|
Recreational Safety Programs Section2007 WAS A SAFE HUNTING YEAR By Joe Wilkinson Iowa Department of Natural Resources Sometimes, a downward trend is a good thing. Iowa hunters have chalked up another year with no firearm related deaths and—if the pace continues--are on track for perhaps the safest hunting decade on record. On the other hand, there was one hunting death, a bowhunter falling from a tree stand. That incident, along with 13 shooting-related injuries in 2007, shows there is always work to do. Still, the downward curve is encouraging. “Looking at our firearm related incidents, we have those numbers just about as low as we can get them,” assesses Rod Slings, safety education coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources. “Hunter education became mandatory in Iowa in 1983. With those people out there now, it is making a difference. We are seeing the success of the program.” You don’t have to look far to see the graphic difference. In 1965, 20 people died in hunting incidents. It was not uncommon in the 1960s and early ‘70s to have 10 or 12 hunting deaths and 60 to 140 injuries, in a year! Voluntary hunter education was initiated and the numbers started dropping. Since becoming mandatory, that curve has been bumping at around zero, one or two deaths a year. There is now an entire generation of Iowans certified in hunter education before they can purchase a license. Those figures come in an era when about 250,000 of us buy hunting, furharvester, lifetime or preserve hunting licenses in a year. Add to that total many of the tens of thousands of landowners and tenants with deer or turkey tags. Unless they also hunt off their land, they do not need hunting licenses. The requirement for blaze orange clothing deserves some credit. Firearm deer hunters are quite visible to others with vests, coats or coveralls of mandatory blaze orange covering their torsos. Upland bird hunters are now required to wear an item (cap, coat, gloves) that is at least 50 percent blaze orange. For the most part, though, the primary credit goes to 1,800 volunteer instructors in hunter education classes. In those sessions, held anywhere from county nature centers and fish and game clubhouses, to sporting good stores and school classrooms, kids learn proper handling of firearms and a whole lot more. And not just kids. Parents often stick around for the 10 hours of instruction and hands-on training. A growing number of participants are young adults who didn’t take them when younger and now are friends with—or married to—some one who hunts. The classes also stress hunter ethics, wildlife identification, trailing game, first aid and other issues. In recent years, more attention has been paid to bowhunting and tree stand safety. That takes on added emphasis after this past fall. “We did have one fatality (in Madison County) which resulted from a tree stand fall. We had several injuries, too,” says Slings. “That is an area we are concerned about. It used to be just bow hunters. Now, more muzzleloader and shotgun hunters seem to be hunting from an elevated device. We want to make sure you secure yourself with a full body harness.” That full harness is aimed at replacing old-fashioned ‘belt’ or shoulder-only gear. While they can prevent a fall all the way to the ground, serious internal injury or suffocation can result with all the impact on just a couple points of your body. The full harness directs much of that pressure to the legs and shoulders. Students in many classes are shown how to strap themselves in. Some even have a stand from which they can ‘fall’ just a few inches to understand how the gear works. They also are taught to keep three points of contact (hands, feet, strap) as you climb up to, or down from, an elevated stand. Slings says that a million stands a year are sold under auspices of the Treestand Manufacturers Association. Any TMA stand includes a safety harness with the purchase. Incidents Fall; But Potential Remains Iowa hunters may deserve a pat on the back for the drop in hunting related incidents. Just don’t make it a long one. And make sure that gun is held safely while you do it. A ‘no fatality’ year is great, but 13 injuries and three property damage incidents in 2007 are reminders that any incident could have been much worse. I was along for two shooting investigations in northeast Iowa, during the first shotgun deer season in December. In one, a young hunter shot one of his best friends in the upper leg. The shot came from 250 yards away. On the scene a couple hours later as officers interviewed witnesses and took measurements, I couldn’t help but think that if the two hunters had been closer or if the gun had been aimed just a fraction of an inch higher, it could have been much worse. Even without a shot being fired, conservation officers see the prospect for tragedy during their stops. “I still cite hunters firing over a road, or firing from the road,” says officer Erika Billerbeck, who patrols Johnson County during the hunting seasons. “We still run into occasional uncased or loaded guns in a vehicle or complaints of shots fired too close to houses. If it’s that close, something could happen. The potential is there.”
