IOWA NEWS: Marshalltown to Begin Urban Deer Hunting

The city of Marshalltown is reminding those interested in the upcoming deer hunt inside the city limits that some safety classes are coming up that are required for participation.

Permits will not go on sale until Aug. 26, but bow hunters wanting to hunt within the city limits will be required to take the Bow Hunter Safety Education course as well as pass a proficiency test. All classes being offered are between Aug. 15-25.

These are the only classes available for bow hunters between now and the beginning of the city's hunting season.

Because this is the first year bow hunting will be allowed, Terry Gray, director of the Marshalltown Parks & Recreation Department, said the city will be watching the entire process very closely.

"We really don't know what to expect," she said.

There are two ways to take the safety education course. The whole class can be taken on site or a portion of the course may be taken online and the second portion, the field day, can be taken at the on site class. A listing of the classes available can be found at www.iowadnr.gov.

None are available in Marshalltown at this time, and Gray said that might hurt participation a little bit. Most of the classes being offered are only the field day portion which requires the participant to take the online bow course. Early registration is recommended.

Any proficiency test by a certified International Education Foundation (IBEF/NBEF) instructor will be accepted. Proof is required. At this time, no test is available in Marshalltown.

Once a hunter has completed the course and proficiency test, a permit to hunt within the city limits must be obtained at the Marshalltown Parks and Recreation office. The permit fee costs $10.

The permit will then enable the hunter to get an urban hunting license available at the General Store, 116 E. Church St. There are 75 licenses available.

Additional deer hunting licenses will also be available around Marshalltown's perimeter.

The goal is to reduce the deer population inside the city.

"One thing we are doing is antlerless deer only," Gray said. "The bucks are the prize, but we are doing this to control the deer population. It's not for sport."

Source: Times Republican