Hunting in Iowa: 5 Animals To Hunt in the Winter

Hunting in Iowa during the winter months can be a delightful and yet challenging experience for many hunters. The winters are cold with many days of freezing temperatures which minimizes the time hunters can comfortably stay outdoors. However, hunting in Iowa during the winter also helps to break that cabin fever syndrome that many people face during the colder months.

Hunting during the winter also often makes it easier to spot game, as the tracks are easier to see in the snow. Eric Nestor of Wide Open Spaces described the benefits of snowfall creating a clean background, which makes it easy to distinguish tracks and droppings of specific animals.

According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), there are a good variety of species for those who wish to enjoy hunting in Iowa during the winter months. Here are five of the species that are available for hunters to target:

ALERT: Should Obama Have More Control Over Guns? Vote Now

1. Feral Hogs
Feral hogs are any species of hogs that roam freely on either public or private land that are not wearing an identification ear tag or other marker. It is legal to kill these animals on sight when the hogs are on public land or the private property of the hunter. It is not legal to trespass on private land in order to kill a feral hog.

2. Deer
Archery season for hunting deer starts in the first part of October and runs until the first part of December. The previous January antlerless deer season has been eliminated.

3. Cottontail Rabbit
Hunters are able to legally take these rabbits starting the end of August through the end of February.

4. Crow
There are two season for hunting crow. The first season begins mid-October and runs until the end of November. The second season begins mid-January and winds up at the end of March.

5. Raccoon
The season for trapping raccoons starts at the beginning of November and lasts until the end of January.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

VOTE NOW: Is Iowa Sen. Jodi Ernst Doing a Good Job?

Related Stories:

• Hunting in Vermont: 4 Animals to Hunt in the Winter
• Hunting in Wisconsin: 4 Animals to Hunt in the Winter