As October begins, so does the bow-hunting season for the state of Iowa.

This season will be a busy one locally according to Washington County Conservation Director Steve Anderson. In two days the conservation office sold out of their 750 antlerless tags. Anderson says whitetail deer hunting has surpassed pheasant hunting in popularity as the Iowa Department of Natural Resources works to reduce the deer herd through the harvest of antlerless deer. Woodland hunting should be more enjoyable in Washington County as mosquito population is low, and there are significant crops of acorns and hickory nuts this year. Anderson says several of Washington County’s hunting areas provide excellent opportunities to harvest deer, though hunting pressure can run high at times. The first bow deer hunting season lasts
until December 1.