I just got a call from the water works park here in des moines IA. saying I can come in and harvest doe' s. I was wondering if anyone had any tips on hunting in urban area' s or noticed any differances?

You should have some great opportunities because they don' t open these areas like this unless there' s an overpopulation of deer in there. Your biggest obstacle will probably be trying to overcome the temptation to shoot the bucks that you' ll probably see (given the facts of: the RUT, the deer are mature and less concerned about people, its IOWA!)

However, the deer will quickly find out what you' re up to and you' ll find that deer that show no fear of walking around in people' s back yards with people nearby will turn into skittish creatures when you set foot in their territory.

I have hunted in a park. You will find a mix. Some deer are used to a human presence and won' t spook much. And there will be the deer that are deeper in the woods and don' t see humans often. They will be more skittish.

Here' s my advice:
1. Ask the guys who work there to give you information as to where they have been seeing the most deer or where they see deer coming into their property. This can save you a lot of time and put you right on the deer.

2. If you will have permission to hunt this land on a consistent basis, then I' d recommend baiting if that is legal in your state/zone.

I cant bait but I think thats a real good idea to talk to the park ranger' s, who would know better than them. Thanks for your suggestions. Hopefully I can fill the freezer with a fat doe out of the park and just trophy hunt the rest of the year.