OneCam
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Provided by Willie Suchy ...
Conservation officers have expressed concerns over the use of the optional nonresident antlerless-only licenses during the archery season. They have been receiving increased numbers of reports of hunters and outfitters using these licenses to circumvent the 6,000 quota for nonresident licenses. They made several cases this fall but feel that they have only been able to scratch the surface of the problem.
Their concerns prompted the wildlife staff to do a detailed analysis and comparison of the harvest statistics for nonresidents and residents during the various seasons. This revealed some differences in harvest rates that are difficult to explain without questioning how these licenses are actually being used in Iowa.
• Harvest rates for nonresidents with either-sex licenses is 52% and 55% during the archery and late muzzleloader seasons respectively. These are hunters with one of the 6,000 either-sex licenses. They are also required to purchase a mandatory antlerless only license. The harvest report rate on the mandatory antlerless licenses was 21% during the archery season and 31% during the late muzzleloader season.
• Harvest rates for nonresident hunters with the optional antlerless-only licenses is 12% and 20% during the archery and late muzzleloader seasons respectively. These are hunters with one of the 3,500 antlerless only licenses.
• Harvest success for resident antlerless-only licenses is 35% and 32% during the archery and late muzzleloader seasons respectively. Fifty five percent of resident archers with at least 1 antlerless license reported at least one deer.
The nonresident harvest rate for the optional antlerless-only licenses is sharply lower than harvest rates for other nonresidents and that of resident hunters holding the same type of licenses. Typically we would expect nonresidents to have an equal or higher harvest success rate than resident hunters since they typically pay more to come and hunt. The above data suggests that nonresident hunters holding the optional archery or late muzzleloader antlerless-only licenses are not successful or that they are not reporting their harvest. It seems unlikely that it is harder to kill an antlerless deer than it is an antlered deer so it is doubtful that the actual kill rate is lower. It also seems unlikely that hunters with antlerless licenses are less likely to report their harvest. Therefore it seems more likely that they are motivated by something other than the desire to harvest an antlerless animal.
If we hypothesize that 90% of the legal kill was reported this would be the 120 deer reported. If success rates were actually equal to resident hunters (35%) then only 343 (120 = 12% of 343) of out of the 963 nonresident archery hunters who purchased the optional antlerless license obtained these licenses for legitimate reasons. Legitimate in this case means to take an antlerless deer. This implies that approximately 2/3rds of the hunters purchased these tags for some other reason.
There are several assumptions used in the above calculations however it is hard to find a good reason for the harvest rates to be so vastly different unless the hunters with these licenses do not want to report that they were here. Maybe it is that nonresident hunters with the antlerless only licenses are less motivated. However when we look at the shotgun seasons which are shorter and we find success rates for the 2 types of licenses are very similar.
• Harvest rates for the optional nonresident antlerless-only licenses is 51% and 50% during the Shotgun 1 and 2 seasons respectively.
If we make the same hypothesis for the shotgun season, 90% of the legal kill was reported (51%) and success rates were equal to resident hunters (58%) then 98% of nonresident hunters who purchased the optional antlerless license for the shotgun seasons appear to have been hunting for legitimate reasons.
Based upon this analysis and the recommendations from Conservation Officers the wildlife bureau made the following recommendations to the Natural Resources Committee in November of 2007. They approved the first part and it was adopted as the final rule at their February meeting. The second proposal was sent to the Iowa legislature but was not acted upon.
PROPOSAL:
• Shift the optional nonresident antlerless-only licenses out of the Archery and Late Muzzleloader seasons and make them available during the Shotgun Seasons 1 & 2. This season shift should increase the antlerless harvest from about 150 animals (archery and late muzzleloader harvest) to approximately 550-600 antlerless deer.
• Emphasize the need to increase the overall nonresident quota for Any Deer licenses to help compensate for the reduction in recreational opportunities caused by shifting the optional nonresident antlerless-only licenses out of the Archery and Late Muzzleloader seasons.
