CLEAR LAKE – Hunters reported harvesting 105,544 deer in Iowa for 2017, which is an increase of more than 4,100 deer from 2016. Iowa’s deer seasons closed on Jan. 10.
Most deer were harvested during the shotgun seasons.
Shotgun 1: 26,546 deer – 13,804 antlerless, 12,742 antlered
Shotgun 2: 19,921 deer – 12,326 antlerless, 7,595 antlered
Bow (does not include LOT or crossbow): 19,797 deer – 7,737 antlerless, 12,060 antlered
Landowners and tenants reported harvesting 7,376 antlerless deer and 3,785 antlered deer during the shogun seasons and 1,445 antlerless deer and 1,246 antlered deer during the bow season.
Overall harvest
105,544 deer in 2017, 101,397 in 2016 (increase of 4 percent)
57,522 antlerless deer in 2017, 56,010 in 2016 (increase of 3 percent)
47,992 antlered deer in 2017, 45,378 in 2016 (increase of 6 percent)
Media Contact: Tyler Harms, Biometrician, Wildlife Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-432-2823 ext 112.
2017 hunting, fishing license sales
In 2017, Iowa residents purchased…
Fishing
234,648 annual licenses
9,532 three-year licenses
8,293 lifetime fishing licenses
43,434 trout fees
8,415 third line licenses
1,082 seven-day licenses
2,881 one-day licenses
278 paddlefish licenses
46,389 fishing, hunting and habitat combination licenses
Hunting
24,734 annual licenses
2,416 hunting and habitat three-year licenses
2,980 lifetime hunting licenses
73,540 hunting and habitat annual combination licenses
893 apprentice (hunting and habitat) licenses
24,536 migratory game bird licenses
22,675 habitat fees
12,890 furharvest annual licenses age 16 and older
639 furharvest annual licenses age 15 and younger
607 furharvest and habitat annual combination licenses
297 lifetime furharvest licenses
Large Game
Deer
8,885 youth general deer, 370 antlerless deer licenses
271 disabled hunter general deer, 53 antlerless deer licenses
55,778 archery general deer, 22,262 antlerless deer licenses
7,533 early muzzleloader general deer, 1429 antlerless deer licenses
48,654 first shotgun general deer, 15,883 antlerless deer licenses
45,577 second shotgun general deer, 15,463 antlerless deer licenses
22,200 late muzzleloader general deer, 11,012 antlerless deer licenses
Turkey
6,050 spring bow licenses
16,492 spring gun/bow licenses seasons 1-3
14,263 spring gun/bow licenses season 4
5,686 spring youth gun/bow licenses
2,375 fall gun/bow
1,520 fall bow
Landowner-Tenant
Deer
77 youth general deer licenses, 46 antlerless deer licenses
5,202 archery general deer licenses, 5,269 antlerless deer licenses
1,320 early muzzleloader general deer licenses, 990 antlerless deer licenses
23,183 shotgun first and second season general deer licenses, 18,889 antlerless deer licenses
2,616 late muzzleloader general deer licenses, 4,269 antlerless deer licenses
Turkey
2,224 spring gun/bow season 1-3
1,958 spring gun/bow season 4
757 bow licenses
50 youth licenses
2,538 fall gun/bow
895 fall bow
In 2017, nonresidents purchased…
Fishing
21,246 annual licenses
2,266 seven-day licenses
12,405 three-day licenses
14,875 one-day licenses
5,371 trout fees
50 paddlefish licenses
Hunting
13,110 annual licenses age 18 and older
11,434 hunting and habitat annual combination licenses age 18 and older
15,875 habitat fees
2,869 migratory game bird fees
106 apprentice (hunting and habitat) licenses
59 furharvest annual licenses
44 furharvest and habitat annual combination licenses
