ElkHunter
Life Member
Well, the day has finally come. Farm Bureau has drawn a line in the sand and stated they have compromised enough and will not move off their platform/agenda. All legislators on House & Senate Natural Resource committees are really feeling the heat from FB. Next week there will be several key committee meetings and all legislators need to hear from sportsmen & women.
FB is still after transferable tags, more shooting permits (shooting deer outside of regular hunting seasons) more free tags, centerfire rifles statewide for depredation program in gun season and a September hunting season.
Last month the DNR hosted a Kaizen event on the depredation program. Eighteen shareholders were represented, including FB. Many changes were made to streamline the whole process, making it producer (farmer) & hunter friendly. The new program will work given the chance. FB has now decided it’s not enough and wants to push their agenda using the legislature to get what they want. We all know what happens when personal agenda takes precedence over biological logic. Many of FB’s proposals will tie up more land, create more loopholes and provide less access, which in turns means less deer harvested.
<u>We as hunters need to be telling the legislators the deer management program already in place along with the changes in depredation program from Kaizen event will bring down the deer numbers given the time and opportunity. The DNR deer management program is working, now isn’t time the for knee jerk reaction. There is an election this fall and the last time I checked there were more hunters & sportsmen than FB members. Be polite and respectful but make them understand how you feel. </u>
If your legislator is on this list please call and email them. I truly believe that FB can smell blood and are ready to move in. For the first time they sense a legitimate chance to get their agenda though the legislature. The IBA has done all it can. It’s time for the membership and all hunters’ not just bowhunters to step up and make the calls. If you do, we can fight off this latest challenge, if you don’t we will lose.
House Natural Resources
Committee Members
• Paul Bell (D, District 41), Chair
• Dick Taylor (D, District 33), Vice Chair
• Henry Rayhons (R, District 11),
• Rich Arnold (R, District 72)
• McKinley Bailey (D, District 9)
• Clel Baudler (R, District 58)
• Mark Davitt (D, District 74)
• Dan Huseman (R, District 53)
• Steven Lukan (R, District 32)
• Jim Lykam (D, District 85)
• Dolores Mertz (D, District 8)
• Dan Rasmussen (R, District 23)
• Nathan Reichert (D, District 80)
• Paul Shomshor (D, District 100)
• Chuck Soderberg (R, District 3)
• Todd Taylor (D, District 34)
• Linda Upmeyer (R, District 12)
• Jim Van Engelenhoven (R, District 71)
• Andrew Wenthe (D, District 18)
• John Whitaker (D, District 90)
• Wes Whitead (D, District 1)
Senate Natural Resources and Environment
Committee Members
• Dennis H. Black (D, District 21), Chair
• Tom Hancock (D, District 16), Vice Chair
• E. Thurman Gaskill (R, District 6),
• Jerry Behn (R, District 24)
• Joe Bolkcom (D, District 39)
• Dick L. Dearden (D, District 34)
• Rob Hogg (D, District 19)
• David Johnson (R, District 3)
• Steve Kettering (R, District 26)
• Mary Lundby (R, District 18)
• Larry Noble (R, District 35)
• Amanda Ragan (D, District 7)
• Brian Schoenjahn (D, District 12)
• Dr. Joe M. Seng (D, District 43)
• Frank Wood (D, District 42)
FB is still after transferable tags, more shooting permits (shooting deer outside of regular hunting seasons) more free tags, centerfire rifles statewide for depredation program in gun season and a September hunting season.
Last month the DNR hosted a Kaizen event on the depredation program. Eighteen shareholders were represented, including FB. Many changes were made to streamline the whole process, making it producer (farmer) & hunter friendly. The new program will work given the chance. FB has now decided it’s not enough and wants to push their agenda using the legislature to get what they want. We all know what happens when personal agenda takes precedence over biological logic. Many of FB’s proposals will tie up more land, create more loopholes and provide less access, which in turns means less deer harvested.
<u>We as hunters need to be telling the legislators the deer management program already in place along with the changes in depredation program from Kaizen event will bring down the deer numbers given the time and opportunity. The DNR deer management program is working, now isn’t time the for knee jerk reaction. There is an election this fall and the last time I checked there were more hunters & sportsmen than FB members. Be polite and respectful but make them understand how you feel. </u>
If your legislator is on this list please call and email them. I truly believe that FB can smell blood and are ready to move in. For the first time they sense a legitimate chance to get their agenda though the legislature. The IBA has done all it can. It’s time for the membership and all hunters’ not just bowhunters to step up and make the calls. If you do, we can fight off this latest challenge, if you don’t we will lose.
House Natural Resources
Committee Members
• Paul Bell (D, District 41), Chair
• Dick Taylor (D, District 33), Vice Chair
• Henry Rayhons (R, District 11),
• Rich Arnold (R, District 72)
• McKinley Bailey (D, District 9)
• Clel Baudler (R, District 58)
• Mark Davitt (D, District 74)
• Dan Huseman (R, District 53)
• Steven Lukan (R, District 32)
• Jim Lykam (D, District 85)
• Dolores Mertz (D, District 8)
• Dan Rasmussen (R, District 23)
• Nathan Reichert (D, District 80)
• Paul Shomshor (D, District 100)
• Chuck Soderberg (R, District 3)
• Todd Taylor (D, District 34)
• Linda Upmeyer (R, District 12)
• Jim Van Engelenhoven (R, District 71)
• Andrew Wenthe (D, District 18)
• John Whitaker (D, District 90)
• Wes Whitead (D, District 1)
Senate Natural Resources and Environment
Committee Members
• Dennis H. Black (D, District 21), Chair
• Tom Hancock (D, District 16), Vice Chair
• E. Thurman Gaskill (R, District 6),
• Jerry Behn (R, District 24)
• Joe Bolkcom (D, District 39)
• Dick L. Dearden (D, District 34)
• Rob Hogg (D, District 19)
• David Johnson (R, District 3)
• Steve Kettering (R, District 26)
• Mary Lundby (R, District 18)
• Larry Noble (R, District 35)
• Amanda Ragan (D, District 7)
• Brian Schoenjahn (D, District 12)
• Dr. Joe M. Seng (D, District 43)
• Frank Wood (D, District 42)