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Hello From Georgia

Gamekeeper 69

Gamekeeper 69

Member
Hello guys I am originally from Iowa and I moved to Georgia when I was in high school. I still get back to Iowa every few years for late muzzleloader when I draw a tag.
I heard about this forum while listening to a Podcast. In the podcast the discussion was about proposed legislation that would allow non resident land owners to get guaranteed deer tags. I pray that never ever happens for several reasons. I hope Iowa remains the same special place.
Anyways I am glad to be here and i look forward to the upcoming season.
 
Welcome to the site.
Legislatures hearing that message from a NR can be powerful. Feel free to watch the legislative forum and send emails to provide that NR perspective.
 
Rjack said:
Welcome to the site.
Legislatures hearing that message from a NR can be powerful. Feel free to watch the legislative forum and send emails to provide that NR perspective.
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I had thought about sending emails in the past but thought they would not take me seriously or disregard my concerns being a NR. The more I think about and after your reply I will start reaching out and making my voice heard. It can’t hurt
 
Gamekeeper 69 said:
I had thought about sending emails in the past but thought they would not take me seriously or disregard my concerns being a NR. The more I think about and after your reply I will start reaching out and making my voice heard. It can’t hurt
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Welcome! Appreciate the words & feedback. Your emails to legislators have huge impact!!! Legislators have contacted me to help get more hunters to write in. That’s how critical it is.
Glad to have you here & look forward to your contributions!


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Please explain why you feel if a non resident bought land in Iowa after spending LOTS of money he shouldn't be guaranteed a tag every year to hunt his own land?
 
z71bowhunter1965 said:
Please explain why you feel if a non resident bought land in Iowa after spending LOTS of money he shouldn't be guaranteed a tag every year to hunt his own land?
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If Iowa allows every NR who own’s ground in Iowa a guaranteed tag , you will see the majority of Iowa’s already limited huntable ground purchased by NR’S This will leave a lot of residents without ground to hunt. It’s my belief that the only reason Iowa hasn’t been ruined already Is because they don’t guarantee NR land owner tags.
I am from Iowa originally so I am admittedly biased. When I was resident my father and I had permission to hunt a large farm. The owner was a widow and we would mend fence and help out with anything she needed. In return we could turkey hunt, bow hunt and hunt late muzzleloader season. Here kids wanted nothing to do with the farm and often encouraged her to sell.
Anyway I eventually moved to GA and my dad continued to hunt the farm. Then when Iowa got discovered for the big deer, the landowner of this farm would get unsolicited offers from out of stater’s. This was late 90’s early 2000’s and she’s still wouldn’t sell. She was getting significant offers from guys even back then that wanted the place even though they knew it meant only drawing a tag every three years or so
So imagine now if they allow any NR land owner guaranteed tags?
Sorry to ramble but you asked me so that’s my main reason.
 
Iowa has how many thousands of acres of public hunting?I am from Georgia,lost my private farm I hunted 30 yrs,so I moved on to public.If you lose land you hunted on,do some homework,find other.These people kill me with laziness,deer hunting takes a LOT of work,to get permission,not just drive out to farm I've ALWAYS hunted.Sorry,the mighty dollar does make a difference in hunting these days.You gotta pay to play.
 
z71bowhunter1965 said:
Iowa has how many thousands of acres of public hunting?I am from Georgia,lost my private farm I hunted 30 yrs,so I moved on to public.If you lose land you hunted on,do some homework,find other.These people kill me with laziness,deer hunting takes a LOT of work,to get permission,not just drive out to farm I've ALWAYS hunted.Sorry,the mighty dollar does make a difference in hunting these days.You gotta pay to play.
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Iowa is a whole different animal the other states. Iowa is majority crop land and contrary to popular belief there are not booners or even good whitetail hunting on every farm. Iowa doesn’t have near the public land that other states have. GA has I think 90 WMA’S and several thousands of acres of national forest land. It’s apples and oranges when it comes to comparing Iowa to GA. The GA hunter that loses his private ground has many , many more options than the Iowa guy that go loses his ground.
I am also well aware of the effort and work it takes to secure permission on private ground. There is no telling the hours or money spent with the help on up keep , that my father and I put in on the farm I mentioned in my previous post, in exchange for permission to hunt.
As far as paying to play goes, I bit the bullet and purchased my own ground two years ago after leasing land for twenty plus years. So I would say I know all about “paying to play”
 
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What I was trying to say in a different reply,not trying to be a SMARTAZZ.But when the local Iowa resident hunters loses his ground to a outfitter or someone buying land in the state of Iowa,its life.Its been happening in other states for 30 yrs.Its sad I know,but it's all about the mighty dollar.LOTS of people in the state of Iowa dont have the money to buy their own land or firk out BIG money for a lease,so the other option is public.Ive hunted all over the midwest,Ohio,Illinois,Kansas,and own land and a house in Iowa.Ive knocked on a lot of doors trying to get permission to hunt private ground believe me its frustrating. You wouldn't believe some of the stories I've heard from private landowners over the years because of the locals losing their ground that they have hunted for 30 yrs.Ive had stands stolen,cameras vandalized because I was a NR that had more money than they did.Its FREE NO MORE,like I said gotta pay to play,but to some,they would rather poach and vandalize others equipment.
 
z71bowhunter1965 said:
Iowa has how many thousands of acres of public hunting?I am from Georgia,lost my private farm I hunted 30 yrs,so I moved on to public.If you lose land you hunted on,do some homework,find other.These people kill me with laziness,deer hunting takes a LOT of work,to get permission,not just drive out to farm I've ALWAYS hunted.Sorry,the mighty dollar does make a difference in hunting these days.You gotta pay to play.
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Iowa is dead last out of the 50 states for public land. Dead last or 2nd to last. 7-8% timber. So a fraction of the other states in the midwest.
Agree there’s pay to play & $ involved. No doubt. But - it’s not as bad as the neighboring states. I pop across the lines often …. IL & MO for example. Both have 3-4x as much timber as iowa. But it’s all leased up. Like lock solid leased or locked up almost impossible to get access. Much worse than iowa.

The “losing of access” for leasing, selling, etc - agree - it’s life. It’s been happening hard core even back in the 90’s. I lost tons of farms in the 90’s. Big reason I saved to buy land.
There’s always going to be public access & the good news: probably more since the “walk on” programs are expanding where u get incentives as land owner to allow access.
Iowa is a fragile place with 7-8% timber and tough access to quality land as it is. I sure hope we don’t do more to make it harder or worse.


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z71bowhunter1965 said:
Please explain why you feel if a non resident bought land in Iowa after spending LOTS of money he shouldn't be guaranteed a tag every year to hunt his own land?
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I’m from Georgia and hunt Iowa every chance I get. Would I like to own land there and hunt it every year? Yea! But I think it’s a bad idea.

Iowa has the best deer hunting in America. There’s a reason we wait 5-6 years for that NR bow tag. If NRs are allowed to buy and hunt their land you will see land prices explode and the hunting up there will go to crap.

People will form LLCs and Corporations so multiple people can be on the deed.

Illinois and Kansas used to be arguably as good as Iowa. Not anymore. Not by a long shot. Are they still good? Absolutely! But providing loopholes that allows way too many NRs to hunt Iowa is a recipe for disaster. This is coming from a NR who has hunted there since the 90s and hopes to retire there someday.

Be like Trump. Keep Iowa Great!
 
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