bowmaker,
I appreciate your reply. This reply is not personal so please don't take it that way! I just want to respond to a couple of the points you made to help clarify what I was saying and educate some of my fellow hunters. First the DNR's greed issue. I personally talked to the director of the DNR this last year for over a half an hour concerning the proposed increase in NR licences and how that would only increase nonresident land purchases, leasing and outfitters. During the whole conversation he couldn't get it through his head that increasing NR tags would be bad and result in a massive displacement of resident hunters. Ultimately causing way more revenue loss than it would gain. He just kept saying "if we sold another 10,000 NR tags at $300 that would be 3 million dollars we could use to buy more land for people to hunt on." This just told me that he REALLY didn't get it!!! Let me explain, three millon dollars sounds like a lot of money to most of us..right? That would be a lot of new public hunting land right? Well lets do the math 3,000,000 divided by the average land price per acre in Iowa in 2004 ($2,629) which equals 1,149 acres total of new public hunting land, now lets divide that by the number of counties in Iowa to be sure every one has a place to hunt, # counties in Iowa 99, that would mean that the DNR could buy 11.5 acres in each county for those displaced hunters. I hope if your hunting spot gets leased or bought you like being able to talk to your fellow bowhunters while sitting in the stand! Heck, you could shoot that big buck you are after while it is underneath the other guys stand and he is waiting for the deer to turn broadside. Now, just for fun lets say half of those 10,000 new NR hunters (5,000) want to use an outfitter or lease their own piece of land so they could hunt the whole season or multiple weekends? How many leased acres per hunter will it take to accomodate them? 10 acres?, 100 acres?, 250 acres?. If it took 10 acres that would be 50,000 new acres leased, 100 acres would be 500,000 new acres leased, and 250 acres would be 1,250,000 new acres leased. How many resident hunters would that displace? Could they all hunt on that 11.5 acres of new public hunting ground that was bought in each county (1,141 total in the state)? Don't think leasing on a large scale like this can happen? Try reading this article entitled Resident vs. Nonresident in the December 2005 Outdoorlife:
http://www.outdoorlife.com/outdoor/hunting/article/0,19912,1008520-3,00.html
On the issue of money for the survival for the DNR and the one CO per county. First the 1 CO. I would say that one CO per county is enough 357 days of the year. How did I get that figure? They need more help the three weekends during shotgun season and opening day pheasant season. That would be eight days a year. The rest of the year you have to admit the chance of a CO catching someone (in the act) breaking the law (poaching, shooting after hours, harvesting over limit, ect. is slim). The CO are much more likely to respond to a tip from another hunter that a violation has or is taking place. Self policing our sport is the way it should be! (What I am saying is call the CO if you see someone or hear about someone taking game illegally). The DNR could find plenty of extra money by cutting some of their vehicle expenditures alone. How many $30,000-$40,000 SUV's with DNR on them do you see driving around...and I'm not talking about the CO's(law-enforcement).
On the issue of outfitter lease fees ($10 per acre) I feel that is about right. Think about 2000 acres leased costs the outfitter $20,000 (outfitter license) plus what he is charged by landowner for the lease....lets say $15 per acre = $30,000. Ok, that is $50,000. So the outfitter charges $2,500 for a 6 day hunt, five hunters per week (one hunter per 400 acres per week) = $12,500 per week. If the outfitter books 5 guys per week and guides one group of bowhunters the last week of October(pre-rut hunt)Oct 22-28 then (rut hunts): Oct 29-Nov 4, Nov 5-11, Nov 12-18, Nov 19-25,(post-rut) Nov 26-Dec 2, Then takes first season shotgun hunter on 5 day hunt, then second season shotgun hunters on 6 day hunt and two groups of muzzleloaders. That is 10 groups of hunters at 12,500 per group= $125,000. $125,000-($50,000 fees) -($20,000 for food and lodging)=$55,000 for 2.5 months of guiding. Now think about groups like USO (United States Outfitters) that have literally millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of acres already leased in many states. Does that that $10 per lease acre fee for the outfitter license still sound high?
On bowhunting during the gun season I initially thought the same thing (gun hunters needing their own time, which I totally understand) or to have time off which I concede are great points. However, (and I add that this is not an agenda) I was just thinking of all the land that sits idle during the gun season (3 weeks) because it is owned by or reserved for bowhunters, as well as all the landowners I know with livestock or that just don't like the gun hunters and wont let them hunt. I just thought bowhunters hunting on that land would help decrease some santuaries and move some deer off of those properties(you know walking in and out, ect.). I have nothing against shotgun hunting because I have done it many times. Sorry if I came across as having an agenda or trying to encroach on the shotgunners. Just trying make suggestions.
In your example concerning going out West to big game hunt. I just want to remind you and everyone reading this that 2/3 of the western 11 states are owned by the Federal Government (National Forest, BLM, ect.). In other words it is owned by all of us so there will never be an issue of Outfitters or NR tieing up all the land because it is not in private hands. That is not the case in the midwest and especially not the case in Iowa.
I would also like to thank WJS for allowing us to give input. I feel that the DNR does a great job, however I know that they get pulled in many directions by Farm Bureau, the state legislature, lobbiest for insurance companies, their budget(pocket book) ect. I was born, raised, educated and reside in Iowa. I just get really worried about the next generation of Iowa kids from working class families not getting the opportunies I had as a kid. Like knocking on a landowners door, asking for permission to hunt, and being allowed to enjoy the day afield in the woods chasing squirels, rabbits, deer ect. I am convinced that increased NR licenses will lead to increased leasing, NR's buying and increased outfitter leasing, thus decreased access and ultimately leading to where only the wealthy can hunt. I am committed to doing everything in my power to see that this never happens and so should every Iowa resident. Call your representatives, senators, and if you have farm bureau insurance tell your agent that you are going to change agents if they don't stop pressuring the DNR and the legislature. Keep on the DNR because they were also pushing for the increased NR tags. The future of hunting for you, your children, and your grandchildren depends on it!!! Onces the flood gates have been opened you will never be able to go back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read the Outdoorlife article I mentioned above!
Good Reply!
