Iowa City Group Files Petition Against Urban Bow Hunt

The first Iowa City urban bow hunt is scheduled for October 1-January 10, but one group of concerned citizens is trying to stop it.

According to KCRG, Iowa City Deer Friends (ICDF) is opposed to the hunt for a variety of reasons, and they've filed a petition ahead of it. They start by pointing out that the reported goal of deer density numbers was achieved last winter, and say they want a revamp of what they call the "extremely lax" regulations and licensing requirements that they believe pose a safety risk to the public. The group is asking the city to first try the "less invasive" methods they committed to previously.

Laurie Crawford, a member of ICDF said:

The hunt rules allow for hunters to shoot very close to adjacent properties, and then follow wounded deer through neighboring yards in order to kill the deer, effectively guaranteeing there will be strangers with weapons entering private properties without permission

When you put it like that, it does sound dangerous, and they'd like time to coordinate with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR] for more humane ways to curb the deer population. She put out fighting words to the DNR saying they are only concerned with selling licenses and bringing in revenue, so we'll see how that meeting on more humane methods pans out.

The Des Moines law firm Dickey, Campbell & Sahag is spearheading this petition to stop Iowa City's first urban deer hunt after their filing with Johnson County.