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Site Updated: 02/19/2012
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January 25, 2012 How is everybody today? Are you going into whitetail withdrawal? Me too. Our state newspaper had a decent article on Iowa deer hunting last Sunday. It didn't really tell us anything new, the article just reinforced what we all already know. I hope I understand the intent of some of the statements, if I miss the point, please let me know. I especially liked the point about governor's tags. Why do we need to distribute them to promote Iowa? Governor's tags should be for used "by the Governor". Right now I believe they are distributed by some committee on behalf of the State...I think. With all the hunting shows you would have to live in cave or under a rock not to know that Iowa is king for trophy whitetails. I don't remember the numbers from the article but it was clear to me who foots the bill and that is Iowa residents. I say good. I want us to always have control. The amount of property we all have to hunt is dwindling fast, especially with the price of corn and soybeans. One of my colleagues told me during his late season muzzleloader hunting that he hunted a hedge row one week, went back the next week and the hedge row was gone. I am glad our farming friends are making good money right now but it just furthers my point that we don't need any more pressure from out of state money buying ground to hunt for their nonresident license. The available licenses are just right to me. I think that number is around 6000.True economic development occurs when people move to Iowa, build a house and buy land so they can deer hunt. I say thank you to those people because they are living their dream and they've added a few dollars to the tax base in the county in which they have chosen to live and hunt. That sort of economic development is significantly greater than issuing more nonresident deer licenses. I checked DNR's website today and it indicated about 118,000 whitetails registered to date. That seems like a lot to me. Remember to call, e-mail or write your legislator. It is important to engage them to move the management strategies in the direction you want. One last thing, I heard this year (I did not check the regulations) that if a nonresident buys an antlerless tag during shotgun season that party hunting applies to that tag. My first thought was "Are you effin kidding me? So that is how the sneaks are getting around the desire to issue more nonresident deer tags". I don't know if it is a fact, I just offer it to you so you can check for yourself. I hope it isn't. If it is, talk to your legislator to close that loophole. Good grief! |
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