:29:00 PM
• View Count 21967

The Iowa deer hunting tradition will be passed on to about 10,000 young hunters who are participating in the youth deer season, which opens on Sept. 19. This season is designed as a mentor-styled hunt, matching young hunters with a licensed adult to teach proper deer hunting techniques, wildlife behavior, and safe hunting practices without the added pressure of other hunters in the field. 

DNR launches Iowa Deer Exchange

• 9/1/2020 1:11:00 PM
• View Count 19236

The Iowa Deer Exchange is the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ new free online database where deer hunters willing to provide venison can connect with Iowans who want venison.

Field to Fork program accepting applications for deer hunting workshop

• 6/16/2020 1:41:00 PM
• View Count 4513

DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a program to teach skills needed to hunt, butcher and cook wild deer to individuals who have little to no deer hunting experience.

Fawning season is underway, watch for deer to be on the move

• 5/26/2020 1:12:00 PM
• View Count 4491

Fawning season is here which means car deer collisions will likely tick up and calls to conservation groups about abandoned fawns will begin.

Iowa deer application opens May 2

• 4/23/2020 1:44:00 PM
• View Count 4091

The time to apply for your 2020 Iowa deer tags is less than two weeks away!

DNR to host public meetings to discuss chronic wasting disease

• 3/5/2020 2:32:00 PM
• View Count 3227

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has scheduled public meetings in Leon, West Union and Decorah after hunter harvested deer in Decatur, Fayette and Winneshiek counties tested positive for chronic wasting disease. It is the first time deer have tested positive in these counties.

7 Iowa Wildlife Comebacks

• 3/2/2020 3:43:00 PM
• View Count 16135

In the last few centuries, a number of Iowa wildlife species have been extirpated from the state - but some have seen successful comebacks, too. Check out these seven animals that have made a comeback in Iowa:

Test results are in, chronic wasting disease has been found in four new counties

• 2/11/2020 1:49:00 PM
• View Count 10389

Chronic wasting disease has been confirmed in wild deer from Woodbury, Winneshiek, Fayette and Decatur counties this year, bringing the total number of counties in Iowa where wild deer have tested positive to eight.

Iowa hunters harvest nearly 95,000 deer from the 2019-20 seasons

• 2/11/2020 1:48:00 PM
• View Count 7277

Hunters reported harvesting nearly 95,000 deer during Iowa’s 2019-2020 hunting seasons, which is a decline from 2018-19, when hunters reported nearly 108,000 deer.

Basic firearm rules are important for a safe hunt

• 11/19/2019 2:07:00 PM
• View Count 5232

The first of Iowa’s two shotgun deer seasons opens on Dec. 7, and while optimism for a successful hunt is the primary focus, hunters are encouraged to brush up on safe hunting practices.

For Iowa’s deer hunters, the wait is nearly over, shotgun deer seasons begin Dec. 7

• 11/19/2019 2:02:00 PM
• View Count 20843

Heading into Iowa’s busiest outdoor ‘opening day,’ shotgun deer season hunters should expect to see about the same number of deer in the timber as last year – with the possible exception for hunters in southcentral Iowa, where local deer populations were impacted by an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease.

5 ways homeowners can minimize damage from deer this fall and winter

• 11/18/2019 3:10:00 PM
• View Count 6650

Not a fan of deer making a quick snack of your backyard plants in the fall and winter? Here are five tips to help homeowners make their trees and shrubs less desirable to deer from November to April.

Donated deer hides benefit disabled veterans

• 10/29/2019 12:09:00 PM
• View Count 7960

Hunters donated more than 4,300 deer hides to Elks Lodges across Iowa last year, which was an increase of over 1,000 hides from 2017. The deer hides are used by the Veterans Leather Program to make professionally-crafted leather gloves for veterans in wheelchairs and also turned in to leather used for therapy programs for recovering veterans.

The wait for November is nearly over - for Iowa deer hunters, this is prime time

• 10/22/2019 3:49:00 PM
• View Count 5133

Iowa’s deer hunting intensity will ratchet up in the next few weeks as the peak of the rut approaches and archery hunters cash in vacation days to spend as much time as possible in the timber.

Virus claiming deer in Iowa

• 8/27/2019 11:51:00 AM
• View Count 6083

An outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) is impacting deer primarily in south central Iowa with the largest concentration of infected animals being reported in Warren County.

Deer licenses on sale Aug. 15

• 8/13/2019 4:09:00 PM
• View Count 5049

Licenses to pursue Iowa’s world class deer herd go on sale Aug. 15 at more than 700 license sales agents statewide and online.

Commission approves extending Dubuque special deer management zone seasons to increase deer samples

• 1/24/2019 8:26:00 AM
• View Count 4723

Iowa hunters in the Dubuque area have the opportunity to extend their deer hunting season and help the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sample more deer for chronic wasting disease in and around their city. The Natural Resource Commission of the Iowa DNR approved the Jan. 26 to Feb. 10 deer management zone season extension Wednesday.

Chronic wasting disease confirmed in 14 Iowa deer including first positive in Dubuque County

• 1/11/2019 1:55:00 PM
• View Count 24614

DES MOINES - Fourteen tissue samples from wild Iowa deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease, bringing the total deer testing positive to chronic wasting disease in Iowa to 44

January antlerless deer season begins Friday in four counties

• 1/10/2019 8:24:00 AM
• View Count 8307

The special January antlerless deer season will open in Allamakee, Clayton, Wayne and Appanoose counties this Friday.  Of those four counties, only Allamakee County has licenses remaining – the other three have sold out.

