Deadline nears for deer hunters
Archery season to be held in Fort Dodge again
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Deer hunting with bow and arrows will again be allowed in parts of Fort Dodge this fall and winter.
A deadline is looming for hunters who want to participate.
The dates for the next hunt are Sept. 19 through Jan. 10, 2027. Those dates were approved by the City Council on March 23.
Hunters who want to participate must submit their application and accompanying documents to city officials by 4:30 p.m. Sept. 3.
The application can be found at www.fortdodge.gov/urbanbowhunt.
Prospective hunters must complete the International Bow Hunter Safety Education Course.
They must also pass an archery proficiency test. To schedule a test, contact Capt. Matt Lundberg with the Fort Dodge Police Department at (515) 573-1424.
All hunters must attend a meeting on Sept. 9 in the Municipal Building, 819 First Ave. S. Details of the meeting will be provided to hunters who submit applications to participate.
But hunting can only be done in areas that measure a minimum of 200 yards by 200 yards and have no buildings on them. Most of the property that meets those requirements is on the northern, eastern and western edges of the city.
Hunters are required to launch their arrows downward from a tree stand or other elevated position so that if an arrow misses a deer it will go into the ground.
The council approved hunting in the city limits in 2022 in response to many complaints over the years about deer eating up gardens and nearly causing crashes on the streets.
The first hunt began in the fall of 2023 and concluded in January 2024.