IOWA hunters - Can you rifle hunt coyote during deer season?

S

SDVmnt

New member
I'm originally from Iowa and my entire family deer hunts but I refuse to pay 350 bucks for a deer license. I have a hunting license that allows me to coyote hunt there. Is it illegal to carry a rifle with them during deer season if I'm just tagging along to snag a coyote?
 
I think you can but might not want to just cuz the DNR will give you so much crap about it,it would not be worth it. I would call the DNR and see what they say.
 
I am a hunter ed instructor and have heard our officer tell the class that he would not listen to anyone tell him he was hunting coyotes if he was with deer hunters and he had a high power.(shotgun only here) To me , this is not right legally because you could just as well be hunting rabbits with people hunting pheasants as hunting coyotes jumped and pushed out by deer hunters. I have set in the river bottom years ago with a shotgun with shot, waiting for fox that were moved my deer hunters. Better ask before hand if you can. SM
 
I doubt I'll go anyways. If I do it'll just be to get outside some more. I have a buck tag left over for archery yet and should be sitting in the [beeep] trees up here. Gets a bit solitary after doing it for 2 months straight though.

Thanks guys!
 
I carry a rifle and call during gun season. Not often, as there are too many crazy hunters out, but I usually focus on red fox in the open fields. I've only been stopped two times in my life by a gamewarden. One of them was during deer season, 3-4 years ago. I was in snow camo and sneaking up on a bedded red fox near a highway. The gamewarden turned around and sat at my jeep. I had my high power rifle and showed him my hunting license and furbearer license. He told me that he just needed to check that I wasn't deer hunting and told me to be safe with all the others out there...and away he went.

Tony
 
Quote:
Is it illegal to carry a rifle with them during deer season if I'm just tagging along to snag a coyote?





Yes
 
It is not against the law to carry a rifle during shotgun season. But If you get stopped by the dnr you will have to explain yourself really well. It is not against the law to be yote hunting during the shotgun season. But it scares the you know what out of me to be walking out to a call sight setting up and trying to get a yote to come in with everyone and there dog out deerhunting. Best to just stay at home and watch some football and stay warm.
 
pwking

No link and no time to search the Iowa code today. I'm sure it falls under the party hunting provisions which makes party hunting legal as long as no member of the party has an "illegal weapon", the same provision makes it illegal to have a rifle in your possesion or vehicle if you have a current tag for that season,even if you have tagged a deer because that tag is still legal for party hunting untill the end of that season. Make sense? If SD wants to tag along with a rifle he's setting himself up for hunting deer with a illegal weapon and also hunting deer without a license. BTW: It is legal to hunt with a rifle during deer season as long as you don't have a deer tag for that season. Just make sure you detach yourself or do not implicate yourself with other deer hunters in the field
 
Last edited:
Here's my understanding:

No radios during deer season.

I've never heard/read that you can't use dogs for coyote during deer season and my understanding is it is legal. I know for a fact you can bird hunt, coon hunt, squirrel hunt, etc. with dogs during deer season and coyote hunting isn't any different. Give me a link on this one.

You can have a rifle and hunt coyotes during deer season. We keep our highpower's in the truck in case we see a fox or coyote while out and about. You can not take part or in anyway be associated with deer hunters while in the field. No tagging along. That being said you could probably be on stand "near by" and be OK but it's really gonna depend on whatever officer you run into and their mood. I wouldn't take the chance. I'd still go yote hunting (and I will be during second season) but I'd keep my distance and wouldn't even stop to talk to many deer hunters while you're out.

CB
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top