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(Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa hunters took more than109-thousand deer during the 2022 season. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says that's a seven percent increase over the previous year. The D-N-R says the deer harvest varied by region. North central and southeast regions saw increases. Far western and southwest counties saw a decline, due to recent outbreaks of E-H-D as well as due to Missouri River flooding.
The DNR credits the new Excess Tag January Antlerless Season for the increase.
“A lot of hunters chose to participate in the new season, and the harvest was on par or a little above the other firearms seasons,” said Jace Elliott, state deer biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “Hunters reported more than 2,500 deer taken during the Excess Tag January Antlerless Season, thanks, in part, to favorable weather across the state.”
Overall, hunters tagged deer at a rate of 30-35 percent which is similar to previous years, for a total reported harvest of more than 109,600 deer.