MASON CITY – The City of Mason City will hold a special urban deer management hunt starting September 17, 2016.
The intent of this special hunt, city officials say, is to reduce deer damage to property within city limits and reduce the number of car-deer collisions in town. This is the first year that the city has partnered with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to have a Deer Management Zone (DMZ) hunt. The City of Mason City has allowed urban bow hunting in the past for hunters willing to use their statewide deer license.
The urban hunt will function a little differently this year, according to a document released by the city. There will be fifty antlerless DMZ licenses available to Iowa resident hunters for use only within the city limits of Mason City. Each hunter must possess a State of Iowa hunting license with habitat fee and have a Mason City DMZ deer license. Regular licenses are not valid within the Mason City DMZ. Licenses must be purchased from Kramer Ace Hardware, 440 S Illinois Avenue, Mason City.
Proficiency testing is also a requirement for this special hunt. The Mohawk Archery Club, 840 1/2 12th Street NW in Mason City will certify hunters on a proficiency test that meets this requirement. Proficiency testing will be completed on August 24 (5:30-7:30 p.m.) and August 27 (9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.) at the club for $15/hunter. To sign up for a time slot for proficiency testing, please email Melinda Severs at the Mason City Police Department (msevers@masoncity.net). If you can’t attend on these dates, contact Chris Rish (641-430-5498) to arrange another time.
Hunters should bring copies of their hunting license, their Mason City DMZ deer tag, and their passing score on the proficiency test to the Mason City Police Department. A completed urban hunting application will need to be submitted with these documents. Applications are available at the Mason City Police Department, 78 South Georgia Avenue, or by e-mail from Melinda Severs. After reviewing the documents, an urban bow hunting permit will be issued by MCPD.
Hunters must abide by the rules of the property owner, in addition to all Iowa DNR rules and special zone rules covering the bow hunting of deer. Any violation of the above rules may result in the revocation of privileges or criminal charges, as appropriate.
The main goal of the hunt is to reduce the deer herd by harvesting female deer, or does. The special hunt will begin September 17, 2016 and end January 10, 2017. The special hunt in city limits will remain open even during the dates of the regular gun seasons that take place outside of city limits. All DMZ licenses are for antlerless deer only.
Reporting: Deer hunters will be required to bring harvested deer to the Mason City Police Department for inspection and to report where the deer was taken. Check in must occur within six hours of harvest. In addition, hunters must register their deer harvest with IDNR by any of the following three options: 1) The online harvest reporting system at www.iowadnr.gov is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 2) The telephone harvest is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the toll free number is printed on the antlerless license. 3) Hunters may report through an ELSI license vendor during business hours. All deer harvested in a deer management zone hunt must be sight checked and reported to IDNR.
Police say the dates for hunting within the City Parks of Mason City have not yet been established. They say they will announce when those dates have been set.
