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The hunting and trapping seasons will soon be upon us. Here are some highlights and changes for the upcoming 2023-24 seasons as listed on page 6 of the recently published 2023-24 Hunting Regulation Booklet.

The Iowa Legislature passed a law allowing landowners or tenants to dispatch raccoons causing damage to their agricultural property, outside of city limits. Landowners may shoot or trap raccoons, skunks, groundhogs and opossum using cage or dog-proof traps. Landowners do not need to notify the DNR before shooting or trapping.

The Iowa DNR approved rules to allow for year-round hunting and trapping of raccoons on private land. While the raccoon season will be continuously open, during the time of year outside of the furharvester season, only firearms, cage traps or dog-proof traps are legal methods of take. During the furharvester season, trappers may use other lawful traps normally allowed during the trapping season.

The regular furharvester season has been extended one month, now closing Feb. 28.

The antlerless deer quota for Tama County remains at 300 and 325 for Benton.

There is a new requirement for deer hunters. Successful deer hunters are required to measure the main beam length of each antler when they report their harvest. This and other data collected from the harvest reporting system helps biologists manage the state deer herd.

The additional reporting requirement of antler main beam length has been added to provide buck age-structure information in our annual harvest. Using statewide data collected from ISU, we were able to isolate a threshold in which a single antler measurement (14” main beam length) can be used to determine whether harvested bucks were 1.5 years or 2.5+ years old with a >90% certainty. Starting this season, hunters that have successfully harvested an antlered buck will be required to report whether each antler was either (<14") or (14+“). A 7” ruler will be printed on the back of all new harvest tags to make in-the-field measuring easier on hunters.

All licensed hunters pursuing migratory game birds are required to register for the Harvest Information Program (HIP) either through the Go Outdoors Iowa app on their smartphone or through a link at the DNR website. Non-licensed youth hunters are not required. Migratory game birds include doves, ducks, geese, coots, woodcock and snipe.

A tissue sample collected in mid-June from a road killed adult buck deer in Marshall County has tested positive for chronic wasting disease. With the addition of Marshall County, 260 deer have tested positive in 16 Iowa counties since 2013.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has scheduled two meetings to update the public on chronic wasting disease surveillance and management efforts in Jasper, Marshall and Grundy counties.

Meetings are scheduled for Baxter, Aug. 29, 7 p.m., Baxter Public Library, 202 E State Street and Wellsburg, Oct. 10, 7 p.m., Wellsburg Memorial Building, 501 N Adams Street.

“Hunters and landowners play vital roles in the successful management of this disease in Iowa,” said Tyler Harms, biometrician for the Iowa DNR. “These meetings are an opportunity for local hunters, landowners, and citizens to learn more about chronic wasting disease, what the DNR is doing to monitor and manage the disease in Iowa, and, most importantly, to ask questions.”

At a minimum, Harms said the tissue collection goal will be increased in Marshall County from the current 15-20 deer samples to 100 or more in the coming year.

“Our hunters are an important partner in managing and monitoring this disease,” said Steve Woodruff, wildlife biologist with the Iowa DNR’s Iowa River Wildlife Unit. “Hunters provide the tissue samples we need to determine to what extent the disease is on the landscape in Marshall County and elsewhere in Iowa.”

Local DNR staff will be reaching out to hunters to arrange for sample collection as the seasons get underway, Woodruff said.

Chronic wasting disease is a neurological disease belonging to the family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases. It attacks the brain of infected deer causing the animal to lose weight, display abnormal behavior, lose body functions and die. It is always fatal to the infected animal.

To learn more about chronic wasting disease, including the DNR surveillance and management efforts, visit https://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Deer-Hunting/Deer-Health/Chronic-Wasting-Disease