There were less deer for hunters this deer hunting season. Wes Gould, the Game Warden for Keokuk and Washington County, says hunters have reported seeing less deer than previous seasons. He says there are a number of reasons for the lower numbers. He thinks hunters have accomplished the state’s goal of lowering deer population by killing does. He says when you kill a doe, you actually reduce the herd by about three because of the likely offspring of that deer. Another reason Gould suspects is the harsh winter’s Iowa has had recently. He says aside from the harsh conditions which likely killed some deer, there is less food available in a harsh winter. He also says its harder to track deer this winter because of the lack of snow. Snow makes the deer easier to track and spot. He also credits heavy rain at the open of the shotgun deer season, making it harder for hunters to spot deer.