The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is conducting its annual nighttime spring spotlight survey to monitor the state’s deer and furbearer populations. The survey, which runs from mid-March through April, helps track population trends and guide wildlife management decisions. DNR staff drive two 25-mile routes per county an hour after sunset, scanning fields, prairies, woodlots, and other habitats with spotlights to count animals. Survey conditions, like low wind, high humidity, and above-freezing temperatures, are kept as consistent as possible to ensure reliable data. Initially launched in the late 1970s to monitor raccoons, the survey now includes deer and other furbearer species, such as otters and badgers. Survey results will be posted this summer at www.iowadnr.gov.
