risto2351
Well-Known Member
Not to get off topic but I think the biggest threat we face is money more so than insurance companies. I completely agree with you and changing the publics mentality on deer will only help. What worries me the most is the money the state was making in the mid 2000's when we were aggressively thinning the herd. When those kinds of dollars were coming in and now they cease. Politicians will surely be looking to fill the void. Gov. Branstad mentioned with Winke about raising NR tags. I believe that would ruin our deer hunting quicker than anything. Some say NR won't buy or lease because we had a poor year this year. That's b.s. because its still better than their home states.
I do believe we over harvested does in areas but I believe we are smart enough to sustain the numbers. Doe tags were cut in a lot of areas last year and I believe they will be cut again. What we weren't ready for was an aggressive harvest,a couple significant winter kills, and now EHD. All of that put us in a hole that we will climb out of so long as our legislatures don't get money hungry and sell us out first.
The night before 1st season shotgun I sell on average $12,000.00 in licenses alone. I talk to a lot of farmers and hunters and from what I can tell the days of kill everything are done. The farmers at least in my area are not complaining anymore. For good reason too. There's a fraction of the deer now.
Unfortunately I also believe the good ol' days are gone.
Agree JJ. True post.
One thing to add.
We can all write letters until we are blue in the face but I do not think Branstad will ever side with the hunters or the DNR over Farm Bureau especially with the amount of money they give his campaign.
It will never happen.