OTTUMWA — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is doing some hunting of its own.

Local conservation officers are looking for residents’ help in catching poachers and illegal hunters.

Matt Rush, conservation officer for Wapello and Davis counties, said poaching is very common this time of year, especially with deer. November is the peak of the rut and mature bucks are moving and vulnerable.

Among the most common violations are people hunting without licenses, hunting with guns instead of bow hunting and people hunting after dark. Licensed hunters cannot use a firearm until Dec. 1.

Rush said some hunters will shine spotlights on a field at night and quickly shoot a deer, then cut the head off the deer and leave the body behind. A few times a week, Rush said, he gets called out to a dead deer with its head removed laying in a field or near a road.

“It’s important to catch these people because [to get] a trophy white tail deer it may take as long as 10 years to grow those antlers. People who do it legally invest in hunting gear, time and effort,” he said. “That opportunity can be taken away from them in the amount of time it takes to pull a trigger.”

People come from out of state just to illegally hunt the white tail deer in southeast Iowa, Rush said.

“Our best tool is information from the public,” he said. Anyone who witnesses something out of the ordinary should call the DNR. If residents hear gun shots at night or see a vehicle shining spotlights on a field, they should report it, Rush said. Callers can remain anonymous and there are rewards offered by the DNR.

Chris Flynn, conservation Officer for Van Buren and Jefferson counties, said it’s been one of the busiest years in his 12 years on the job.

“They are stealing from the people who are doing it legally, and really stealing from everybody,” he said.

“It takes three years to draw a buck deer tag so we have a lot of issues with people who don’t want to wait the three years,” Flynn said.