Iowa’s first shotgun deer season wrapped up Wednesday and the second season is set to go Saturday (December 9). It’s the first year that hunters must report to the state when they shoot a deer, and the D-N-R’s Steve Roberts says that process has gone well.
Roberts says the vast majority of hunters are able to report their kills via the telephone or internet. Roberts says there have been a few snags, but not what he anticipated going into the first shotgun season. Robert says some of the problems can be remedied by hunters. He says one problem is that people who have multiple tags need to be sure the tag they’re putting on an animal is the tag they want to put on an animal.
Roberts says the tag has to match up with the registration number reported to the D-N-R. Roberts says the number you use to register has to match the number of the tag you put on the deer, as each tag has a unique number. Roberts says the information he’s heard from the first season shows good success. Roberts says the last numbers he looked at showed a 50-percent success rate for hunters. Roberts says hunters with any questions before the next season should call an expert.
Roberts says you can contact your local conservation officer or call the state office at 515-281-5918. The second shotgun deer season runs from Saturday through Sunday, December 17.