DES MOINES – Despite poor weather during the shotgun season extension, hunters got out and shot more than 5,000 deer, of which more than 90 percent were antlerless. Of those antlerless deer, around 3,600 were does. The extended season was intended to increase the doe harvest by allowing unfilled tags from either shotgun season to be filled with antlerless deer from Dec. 21 to 23. Prior to the extended season, the doe harvest was 7,500 below estimates. The extension halved the doe harvest deficit. “It was not as successful as we had hoped, but was a big step forward to catching us up on our doe harvest,” said Willie Suchy, wildlife research supervisor for the DNR. There are still plenty of antlerless only tags for the remaining seasons. The late muzzleloader season runs through Jan. 13 and there are nearly 20,000 licenses remaining in 25 different counties. These are the counties where the DNR want’s to have the deer herd thinned. There are more than 13,000 licenses remaining for the January antlerless only season across Iowa’s southern two tiers of counties. The DNR has allowed center fire rifles as a selection for this entire season. All the information is on the DNR website. Go to www.iowadnr.gov then click on Hunting and Wildlife, then on Availability of Limited Quota Licenses toward the bottom of the navigation bar on the left. Bucks have been dropping their antlers since the end of November. To maximize the doe harvest during these antlerless only seasons, hunters should look for deer that are part of a group, or a deer that has a sleeker frame. A doe often has fawns with it, and a buck almost never. A buck will have a square top of the head where the antlers were. “If you have any doubt if it is a buck or doe, one way to improve your chance of taking a doe is to not shoot a deer standing by itself,” Suchy said. Nonresidents have about 300 holiday licenses remaining for antlerless deer in 25 counties. Those nonresident holiday antlerless only licenses cost $55 in addition to a small game license and a habitat fee, and are valid through Jan. 2, 2008. Suchy said enough antlerless deer hunting opportunities exist and the DNR is not looking at any further extensions this year. For more information, contact Tom Litchfield at 641-774-2958.
POLK CITY - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will require all target shooting at the Big Creek wildlife unit to take place at the Charles “Butch” Olofson Shooting Range. Previously, target shooting was allowed in the parking area of the wildlife unit. The change is effective immediately. “The Big Creek wildlife unit is unique because it supports various types of recreation and is near a large and growing population area,” said Ben Berka, shooting sports coordinator for the Iowa DNR. He said “No Target Shooting” signs will be posed at all parking and access areas for safety reasons. “We want to make sure everyone can enjoy this area safely. Target shooting in parking or access areas around the wildlife unit could pose a risk to other users and to nearby residents, since safety features, like adequate backstops and safe shot-fall zones, do not exist,” Berka said. However, target shooters at the Big Creek Area need not go far to sight in or practice their marksmanship skills. In addition to all necessary safety features, the Olofson Shooting Range at Big Creek offers many other amenities. There are two 50 yard ranges and one 100 yard range for rifle and handgun shooters. Shotgun shooters will enjoy the trap and skeet field and archers will soon be able to practice at the new archery range (renovations complete by June). Shooters must check in at the range office pay a small fee to use the facility, however the range is supervised at all times to ensure the safety of all shooters. In addition, the range frequently offers many shooting, firearm and hunter education courses. Current range hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Noon to dark and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to dark. The range is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. For more information on the Olofson Shooting Range call 515-795-2067 or visit www.olofsonrange.com. For more information on the changes for target shooters at big creek, contact Ben Berka at 515-281-0140 or Ben.Berka@dnr.iowa.gov
DES MOINES – If a hunter has disposed of his or her shotgun season license and wants to participate in the three day antlerless extension of the shotgun deer season they will need to print off a special license in order to participate. The license is only available at www.iowadnr.gov There is no fee or charge associated with the license, but hunters will need to carry this reprinted license while in the field just like their regular license. All resident hunters who possessed a valid deer license during one of the 2007 shotgun deer seasons are eligible to participate in the Dec 21-23 extension. Hunters will need to enter their DNR ID number, which can be found printed in red ink at the top of their regular hunting or fishing license. The DNR number is not the same as the social security number or the deer registration number. It is a separate number found only on hunting and fishing licenses. Since the transportation tags will be printed on regular paper, hunters will need to protect it from the elements if they kill a deer. Hunters should place the tag in a re-sealable clear plastic bag then attach it to the deer using either string, a zip tie, a twist tie, tape or a piece of wire. Keeping the duplicate tags in legible conditions is the responsibility of the hunter.
