FORT DODGE, Iowa — Editors note: The above video originally aired in May 2022.
Licensed archers will be able to participate in Fort Dodge's first-even urban deer hunting season next year.
Fort Dodge City Council approved an ordinance allowing for licensed hunters to use bows on deer within city limits for the 2023 hunting season Monday.
All participants are required to be an adult with proven bow and arrow shot proficiency, according to city documents.
Here are some other key points listed in the ordinance:
- Eight acres (360,000 sq. feet) is the minimum property size for hunting
- Only elevated shots of 25 yards (75 feet) or less are permitted
- Citizens can't place or allow a salt or mineral block to be placed outside in order to attract deer
The deer-hunt ordinance was approved by a 4-3 vote after two prior readings.
City Council person Cameron Nelson, representing Ward 2, says the rules still need to be tweaked to ease the worry of opponents.
The plan itself would have to be approved by Iowa DNR in May 2023. Fort Dodge would be the 26th municipality in Iowa with a controlled urban bow hunting ordinance.
If accepted, the first in-town deer hunt would begin Sept. 16, 2023 and end Jan. 7, 2024.