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Post by freedomhunter on Mar 29, 2009 8:28:15 GMT -5
From a hunter just like a lot of us.. Nice to be an Iowa resident! www.mikehanback.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/27/Why-Iowa-Has-Monster-Whitetails In this guest column at DesMoinesRegister.com, Mike Kalkwarf offers his perspective as both a conservation professional and a lifelong Iowa resident and hunter. Mike says there are 3 major reasons Iowa produces giants (like Kyle Simmons’ incredible 275-incher shot with a bow last fall, I never tire of looking at this amazing picture). Mike says these 3 things also separate Iowa from neighboring states: “The timing of our firearms seasons. We don't hunt deer during the rut, when the bucks are most vulnerable.” “Our method of take. We don't shoot deer with rifles during the gun seasons or use crossbows during the archery seasons.” “Limits on hunter numbers. We have caps on nonresidents, and we spread out resident hunters among a limited number of season choices.” Mike goes on to say: “A change in any one of these policies would drastically alter deer hunting in Iowa. An increase in nonresidents will increase the pressure on bucks--the reason nonresidents come here…The more pressure you put on that limited resource, the more its quality will diminish.” “Illinois is the closest comparison in available deer habitat and regulations. The biggest difference is that Illinois has a high quota of nonresident deer tags. The result: You have to pay to play. The only nonresidents that bother are those that are willing to shell out big bucks to hunt, and the resident hunter has been pushed aside.” I’m with Mike. Iowa is the top big-buck factory in the nation right now, so why makes any changes (like raising the nonresident quota to generate more revenue) and screw it up? As an outsider, I am willing to pay more for a tag and face steeper odds of drawing it —I know if and when I do draw and hunt in a good spot, I have the chance of killing a giant. If I don’t draw, well, I’ll leave the monster-buck hunting to you residents for another year. Sure is nothing wrong with that (but I'll apply next year too  Hard to argue with results. I like how they keep the non-residents from taking over.. With this type of management, public ground hunting would be outstanding. |
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Post by dbd870 on Mar 29, 2009 8:46:01 GMT -5
Meh.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2009 8:56:25 GMT -5
Please note, that Illinois still out produces Iowa and the other 48 states in trophy deer EVERY year. Iowa is close "behind".
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Post by Woody Williams on Mar 29, 2009 11:38:20 GMT -5
The order of the day in gun hunting Iowa is massive deer drives. If the big bucks wont move (no rut) then the hunters will drive them to get them to move. That might be great for some, but it is not my cup of deer hunting tea. Question - Are pushed bucks not vulnerable too? Hmmm... sounds like Indiana or Illinois. They do allow crossbows to be used by the physically challenged. I find this to be a very stupid or baised remark about crossbows as the harvest rates in crossbow legal states are virtually identical for crossbows and vertical bows users. Yeah, just what we want to do. Limit hunter numbers. OK... but the latest stats I've seen is Illinois and KY are catching up. How can KY do that when they hunt the rut ON PURPOSE and hunt with centerfires. KY doesn't even have that great northern strain of whitetails either. "You have to pay to play." LOL.... and in Iowa you don't have to "pay to play"? That is a ..  Do a Google on Iowa deer hunting outfitters and look at their "pay to play". ………and a NR tags are $323.. Just what we all want. MINE! MINE! MINE! |
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Post by freedomhunter on Mar 29, 2009 11:48:05 GMT -5
I guess it is all in what you want. I just posted it to exhibit the management philosy of a state noted for trophy hunting. It may or may not be what is best for our state.
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Post by ribbuster on Mar 29, 2009 12:27:43 GMT -5
I guess it is all in what you want. I just posted it to exhibit the management philosy of a state noted for trophy hunting. It may or may not be what is best for our state. Agreed here as well its what we all want out of it .Just an observation I have made is hunters on this site as well as a few others sites is that some on here extol the virtues and greatness of KY as a trophy state . They live in the most southern reaches of our state many of them just minutes no more than an hr from the IN. KY boarder and hunt there quite abit .They openly play down the trophy management of any other state that has proven track records that make KY pale in comparison and dismiss any trophy hunting as horn coveting yet they are exuberantly supportive of the trophy management of KY and the copy cat management of IN type management.Where most hunters throught the state that we live in don not extol KY in such ways and it simply an afterthought to most of the IN hunters I meet and speak with why is that I wonder?? I guess I do not understand why that is .Also let me make this clear I do not believe in the xbow /bow differences they all shoot arrows and broad heads and the Xbow is good for hunter recruitment and should be allowed for any hunter that wants use it the entire season that archery is open!!This is no9t a stiring as some previous posts but a serious observation and question I have is all . |
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Post by duff on Mar 29, 2009 12:34:53 GMT -5
I love it when a guy shoots one big deer and suddenly become the next authority on what is good or bad for deer hunting. Not saying he is right or wrong in his oppinion but that is all it is and we all have em!
I personally don't like the idea of restricting hunters anymore then we already are. I'd agree with restrictions when the resource requires it, not when ever the armchair biologist wants it.