The Natural Resource Commission has approved a three day season extension for antlerless-deer only for Shotgun 1 and Shotgun 2 season hunters. The extended season will run from December 21-23. Concurrent with this decision, the Commission also extended the Late Muzzleloader deer season by three days. This Late Muzzleloader extension will run from January 11-13, 2008. The reason for the extension was a drop in deer harvests due to extreme weather conditions that occurred during the beginnings of both shotgun seasons. At the end of the first gun season, the reported harvest was down by about 10,000 animals from 2006. The harvest was down at least 12,000 deer after the completion of the opening weekend of the first season and the harvest was unable to completely recover during the remainder of the season. The harvest deficit increased again on the opening weekend of the second gun season and halfway through this season, the harvest is about 13,500 deer behind 2006. The primary concern over the decline in harvest during the shotgun seasons is the effect it has had on Iowa’s doe harvest for the 2007/08 hunting season. The shotgun seasons are an important component of the doe harvest and it was determined that the remaining deer seasons would be unable to compensate for the approximately 7,500 doe-harvest-deficit caused primarily by bad weather during the two gun seasons. It was decided that a three day antlerless-only extension for shotgun hunters was the most sound method that could be employed to potentially gain the needed doe harvest to meet 2007/08 harvest objectives statewide. December 21-23, was selected for the extension because it fell within the date range that the second shotgun season periodically occupies, the potential for an adequate harvest was highest, the first Friday-Sunday period is typically the lowest harvest weekend during the Late Muzzleloader season, and the mid-December season placement would also allow for possible alternative actions if the harvest during the shotgun season extension fails to meet objectives. The DNR’s objective is that approximately 11,000 antlerless deer will be killed during the three day extension which would equate to about 8,500 does in the harvest. The three day extension onto the end of the Late Muzzleloader season is to help mitigate for the three days that muzzleloader hunters will be sharing the woods with the extended season hunters. The same rules and regulations for the Late Muzzleloader season will apply to this extension. The DNR was asked why the shotgun extension was not proposed for the last weekend period of the Late Muzzleloader season or onto the last three days of the muzzleloader season. In 2006, late muzzleloader hunters reported harvesting 975, 1,412, and 2,352 deer on the first, second, and third Friday-Sunday time periods, respectively. Even on the last three days of the 2006 Late Muzzleloader season, 2,334 deer were reported. So placing the shotgun extension during the first weekend period was decided to have the least potential impact to the muzzleloader season hunters. All resident shotgun hunters who possessed a license for one of the 2007 shotgun seasons are eligible to participate during this extended season. Party hunting will be legal and hunters can only harvest deer for the unfilled transportation tags remaining in the party. Only antlerless deer will be legal during the season extension regardless of the type of shotgun tag in possession. Shotgun hunters who have thrown away their licenses or unused tags can obtain free duplicates by going to the Iowa DNR web site (www.iowadnr.gov). There, a hunter can follow the link provided to print out the needed duplicate license or tag(s). The transportation tags will be paper so they will need to be enclosed in a zip-lock bag or something similar to protect them and then tied onto the deer. Keeping the duplicate tags in legible condition will be the responsibility of the hunter. All other regulations regarding shotgun season hunting will remain in place (e.g., wearing blaze orange, displaying blaze orange by blinds, etc.). Extended season hunters need to confirm that they still have permission to hunt if they are hunting on private property. With the colder temperatures and snow/ice that Iowa is currently experiencing, the deer have become more concentrated and will be focused on the remaining high quality food sources. In portions of the state that still have a strong layer of crust, deer should be utilizing any alfalfa fields where good fall growth has created forage above the snowline. Areas with thick cedars, pines, or brush should also be holding more deer as the snow depth will be less in these areas so movement is easier and the habitat provides good cover. Sportsmen and women are reminded that they will sharing the woods with hunters of all firearm types (muzzleloading firearms, bows, shotguns, and handguns). While mixed