Deer season opens, Elks ask for hide donations

MT. PLEASANT — Henry County Conservation Department asks hunters to donate deer hides in partnership with Elks Lodge’s Veterans Leather Program as gun deer hunting season begins.

According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, “Iowa’s most popular hunting seasons … when more than 100,000 blaze orange clad hunters will be walking, posting, sitting and standing in Iowa’s timber and field edges hoping to tag an Iowa deer. The first deer gun season is Dec. 2-6; the second deer gun season is Dec. 9-17.”

“The gun seasons are the most popular of all of our hunting seasons, a lot of great tradition and memories are made during this time,” Iowa DNR Deer Biologist Jace Elliott said. “These two seasons also play an important role for our deer herd management with more than 50 percent of the total harvest typically occurring during these 14 days in December.”

A news release from the Iowa DNR states that hunters reported harvesting 109,600 deer in 2022 and Elliot expects similar numbers this year.

“So far in 2023, more than 25,000 deer have been harvested, which is slightly higher than each of the last two years’ harvest up to this point,” the news release said.

“Based on the reported harvest from our earlier seasons, we are expecting a similar harvest total again this year,” Elliot said. “Data from our population surveys suggest there should be just as much, if not more, opportunity to harvest deer as past years in most regions of Iowa.”

In anticipation of a successful hunting season to come, Elks Lodge asks hunters to consider donating the hides from fruitful hunts to benefit veterans.

“Last year hunters across Iowa donated more than 4,500 deer hides to Elks Lodges,” Henry County Conservation Department shared as they asked for donations. “This was an increase of nearly 600 hides from the 2022 season. Deer hides are used by the Veterans Leather Program to make professionally crafted leather gloves for veterans in wheelchairs. The deer hides are also turned into leather used for therapy programs for recovering veterans.”

According to the Elks website, “The Veterans Leather Program relies on the charity of hunters across the nation to donate hides so they can be turned into leather used for therapy programs for recovering veterans. Leather is also used to provide professionally-crafted gloves for veterans in wheelchairs, which are distributed at veterans adaptive sports clinics and gatherings throughout the country.”

Iowa Elks Association states that some of therapeutic benefits of the Veterans Leather Program come from giving veterans something to do to keep their minds active as well as provide exercise for injured and unused muscles for those at VA facilities, State Veteran Homes, nursing homes, veterans shelters, or veterans attending Elks Lodge events.

According to the Elks National Veterans Service Commission’s Veterans Leather Program instructional guide, this program began in 1948 when the Elks of California launched a hide-gathering program in their state during hunting season.

Much like they are collected now, hides were initially collected at central points in the state, shipped, treated and tanned for use nationwide.

Fairfield Elks Lodge member Rich Metcalf and his son Logan Metcalf have taken a special interest in this program offered by the Elks.

According to the Lodge, Rich and his crew salted over 750 hides last winter locally before shipping them to the centralized Veterans Leather Location for use by veterans across the country.

Those wishing to donate hides in Southeast Iowa can do so at the following locations:

Nelson Company, Fairfield

Fastenal/Kinney & Sons, Mt. Pleasant

Oakland Mills Nature Center, by the shop

Libertyville Co-op

Four-way corner, Packwood

Keosauqua Lumber, Keosauqua

Old Lumber Yard, Stockport

Across from BP, Batavia

Bass Storage, Birmingham

For additional information or a tax deductible receipt for donations in the area, contact Rich Metcalf at (641) 919-7951

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com

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