Rate of Iowa Roadway Deer Kills Declines

The rate of Iowa roadway deer kills has declined to figures not seen since the 1980s, and hunters are getting much of the credit.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that in 2011, the rate was 570 deer killed per billion miles driven in Iowa, a slightly higher rate than in 2010.

But Department of Natural Resources statistics say that before 2010, 1986 was the last year in which the rate was lower than 600 per billion miles driven.

About 10 years ago the state raised the number of tags for antlerless deer, which encouraged hunters to shoot more female deer. Iowa DNR spokesman Joe Wilkinson says that reduced the number of deer in the state and the number of deer collisions with vehicles.