firearm type hunting has occurred previously in Iowa (e.g., November Antlerless Season), the participation during the extended season should be greater. All hunters are reminded of the need for safety and courtesy in order for this hunt to be a success. All hunters should make an attempt to determine who else might be hunting on an area and adjust their strategies accordingly. Extra caution needs to be taken in identifying your target, your field of fire, and what is beyond the deer. Please refer to the Safety Sidebar for more tips on making this extended season opportunity a safe one for all participants. Hunting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. All deer harvested must be reported using the harvest reporting system by midnight the day after the deer is recovered. This is the second year where hunters have reported their kill. They can use the DNR website (www.iowadnr.gov) or call the toll free number (1-800-771-4692) to report their harvest. This year they can also report at the license vendor. For hunters with Internet access, online reporting of the harvest is the easiest way to register your deer. The harvest reports are a vital piece of information Iowa DNR biologists need for properly managing Iowa’s deer population and hunting opportunities. Late Muzzleloader hunters are reminded that a 2008 hunting license will need to be purchased to participate in the January 11-13 season extension as the current hunting licenses expire on January 10, 2008. The 2008 licenses went on sale Dec. 15. For more information, contact Tom Litchfield, state deer biologist at (641) 774-2958.
DES MOINES – Deer hunters who plan to participate in the extended shotgun and muzzleloader deer seasons, should spend time making safety the main focus of the hunt. With a nontraditional mixture of bow, muzzleloader, shotgun and handgun hunters in the field at the same time, everyone should use extra caution and practice safe hunting. Iowa law requires deer hunters who hunt with a gun to wear external, solid blaze orange that covers the torso: a vest, jacket, coat, sweatshirt, sweater, shirt or coveralls. One of the primary concerns will be safety among bowhunters who are the one group of hunters not required to wear blaze orange. “With snow on the ground, many bowhunters may be wearing white or white camouflage. We would highly recommend that the bowhunters wear some kind of blaze orange to increase visibility,” said Rod Slings, supervisor of the DNR’s recreational safety program. Deer are color blind so wearing orange should not affect the success rate of hunters. It is movement deer will pickup on, Slings said. “The deer can’t see blaze orange, but other hunters can. That’s the crucial factor to consider and can go a long way toward preventing a possible tragedy,” Slings said. The new blaze orange regulation for ground blinds will be in effect for the extra season as well. The regulation requires a 12-inch by 12-inch patch of solid blaze orange to be visible in all directions. Slings said it is also important for hunters who hunted previous seasons to check with landowners to see if they still have permission to hunt the areas they hunted earlier. Hunters should review their hunting plan to accommodate the unique extra season situation. Hunting plans should outline where every member of the hunt is at all times and what their role is in the hunt. “The primary cause of firearm incidents during deer season is shooting at running deer,” said Slings. “It can literally be a matter of life and death to know where the other people in your party are at during the hunt.”
Boone - Iowa’s winter season is in full swing and the recent ice storms and snowfall has some residents calling with concerns about Iowa’s upland game birds populations. Todd Bogenschuz, upland wildlife biologist for the Iowa DNR, said he is most concerned about the ice covering a large portion of the state. It is upwards of an inch thick in some areas and impossible for pheasant and quail to scratch through. Research shows for each week of snow cover, 3 percent of the wild hen pheasant population dies. “This is not a serious winter yet, but with three months of winter remaining Iowa could experience high bird mortality if the ice conditions persist another eight to twelve weeks, without a significant thaw to melt existing ice,” Bogenschutz said. In a normal winter, Iowa receives an average of two feet of snow and has seven weeks of snow cover. “The birds are highly visible now searching for food above the ice, and people are calling with concerns,” he said. The DNR does not recommend people feed the birds in most situations as it concentrates the birds for predators. It also does not address the larger issue that is the lack of secure roosting cover. The DNR does not supply food for feeding wildlife, but if folks feel the need to feed the birds themselves, the DNR offers these guidelines:
|
|
|
|
|