The Department of Natural Resources is trying to make Iowa’s overabundance of deer into a positive by offering a special holiday license. DNR spokesman Terry Little says they’re now offering a deer license for those who don’t normally live here. Non-residents can buy a holiday deer license for $50 to hunt an anterless deer from Christmas Eve through January 2nd. Little says the record number of deer in the state has allowed the state to offer the special license. Little says it’s a good last-minute gift, good for kids coming back from college or relatives who want to come in and hunt over the holiday. Little says the licenses cost much less than the regular non-resident licenses. Little says Iowa hunters thus far have been very generous in helping the needy this year. The DNR instituted a special deer license that allowed a hunter to shoot a deer and donate it for use by a food pantry. He says from the early shotgun season, it looks like there’ll be at least 1,000 deer donated — easily surpassing their projections. Little says hunters have helped out in another way, too. He says over 3,000 hunters donated $5 to the program when they bought their deer license, so he says there should be a good return of deer to the foodbanks. For information on deer licenses, check with your local DNR office, or on-line at the DNR’s website.
