Iowa Late Season Muzzleloader Season Begins Dec. 21
Category: press release
Dec 16th, 2009 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Dec 16th, 2009 at 12:00 AM
CHARITON – Iowa’s late muzzleloader deer hunting season begins Dec. 21, and it is the final season where a hunter may harvest an antlered deer. The season ends on Jan. 10, 2010.
Hunters who hunted in the early muzzleloader season or one of the two shotgun seasons with an any-deer license are eligible to purchase an antlerless-only license for the late muzzleloader season. Party hunting is not allowed in the late muzzleloader season.
License holders for the youth deer season with an any-deer license who did not harvest a deer are eligible to use the license and unused tag during the late muzzleloader season. The youth hunter may use a muzzleloading rifle or bow, and must be under the direct supervision of an adult mentor.
In 2008, hunters purchased more than 38,000 licenses and harvested nearly 11,000 deer, with does making up 58 percent of the season total.
If an antlered deer is taken, hunters are reminded to place the transportation tag on the deer antler, preferably on the beam either at the base or between two points.
Hunters are required to wear blaze orange and to report their harvest using the harvest reporting system by midnight the day after the deer is recovered. Accurately reporting the kill is an important part of the deer management program in Iowa. Hunters can report their deer on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov, by calling the toll-free reporting number 1-800-771-4692, or at any license vendor. For hunters with internet access, the online reporting is the easiest way to register the deer.