The deer hunting season opened Saturday with the youngest hunters taking to the field. Iowa Department of Natural Resources state deer biologist, Tom Litchfield, says the youth season is for those under the age of 16. He says it gives adults a chance to take kids out at a time where the deer haven’t been hunted yet and will be a little less leery. And he says it allows the adults to concentrate on working and teaching the young hunters. Litchfield says around eight-thousand youth took part last year and he expects that to increase a bit.
Litchfield says the early youth season helps get kids interested in hunting as they have a lot of things that attract their attention, and this help show them the outdoors and hunting. Another hunting season also began Saturday. The disabled hunter season runs concurrently with the youth season and approximately 300 disable hunters take part in that season. Litchfield says there are some special accommodations available to help the disabled hunters.
He says disabled hunters can do some things that other hunters can’t, such as shooting from a vehicle because they are unable to get out and move around through the woods. There are also special blinds that disabled hunters can use that they get on and lift them up off a trailer. Litchfield says the deer population and good weather should make it a good time for all hunters.
Litchfield says he expects the deer season to be very good this year and numbers should be similar to last year’s. Hunters took over 140,000 deer in the various seasons last year. Hunting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. The youth and disabled deer seasons run through October 4th.