Conservation officers have expressed concerns over the use of the optional nonresident antlerless-only licenses during the archery season. They have been receiving increased numbers of reports of hunters and outfitters using these licenses to circumvent the 6,000 quota for nonresident licenses. They made several cases this fall but feel that they have only been able to scratch the surface of the problem.
Their concerns prompted the wildlife staff to do a detailed analysis and comparison of the harvest statistics for nonresidents and residents during the various seasons. This revealed some differences in harvest rates that are difficult to explain without questioning how these licenses are actually being used in Iowa.
• Harvest rates for nonresidents with either-sex licenses is 52% and 55% during the archery and late muzzleloader seasons respectively. These are hunters with one of the 6,000 either-sex licenses. They are also required to purchase a mandatory antlerless only license. The harvest report rate on the mandatory antlerless licenses was 21% during the archery season and 31% during the late muzzleloader season.
• Harvest rates for nonresident hunters with the optional antlerless-only licenses is 12% and 20% during the archery and late muzzleloader seasons respectively. These are hunters with one of the 3,500 antlerless only licenses.
• Harvest success for resident antlerless-only licenses is 35% and 32% during the archery and late muzzleloader seasons respectively. Fifty five percent of resident archers with at least 1 antlerless license reported at least one deer.
The nonresident harvest rate for the optional antlerless-only licenses is sharply lower than harvest rates for other nonresidents and that of resident hunters holding the same type of licenses. Typically we would expect nonresidents to have an equal or higher harvest success rate than resident hunters since they typically pay more to come and hunt. The above data suggests that nonresident hunters holding the optional archery or late muzzleloader antlerless-only licenses are not successful or that they are not reporting their harvest. It seems unlikely that it is harder to kill an antlerless deer than it is an antlered deer so it is doubtful that the actual kill rate is lower. It also seems unlikely that hunters with antlerless licenses are less likely to report their harvest. Therefore it seems more likely that they are motivated by something other than the desire to harvest an antlerless animal.
If we hypothesize that 90% of the legal kill was reported this would be the 120 deer reported. If success rates were actually equal to resident hunters (35%) then only 343 (120 = 12% of 343) of out of the 963 nonresident archery hunters who purchased the optional antlerless license obtained these licenses for legitimate reasons. Legitimate in this case means to take an antlerless deer. This implies that approximately 2/3rds of the hunters purchased these tags for some other reason.
There are several assumptions used in the above calculations however it is hard to find a good reason for the harvest rates to be so vastly different unless the hunters with these licenses do not want to report that they were here. Maybe it is that nonresident hunters with the antlerless only licenses are less motivated. However when we look at the shotgun seasons which are shorter and we find success rates for the 2 types of licenses are very similar.
• Harvest rates for the optional nonresident antlerless-only licenses is 51% and 50% during the Shotgun 1 and 2 seasons respectively.
If we make the same hypothesis for the shotgun season, 90% of the legal kill was reported (51%) and success rates were equal to resident hunters (58%) then 98% of nonresident hunters who purchased the optional antlerless license for the shotgun seasons appear to have been hunting for legitimate reasons.
Based upon this analysis and the recommendations from Conservation Officers the wildlife bureau made the following recommendations to the Natural Resources Committee in November of 2007. They approved the first part and it was adopted as the final rule at their February meeting. The second proposal was sent to the Iowa legislature but was not acted upon.
PROPOSAL:
• Shift the optional nonresident antlerless-only licenses out of the Archery and Late Muzzleloader seasons and make them available during the Shotgun Seasons 1 & 2. This season shift should increase the antlerless harvest from about 150 animals (archery and late muzzleloader harvest) to approximately 550-600 antlerless deer.
• Emphasize the need to increase the overall nonresident quota for Any Deer licenses to help compensate for the reduction in recreational opportunities caused by shifting the optional nonresident antlerless-only licenses out of the Archery and Late Muzzleloader seasons.