Why give NR land owners a tag?......Deer management. If NR properties are not hunted the become safe havens during the season, especially gun. It then becomes a harvest issue, are NR large property owners harvesting enough deer/does to control populations. - Does the neighbor have alot of deer crop damage. Allowing a landowner a tag insures the property will at least be hunted.
Why raise the NR limit to 10,000? How many of you have relatives that live out of state that would like to come home and deer hunt, children, nephews, ect? Its kinda sad when a farmers children live out-a-state, and can't get a tag to come home and deer hunt the family farm (legally). Too much competition with other NR hunters. In Illinois, the largest segment of NR hunters are former residents, family members, coming home to deer hunt, I would imagine Iowa is the same.
Yes, deer hunting in Iowa is changing, as it is all over the US. Hunter numbers are in the decline in the US in general. For hunting to survive, young people must be introduced to hunting. This is not done by restricting access, but by provideing more access, to residents, and non-resident family members. JMHO