Wildlife Notes

• 12/4/2018 3:54:00 PM
• View Count 6096

Brief updates on wildlife and hunting news

Iowa’s 2018 shotgun deer season quickly approaching

• 11/20/2018 11:57:00 AM
• View Count 17160

Deer hunters will soon be trading in their bows for shotguns and body harnesses for blaze orange vests as the calendar turns to December and the first of Iowa’s three main gun seasons begin.  And based on reports, it looks like hunting will be good, if the weather cooperates.

Iowa DNR to discuss deer diseases at Des Moines public meeting

• 11/15/2018 2:50:00 PM
• View Count 3012

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be in Des Moines on Nov. 27 to discuss issues related to deer diseases in an urban deer herd, the recent restrictions on wildlife rehabilitators accepting deer and hunter participation in the battle against chronic wasting disease (CWD).

7 lakes you’ve got to fish this fall

• 10/23/2018 3:27:00 PM
• View Count 12277

Get out and enjoy Iowa’s fantastic fishing opportunities. The air is cool, the views are picturesque, lakes are less crowded and the fish are easy to catch.

Drivers Alert, as Deer Activity Increases

• 10/2/2018 1:51:00 PM
• View Count 29729

Shorter days and cooler fall temperatures are reminders to Iowa drivers that the risk of deer-vehicle collisions will increase in the coming weeks. On the plus side, the chance of hitting a whitetail remains at the lowest level in the last nine years.

Iowa’s archery deer season begins Oct. 1

• 9/25/2018 4:38:00 PM
• View Count 12853

An estimated 60,000 hunters will be heading to the timber in the next few weeks as Iowa’s archery deer season gets underway Oct. 1.

Bowhunters encouraged to practice the ABCs of tree stand safety

• 9/25/2018 4:37:00 PM
• View Count 3361

Tree stand accidents can happen to deer hunters regardless of skill level or experience and result in serious injury or even death. Unfortunately, in nearly every case, these incidents were preventable.

Public meetings set to discuss chronic wasting disease

• 9/25/2018 4:35:00 PM
• View Count 3728

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting a series of meetings in early October to discuss the changes and new focus areas to its efforts to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Iowa’s deer herd.

Deer licenses on sale Aug. 15

• 8/14/2018 12:50:00 PM
• View Count 19434

Licenses to pursue Iowa’s world class deer herd go on sale Aug. 15 at more than 700 license sales agents statewide and online.

Two Waterloo men charged with illegally killing antlered deer

• 8/14/2018 12:47:00 PM
• View Count 19519

WATERLOO – On Thursday, August 2, 2018 at 1:26 a.m., Iowa Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Bureau was contacted by the Waterloo Police Department after they conducted a traffic stop of two males who had illegally killed two antlered deer that were still in velvet.

7 things you may not know about deer antlers

• 7/18/2018 3:05:00 PM
• View Count 36335

Let's get right to the point (wait, tine?) and get to the basics of white-tailed deer and their antlers:

Iowa's deer application opens Saturday, May 5th

• 5/3/2018 8:26:00 AM
• View Count 5643

It's that time of year! Nonresident deer hunters can apply for a 2018 Iowa deer license, or purchase a preference point, beginning Saturday, May 5 at 6 a.m. CST. Applications will be accepted until midnight on June 3, 2018.

Annual spring wildlife survey underway

• 4/3/2018 1:11:00 PM
• View Count 3508

Ordinarily, a slow-moving vehicle at night in the Iowa countryside spotlighting deer, raccoons or coyotes would send Iowans to their phone, speed-dialing their local conservation officer, but in this case, it may be the officer doing the shining.

Fatal deer disease confirmed in Wayne County – first case in wild deer outside northeast Iowa

• 2/8/2018 9:33:00 AM
• View Count 48430

A hunter-harvested adult doe taken in southeast Wayne County during the first shotgun deer season has tested positive for the presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD). This is the first hunter-harvested wild deer outside of northeast Iowa to test positive for the always fatal disease. 

Effort underway to sample for fatal deer disease in Allamakee, Clayton counties

• 1/23/2018 12:51:00 PM
• View Count 10426

Deer hunters participating in the first weekend of the nine day scientific collection effort in the surveillance zones in Allamakee and Clayton counties provided 54 tissue samples to state officials that will be tested for the presence of chronic wasting disease.

2017 Iowa deer harvest surpasses 2016 totals

• 1/16/2018 2:10:00 PM
• View Count 21671

Hunters reported harvesting 105,544 deer in Iowa for 2017, which is an increase of more than 4,100 deer from 2016. Iowa’s deer seasons closed on Jan. 10.

DNR to discuss chronic wasting disease Jan. 18 in Harpers Ferry & Elkader, ahead of deer tissue collection effort

• 1/11/2018 10:39:00 AM
• View Count 4846

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold a special scientific collection effort Jan. 20-28, in targeted areas of Allamakee and Clayton counties near where chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been confirmed in wild Iowa deer.

Seasons Begin Closing January 10

• 1/2/2018 12:49:00 PM
• View Count 4570

Iowa’s 2017 hunting season begin closing in January.

Iowa deer harvest tops 90,000

• 12/19/2017 1:20:00 PM
• View Count 10967

The 2017 Iowa deer harvest is running more than 5 percent ahead of the 2016 totals. So far this fall, 90,955 deer have been reported, compared to 86,506 for the same period last year.

Iowa deer harvest nearly identical to 2016

• 12/12/2017 1:01:00 PM
• View Count 8882

The 2017 Iowa deer harvest is running less than 1 percent ahead of the 2016 totals. So far this fall, 76,204 deer have been reported, compared to 75,909 for the same period last year.

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