DNR works hard to manage deer numbers

By Dale Garner

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Iowa has always been recognized as a prime agricultural state. In recent years, the state has gained - and earned - national and international fame as being a premier state for whitetail deer hunting as well.

Neither the success of Iowa's agriculture or of its deer herd has come by accident. The success in both has resulted from dedicated professionals using the best science and technology available.

For the biologists of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, success involves trying to balance a deer herd that provides recreational opportunities to approximately 180,000 hunters, as well as millions of dollars of economic activity to hundreds of communities, with a deer population that is also acceptable to a majority of the rest of the state's populace.

DNR staff spend countless hours reviewing data that eventually become the department's recommendations on proposed harvest and by-county antlerless quotas. So it is frustrating how much this issue gets tied up in misinformation that is reported by a “coalition” of various groups.

First and foremost, the DNR is not proposing raising the overall deer population. Rather, the DNR proposes to reduce quotas in 20 counties, which will stabilize deer numbers in those counties. The proposed changes will continue to reduce deer numbers in areas not at the department's goals, which the study group supported in 2008.

Managing a deer herd takes more than looking at just an overall population of deer for the state. The analysis also has to consider the question of “where.” For example, farm land in Grundy County varies greatly from what it is like in Taylor County. So do the deer numbers. It is for that reason, that deer harvest of does - the way populations are effectively controlled - is analyzed and managed at the county level. The DNR certainly understands that there are still counties in Iowa with too many deer and the recommendations are still being made to maintain high levels of doe tags and harvest in those areas.

The stabilized deer numbers in these 20 counties will not increase the amount of damage. Under the DNR's proposal, there will be fewer deer (where the reductions are needed) and less damage.

Recent ICN meetings at 19 sites on March 6 were open to all of Iowa's citizens, and widely publicized. A total of 347 people showed up; 95 percent supported the proposed changes.

The coalition maintains that the DNR has not collected the additional information needed to demonstrate that deer numbers have been reduced and the goals reached. Yes, additional information will be gathered but the additional information is not needed to make the decision to stabilize deer numbers in these 20 counties. The needed information already exists.

Deer numbers decreased in Iowa. When you look at the number of deer killed on Iowa's highways, it is as low now as it was in 1995. The DNR has achieved the goals identified in 2008 by the Governor's Deer Study Committee in the 20 counties where the reductions are proposed. There will be a need for further quota reductions next year and the year after as more goals are reached.

DNR staff will continue to work with producers, hunters, cities, counties and any other interested parties to find ways to properly manage deer numbers.

Dale Garner is chief of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Bureau. Comments: www.iowadnr.gov/ContactIowaDNR.aspx