MASON CITY – The City of Mason City will hold a special urban deer management hunt starting September 16, 2017. The intent of this special hunt is to reduce deer damage to property within city limits and reduce the number of car-deer collisions in town. This is the second year that we’ve 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.
There will be 100 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. Hunters may purchase a maximum of three licenses. The Iowa DNR has an incentive license format that will allow hunters who harvest and report three female deer during the 2017 DMZ hunt to receive an additional any sex DMZ tag for use during the 2018 DMZ hunt. Button bucks are legal query but will not count toward the incentive license.
Proficiency testing is also a requirement for this special hunt. The Mohawk Archery Club, 8401⁄2 12th Street NW, Mason City, will certify hunters on a proficiency test that meets this requirement. We will publicize the date and time for proficiency testing as soon as the dates are finalized.
Interested hunters should stop by the Mason City Police Department to pick up a packet of information about the 2018 DMZ hunt. They will need to return the completed packet along with 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. After reviewing the documents, an urban bow hunting permit will be issued by MCPD. All deer harvested in a DMZ hunt must be sight checked and reported to IDNR.
