I received the same reply. You can see my reply and Mr. Baxter's final reply below. He is convinced this is the way to get more kids hunting. What gun to shoot is not the issue for kids - it is land access and a mentor.
If you want this defeated, it will take more voices of sportsman to stop. I don't appreciate his playing the "we must stick together to defeat the antis" argument. I guess that only works from his perspective as he could "stick with my view" so we can defeat the antis, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.
Thanks Roger,
I appreciate the interaction on this subject. I am committed to promote sportsmen issues on every front. We need a united voice to counter the anti hunters.
The big concern across the country is the challenge of reaching the next generation. It is alarming what the statistics are showing. In the end, if we do not reach the youth and introduce them to hunting ... our sport will one day come to an end for everyone because we will be overwhelmed by the growing voice and number of anti hunters. That was the sobering conclusion of the National Legislative Sportsman's Caucus in Vermont this past summer.
I believe this bill will introduce several hundred new youth to the sport of shooting and hunting in the state of Iowa every year. We desperately need them!
Thanks again,
Terry Baxter
State Representative
Iowa House District 8
Home: (641) 829-3580
Cell: (641) 210-9656
Co Founder: GoServ Global
Office: (515) 448-3131
On Jan 25, 2016, at 10:32 PM, Roger Jackson < wrote:
Thanks for the response.
I know this bill does not establish any new gun seasons, but I am afraid that is the next step. That’s how these things generally happen. Crossbows for disabled, then crossbows in the late season and pretty soon there will be pressure for crossbows in the regular bow season. Rifles for youth, rifles for disabled, and pretty soon there will be pressure for rifles in the shotgun season.
There already is a low recoil option for youth and disabled – it is muzzle loaders. I am all for introducing kids to hunting and have applied to be a mentor as part of the Save the Hunt program here in Iowa. If I can’t take the time to clean a muzzle loader, then I really don’t have much desire to help. Maybe the kid should learn to clean the muzzle loader as that is part of the hunting process. Modern sabot slugs are not needed if they want to use a shotgun. Regular slugs at a few dollars a box will work fine for 50 yard shots – which should be the limit anyway for a youth getting started.
I’m sorry your daughters didn’t continue to hunt. I also started my son with a 20 gauge and slugs and he didn’t like it on the range. So, I switched to a muzzle loader and he loved it. Both of my sons have killed numerous deer with muzzle loaders during youth seasons, shotgun season and late muzzle loader seasons. I see no need to introduce rifles in Iowa.
No one, who is a true hunter, likes to see game suffer. My view, and the view of many, is that the best way to make sure game does not suffer it to start a child out with one shot. There is much more focus when there is only one shot instead of thinking about how to get the next shot off. I completely disagree that game suffers more with muzzle loaders. I hunted with a muzzle loader during shotgun season and often did far better than hunters with 5 slugs in a gun. I waited for a stopped broadside deer and made a killing shot while they would blast away at a running deer with multiple shots.
So, while I appreciate your desire to get more youth involved, I think this bill is the wrong way to go. It will be a stepping stone to rifles in more and more seasons.
I do appreciate your service, your dedication to hunting, but I disagree with you on this particular item.
Thanks for listening,
Roger