Shotgun Deer season opens today

Iowa’s second-most-popular hunting season gets underway today. The first of two shotgun deer seasons opens today, and D-N-R spokesman Ken Herring says some 70-thousand hunters took to the woods during the first shotgun season last year. Herring says the popularity of deer hunting has increased since the very first shotgun season was held in 1952.They’ve gone from one to two shotgun seasons, and also added a couple of muzzleloader seasons, and bow hunting. Herring says, like pheasant season, many out-of-state hunters also hunt deer in Iowa.Deer numbers are good, and Herring says the take could match or exceed the record 126-thousand deer taken last year. While many hunters are looking for trophy antlers, Herring says most hunters in Iowa still hunt for the meat. But, he says the number of hunters who go after trophies is increasing.Hunters are required to wear blaze orange vests, and Herring says they should also be aware of other hunting rules, such as knowing what you are shooting at before pulling the trigger.The first shotgun season runs through Wednesday, and the second season is December eighth to the 16th, will see just as many hunters hit the field.