Iowa’s Deer Hunting History
Iowa’s Deer Hunting History
If these trees could talk, I am sure they could tell us of a history of Iowa that would amaze us! The animals that once used to be part of Iowa’s ecosystem, not only whitetail deer, but elk, bison, bear, wolves, mountain lions, and more! Where did they all go? Will they ever come back? Why did they leave?
Sadly, you and I will probably never witness what our native grounds contained two hundred years ago when settlers first started crossing the territory that would become the great state of Iowa. What lived here then will never be the same. However, we can be thankful for the people who stepped in and saved what they could. One of these species being the whitetail deer.
Iowa became a state in the union on December 28, 1846 making it the 29th official state in the United States of America. Now, that does not mean settlers were not making their homes here prior to that date. People had been living on the Iowa prairies and in its timbers for years prior. By making these areas their homes, they also began to use its natural resources in order to live. Hunting was a way of life. To feed your family, there was not a local grocery store to visit. Animals were plentiful in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. Settlers took advantage of that as a viable and necessary resource to survive on.
As more and more people began to settle the territory, the abundant resources began to dwindle. What was commonly seen living in Iowa’s natural setting began to be seen less and less. Not only were animals hunted for food, but many were hunted simply for their hides. Fur markets were in big demand and hides and leather could be used in exchange for necessary supplies that families needed to make a life on the frontier. In other terms, hides became currency.
Trade with Native Americans also drove the need for hides. Many fur traders made their way up Iowa rivers in search of markets. They would bring new and interesting goods to groups who lived in this new territory to use. Guns, black powder, beads, cloth, and much more were welcomed by Native Americans and thus, native Iowa animals were seen as more of an important resource. Not only were they harvested for food, they were now harvested for monetary value.
This, as you can imagine, moved people to a different state of mind. The growing value of Iowa’s species caused over harvest and pressure that could not be sustained. Elk and bison were hunted to near extinction in Iowa’s timbers and prairies. Our coveted whitetail deer were in the same boat.
As animals became scarce, people with conservation oriented thinking stepped in to make an effort to protect what was left for future generations. In 1856, Iowa passed its first “conservation” law prohibiting the hunting of deer from February 1st to July 15th. As deer numbers continued to dwindle, Iowa had to take more drastic measures.
Sixteen years later, Iowa extended the hunting restriction dates in 1872. The deer season was now closed from January 1st to September 15. As Iowa continued to watch and take count of the deer population, it still declined. By 1898, Iowa’s legislature completely closed deer hunting year round. Whitetail deer, like elk, bison, and bear, were on the verge of becoming yet another big game animal to lose its population to new inhabitants of Iowa’s land.
For a number of years, Iowa was at a standstill for deer hunting. You could bet that there were still folks who operated outside the state’s laws and regulations continuing to harvest venison when they needed it. However, for the most part, Iowa was giving the native whitetails a chance to repopulate their herds.
After Iowa’s legal whitetail season was officially closed, the numbers were so low that growth was slow and not gaining much momentum. It was during those years that a couple “blessings in disguise” happened that really gave a boost to the wild herds that could be found in Iowa’s natural habitat.
Some of the settlers in Iowa, over the years, had the wisdom to start their own personal deer herds. Much like having a herd of cattle, settlers turned the whitetail into a sustainable agricultural resource. It was from these captive herds that deer sometimes escaped their enclosures and began to live with local wild herds of deer. The first documented escape of deer was in 1894 when 35 whitetails escaped from a farm herd owned by William Cuppy of Avoca, Iowa. The next largest boost happened in the 1920’s when 60 deer escaped a farm in Washington county. The Singmaster farm’s loss helped establish a herd of deer that began to survive near and along the Skunk River.
Iowa also was active is transplanting deer from other states in an effort to start healthy deer herds again here in Iowa. In 1928, two deer were purchased from Minnesota and were released in Boone county at Ledges State Park. As this herd continued to grow and prosper, deer were taken and transplanted into other counties in the state through the 1940’s in efforts to have thriving whitetail populations across the state of Iowa once again.
The first estimate in deer numbers was released by the DNR in 1936 counting 500-700 whitetail deer statewide in Iowa. In 1947, another count was conducted and showed a total population of 1,650 found in 58 different Iowa counties. By 1950, deer herd counts listed the population at almost 13,000 deer as a result of protection from hunting and favorable habitat conditions. And, by 1952, Iowa was able to reopen its hunting season with some restrictions.
The deer population had finally made its comeback. The momentum had begun and the herd was thriving and growing rapidly. So much so that Iowa had a new problem resulting from growing populations. The problem, agricultural damage.
Farmers began to complain about dense deer populations and the damage that they were incurring. Iowa’s DNR had to now contend with a new problem, too many deer! Which, in my opinion, is a better problem to have!
In 1952, Iowa reopened the deer season. That year, only 45 counties had huntable deer populations. The season lasted for 5 days and around 4,000 deer were harvested by Iowa hunters. The DNR required that deer be tagged and they payed careful attention to other factors as well. The DNR was proud to announce that during the reopening of the sport, there were no fatal incidents with hunters, there was no livestock or property damage, and farmers permitted many of the hunters onto their grounds in an effort to fill deer tags.
Checking stations revealed that the deer were in great physical condition when officially processed by the DNR. The largest buck, that year weighed 271 pounds. Most bucks weighed well over 200 pounds. The hunting season continued year after year with the DNR choosing carefully, harvest numbers that would allow the herd to grow and allow hunters to be a part of the sport they loved.
Currently, deer numbers in Iowa are at a VERY healthy number. Iowa has become one of the premier whitetail hunting destinations in the United States. The Iowa deer have gained the reputation of being some of the biggest deer a hunter will ever harvest. Iowa buck harvests have produced some of the largest bucks in the history of our country. Because of that, out-of-state hunter’s dollars have been a huge boost to the Iowa economy bringing in millions of dollars each year.
Iowa’s most recent population estimate for whitetail deer is right at 445,000 in 2020. Last year’s harvest totals (2019-2020) reported that 109,544 deer had been harvested during the Iowa deer seasons. This included bow, muzzleloader, and shotgun/rifle/pistol seasons.
As you can see, Iowa is doing just fine!
So, this fall, as you experience the excitement of your hunt, just remember, we almost lost this state treasure! Be thankful for those who put in the hard work to grow this natural resource. Good luck!
By Ryan Graden
December 2021
