HANDGUNS: Any pistol or revolver with a barrel length of at least four inches and a straight wall or other medium-fire ammunition that feeds an expanding bullet with a diameter of not less than 0.350 inches and not more than 0.500 inches and with a published or calculated muzzle energy of 500 pounds or more is legal for deer hunting during pistol or revolver season. The typical small-caliber ammunition of the AR-15 was historically considered too small to hunt deer. A spreadsheet produced by Bass Pro Shops, a major gun and ammunition retailer, says the ammunition is capable of killing small predators such as coyotes at long range, but is not suitable for deer. The culling of Trott is a population control measure. Some counties with lower deer populations do not have antler-free permits. Others, especially in northeastern and southeastern Iowa, may have more than a thousand. Iowa has had deer hunting seasons in January in the past, but they were limited to a few counties where the deer population was a major concern. Prichard said his home was close enough to the outskirts of town that such guns fired from hunting grounds near Charles City could put his family within range of bullets fired by such weapons. January deer hunting has long been used by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to control the state`s deer population and combat diseases, namely chronic wasting disease, a neurological disease that kills deer. A person 20 years of age or younger may not hunt deer with a pistol or revolver unless accompanied and supervised throughout the hunt by a responsible person holding a valid hunting licence and at least 21 years of age, with the consent of a parent, guardian or spouse at least 21 years of age. The responsible person with a valid hunting licence, who is at least 21 years old, is responsible for transporting the pistol or revolver, while the pistol or revolver is not actively used for hunting. The Iowa Deer Exchange is a free online database in www.iowadnr.gov/deerhunting where deer hunters who want to provide game can connect with Iowans who want game. Hunters enter their information into the database, including their location.

Recipients choose the condition in which they want to have the meat when they register – boneless, whole (quartered), quartered, frozen, dried/sausage or whatever, and in what quantity. They also determine how long their registration is open and can opt out at any time by contacting the Iowa DNR. The harvest declaration system assigns the hunter a confirmation number, which must be written on the label of the harvest report and attached to the animal`s leg. Otherwise, it may be a summons for an administrative offence. If you are taking deer, elk, moose or caribou to an area endemic to CWD, you can only bring back the flesh, boneless skin (cape) and antlers. The antlers can only be attached to a clean skull plate, from which the entire brain and connective tissue have been removed. Animals taken outside of designated CWD areas may be transported in any other lawful manner. The new legislation, had it been in effect last year, would have increased the number of counties with January hunts to 15, according to DNR. That`s because counties with leftover female deer licenses must offer them in January. Deer hunting with AR-15 rifles is allowed in other states. Many states have restrictions on when they can be used and regulate the type of ammunition allowed. „In Iowa, hunting snails and, in some cases, medium-fire large-caliber rifles have proven effective in deer hunting,“ Stone wrote.

„The smallest .223 bullets could cause more injuries to animals. In addition, the AR 15 guns` high-performance magazines can trick some hunters into shooting too fast or shooting animals in vain – instead of taking the time to aim carefully in an attempt to kill in a single shot. This increases the danger. General deer hunting licences are valid across the country during the season chosen by the hunter at the time of licence purchase. General deer licences apply to the removal of deer of both sexes for all counties except those listed. A hunter may hold a general deer licence for the bow season and a general deer licence for one of the following seasons: Early Morderleloader, Late Morderleloader, Shotgun Season 1 or Shotgun Season 2. Exceptions: l The dress code, trapping method and all other deer hunting regulations applicable during the regular deer season apply during the youth season when deer are hunted with a firearm. 1 Young hunters may hunt with a handgun only under the direct supervision of a licensed adult who is at least 21 years of age. Only 2 muzzle-loading guns.

3 Woodless Seniors (65 years and older) National Crossbow Permit only during bow season. 4 No person shall carry a handgun while hunting with a bow plate unless you have an unfilled transport medal for a season that allows handguns to be carried or a valid licence. 5 Resident hunters only. 6 See more details above.7 If licenses are available. Resident hunters can obtain the following types of deer permits: Thus, the new law would essentially allow the use of smaller .223 caliber cartridges for deer. Hunters harvesting a deer or wild turkey must report the harvest to the DNR before midnight the day after labelling, or before they are taken into a trap or taxidermist, or before processing them for consumption, or before they are transported out of state, whichever comes first. The hunter whose name appears on the shipping label is responsible for preparing the report. If no animals are harvested, no notification is required. Failure to report or misrepresentation may result in an offence and possible loss of hunting privileges.

A non-ambulatory resident of Iowa may obtain a general deer license, which can be used to hunt deer during any designated deer hunting season using the removal method for that season until the permit is completed. A person who obtains this permit may obtain any other deer hunting licence to which he or she is entitled. Applications for non-changeable licence permits are available online at www.iowadnr.gov/hunting then under Licensing and Legislation or at one of the regional or county offices, or by calling MNR at 515-725-8200. Upon approval and submission of the permit application to the DNR, non-ambulatory hunters may obtain this special permit from any ELSI officer. There is no fee to measure or submit entries for the Iowa Book of Records. Due to shrinkage to varying degrees, the frame must be air dried for at least 60 days after the date of killing before it can be officially measured. There is no time limit to how long has passed since the deer was killed for measurement or inclusion in Iowa records. The scoring system used for the Iowa records is identical to that of the Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young clubs, but the minimum qualifying results differ from those of these national clubs. Iowa Prize certificates are awarded in ten classes. The classes with a minimum of points for each are as follows: Charles City`s Democratic Representative, Todd Prichard, a former active U.S. Army soldier and now a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, opposed the bill.

He noted that the AR-15 rifles approved for hunting were similar to those he had been trained for in the military, and that ammunition approved in the bill can travel up to 2 1/2 miles. Why would lawmakers want hunters to hunt deer with an AR-15? Well, the truth is that the state already allows it. The return of white-tailed deer as the primary game species to Iowa is a tribute to good landowner breeding and advanced management, research, and law enforcement programs. Similarly, responsibility for the future of the Iowa deer depends on cooperation between hunters and landowners, conservation of critical forest habitats, legal support, and ongoing professional management of the resource. In online articles dealing with the debate over AR-15 rifles for deer hunting, this is referred to as „spray and pray“ hunting. Obviously not ethically. This year, in the final hours of the legislature, a bill on hunting license fees and poaching fines was quickly and quietly amended to add language allowing the use of AR-15 semi-automatic rifles firing .223 caliber cartridges for deer hunting during a January season without antlers. Permits for the new season come from all unused deer hunting licenses left by the regular deer hunting season. It quickly passed the House of Representatives and now awaits action from Governor Kim Reynolds.

In 2017, the legislature approved a bill allowing Iowa deer hunters to hunt with rifles with straight cartridges. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources website, cartridges must be .350 and .500 caliber. Neither bigger nor smaller. Rifles can be semi-automatic or single-shot.