Photo by Ron Sinfelt

As I sat in an endless meeting, the clock crept toward 4 p.m. Finally, it adjourned. Within seconds I was on my way to some land located roughly halfway between work and home.

I pulled coveralls over my dress clothes and a blaze orange vest over my jacket, and dropped a slug into my compact single-shot Topper shotgun. In only a half-hour the January sun would set over a snowy world.

It was 10 degrees below zero. I knew a herd of does had been bedding down near a fenceline where they'd catch the afternoon sun's warmth. Fortunately, a snowy knob let me sneak to within 90 yards of the spot. I peeked over the snow to discover a big doe eyeing me from her bed. She stared just long enough for me to settle the 12-gauge shotgun on a split-rail fence in anticipation of a shot. The accuracy of the rifled shotgun, combined with an accurate slug, put the deer down instantly.

In less than an hour I had the doe home, skinned, and stowed in a cold corner of my basement where it could age for a few days before butchering. The January deer bore a special late-season antlerless tag. It was my fourth deer of a season that had stretched from the balmy days of the October muzzleloading season to January's bone chilling cold. In just three full months I'd shot more deer than my deer-hunting father-in-law shot in a lifetime.

Dad's hunting ability wasn't at fault. In his day, deer were scarce, and seasons were short and restrictive; just spotting a set of tracks or catching a fleeting glimpse of waving tail could be the measure a successful hunting day. Fortunately, those days have passed. Iowa hunters had an amazing 2003 deer season. Few believed that 2004 could possibly be better -- but that's exactly what happened. And this fall looks as if it'll be just as good. The golden age of deer hunting is under way right now, and hunters have never had so many opportunities to enjoy their sport.

"I don't expect big changes in the 2005 regulations, and we're sticking with our long term goal of reducing the state herd slightly to reduce crop damage and auto collisions," said Iowa Department of Natural Resources deer biologist Willie Suchy. "We've also set the regulations and are seeking hunter cooperation in an effort to improve the quality of the state's bucks."

That's saying a lot. For many years Iowa has produced more record-book bucks than any other state, and Suchy is optimistic that it will get even better. "I have heard from hunters who believe they are seeing more older deer. It's important for them to continue to let the yearling bucks grow, and to shoot does. A good goal for a hunter is to not shoot any more bucks than does," said Suchy.

For the past few seasons, recently retired IDNR wildlife chief Richard Bishop has put a short article in the deer hunting regulations asking hunters to harvest more does to help the state management plan and put delicious meat on tables.

"Hunters have taken the message to heart. They are buying plentiful doe tags, shooting more and more does, and discovering how good they are to eat," said Matt Schrantz, a dedicated deer hunting and manager of the Cedar Rapids Fin and Feather Store.