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Post by Woody Williams on Mar 29, 2009 12:46:55 GMT -5
I guess it is all in what you want. I just posted it to exhibit the management philosy of a state noted for trophy hunting. It may or may not be what is best for our state. Agreed... glad that you posted it, even though we could get a long winded discussion going about it.  |
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Post by Woody Williams on Mar 29, 2009 12:56:55 GMT -5
I kind of like to look at these big buck numbers thorugh a different light. Instead of just a raw numbers of XXX amount of B & C or P& Y buck we really need to do a frequency rate. One such method is to go by B & C bucks per square mile.. Kentucky is ranked #2 in the nation per square mile for Boone & Crockett Bucks. They must be doing something right.... even allowing unlimited NRs (pretty cheap too), centerfire rifles and timed to the rut seasons.. Just think how many they would have IF they had the northern subspeices of whitetails.. www.kentuckygameandfish.com/hunting/whitetail-deer-hunting/ky_aa082103a/ |
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Post by drs on Mar 29, 2009 13:06:23 GMT -5
I kind of like to look at these big buck numbers thorugh a different light. Instead of just a raw numbers of XXX amount of B & C or P& Y buck we really need to do a frequency rate. One such method is to go by B & C bucks per square mile.. Kentucky is ranked #2 in the nation per square mile for Boone & Crockett Bucks.They must be doing something right.... even allowing unlimited NRs (pretty cheap too), centerfire rifles and timed to the rut seasons.. Just think how many they would have IF they had the northern subspeices of whitetails.. www.kentuckygameandfish.com/hunting/whitetail-deer-hunting/ky_aa082103a/Might also add, that Kentucky has a GROWING Elk Herd too. |
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Post by HuntMeister on Mar 29, 2009 13:18:49 GMT -5
I saw this thread on Hanback's site and I really didn't agree with the content, Woody you hit the head on the nail with your post, I agree 150%. I never knew drives played such a big role in Iowa. I have participated in drives but prefer not to. For me it is much more enjoyable to hunt without drives, either by stillhunting or sitting. My favorite part of the original post is the pic, holy browtines boys, that is an awesome buck for sure!! The order of the day in gun hunting Iowa is massive deer drives. If the big bucks wont move (no rut) then the hunters will drive them to get them to move. That might be great for some, but it is not my cup of deer hunting tea. Question - Are pushed bucks not vulnerable too? Hmmm... sounds like Indiana or Illinois. They do allow crossbows to be used by the physically challenged. I find this to be a very stupid or baised remark about crossbows as the harvest rates in crossbow legal states are virtually identical for crossbows and vertical bows users. Yeah, just what we want to do. Limit hunter numbers. OK... but the latest stats I've seen is Illinois and KY are catching up. How can KY do that when they hunt the rut ON PURPOSE and hunt with centerfires. KY doesn't even have that great northern strain of whitetails either. "You have to pay to play." LOL.... and in Iowa you don't have to "pay to play"? That is a .. Do a Google on Iowa deer hunting outfitters and look at their "pay to play". ………and a NR tags are $323.. Just what we all want. MINE! MINE! MINE! |
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Post by freedomhunter on Mar 29, 2009 13:25:27 GMT -5
The places I hunt in Kentucky look nothing like any place I've seen in Indiana, except for maybe for Jackson-Washington SF. More continuous habitat and less population density, means less hunting pressure in KY. I don't know about the sub-species, but I've seen 200lb field dressed bucks come from Cumberland County (this is by the river and crops, though).
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Post by huxbux on Mar 29, 2009 19:12:26 GMT -5
Before one puts too much stock in the published opinions of a professional, it would be wise to remember that he has something to sell.
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Post by tickman1961 on Mar 30, 2009 8:44:19 GMT -5
I see limits on hunters to be the number one reason why they have monsters, the deer live to maturity - bigger racks.....
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Post by trapperdave on Mar 30, 2009 9:07:34 GMT -5
Before one puts too much stock in the published opinions of a professional, it would be wise to remember that he has something to sell.  |
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Post by trapperdave on Mar 30, 2009 9:08:57 GMT -5
In case ya'll aint noticed, there's some bigguns in Indiana too. shhhhhh dont tell no one
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Post by pav on Apr 2, 2009 9:41:48 GMT -5
I'll be making my fifth trip to Iowa in November.
If I had to choose between Iowa, Illinois and Kansas for a quality hunt with alot of deer, I'd take Iowa hands down. Someone mentioned Iowa trails Illinois? That would depend on your measures. If you are only talking about record book entries...then you have a point. If you are talking about record book entries per hunter participation rate, Iowa would smoke Illinois.
Due to population, Iowa has much less resident pressure than Illinois. Iowa also severly limits non-resident hunting pressure. Yeah, Illinois has a token NR limit on their deer tags. They just bumped the number up high enough that anyone who wants one...gets one. That doesn't happen in Iowa. Most zones have a minimum two year waiting period for NRs.
Indiana? Yeah, we have some big bucks.....but unless you have experienced Iowa, I can't begin to descibe the difference.
If you ever get a chance to hunt whitetails in Iowa, by all means do it!
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Post by pav on Apr 2, 2009 9:44:49 GMT -5
BTW, If you are looking for the highest potentail quality hunt of the three, but don't care about how many deer you see.... it would be hard to beat Kansas.
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