Fishbonker
Life Member
Link to the bill: SF 427
This is a huge bill. It has far reaching implications for deer and deer hunting in Iowa.
The DNR held their annual State of the Deer Herd meeting yesterday. This is the meeting where they go over all of the harvest data for the previous year and show how the results have been trending over the years. Also in this meeting they lay out their plans for the upcoming deer seasons. One of their plans was to resume the antlerless only late season. The counties that would be included in the antlerless only late season are Allamakee, Appanoose, Decatur, Wayne and Winneshiek. For this season to take place the county would need to have at least 100 unsold tags left on the third Monday in December. Method of take would be the same as past antlerless only late season. The DNR did point out that in the past the antlerless only late season didn't increase antlerless harvest, just the season in which they were killed.
What does the DNR proposed antlerless only late season have to do with the proposed bill? Part of this bill calls for an antlerless only late season in any county with left over tags and would allow center fire rifles shooting a bullet with a maximum diameter of no less than two hundred an twenty-three one thousandths of an inch and no larger than 500 thousandths of an inch and with a published or calculated muzzle energy of five hundred foot pounds or higher.
The DNR proposed a commonsense rule that I felt had good checks and balances. This section of the proposed bill is a proponent for brown and down.
This bill has several other sections. Currently if someone is convicted of killing an antlerless deer out of season or without a tag they are to make restitution to the state for the loss of the deer in the amount of $1500.00 This bill would drop that to $50.00 and it calls for the refunding of the $1500 to to the person found guilty if they were found guilty after July 1st 2020.
Another section of the bill addresses depredation licenses and shooting permits. I am not familiar enough with that program to know if the change is significant or not, but the bill states, among other things, that these licenses and permits may be used in September, October, November and December.
Here is a copy and paste of a section of the bill that I can not begin to shorten, this is from the "Explanation" section of the bill:
The bill requires DNR to conduct a deer population study to determine the estimated deer population in each county in this state. The bill requires DNR to review and provide scientific data relating to the environmental impact of excessive deer populations, including the impact to crops and trees, review information relating to the spread of disease in deer and other wildlife populations, and include information on property loss, medical costs, and fatalities due to deer-vehicle accidents. The bill requires DNR to work with relevant representatives from the Iowa state university of science and technology, the department of transportation, and the insurance division of the department of commerce. Expenses for conducting the study shall be paid from the fish and wildlife protection fund. The bill requires DNR to submit a report to the general assembly by January 1, 2022.
To me, the legislature wants to know how nay deer are in Iowa and if it is overpopulated with deer. If the findings indicate the state is overpopulated then, well, I don't need to explain that to anybody.
I need to point out a discrepancy between the actual bill and the explanation section, the bill would allow .223 to .500 caliber weapons and the explanation indicates it is .233 to .500 caliber. I'm not shire which is the desired reading but I went with what was in the actual bill.
This is just my understanding of the bill, I would encourage each of you to read and draw your own conclusions.
The bill has ben referred to the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee.
This is a huge bill. It has far reaching implications for deer and deer hunting in Iowa.
The DNR held their annual State of the Deer Herd meeting yesterday. This is the meeting where they go over all of the harvest data for the previous year and show how the results have been trending over the years. Also in this meeting they lay out their plans for the upcoming deer seasons. One of their plans was to resume the antlerless only late season. The counties that would be included in the antlerless only late season are Allamakee, Appanoose, Decatur, Wayne and Winneshiek. For this season to take place the county would need to have at least 100 unsold tags left on the third Monday in December. Method of take would be the same as past antlerless only late season. The DNR did point out that in the past the antlerless only late season didn't increase antlerless harvest, just the season in which they were killed.
What does the DNR proposed antlerless only late season have to do with the proposed bill? Part of this bill calls for an antlerless only late season in any county with left over tags and would allow center fire rifles shooting a bullet with a maximum diameter of no less than two hundred an twenty-three one thousandths of an inch and no larger than 500 thousandths of an inch and with a published or calculated muzzle energy of five hundred foot pounds or higher.
The DNR proposed a commonsense rule that I felt had good checks and balances. This section of the proposed bill is a proponent for brown and down.
This bill has several other sections. Currently if someone is convicted of killing an antlerless deer out of season or without a tag they are to make restitution to the state for the loss of the deer in the amount of $1500.00 This bill would drop that to $50.00 and it calls for the refunding of the $1500 to to the person found guilty if they were found guilty after July 1st 2020.
Another section of the bill addresses depredation licenses and shooting permits. I am not familiar enough with that program to know if the change is significant or not, but the bill states, among other things, that these licenses and permits may be used in September, October, November and December.
Here is a copy and paste of a section of the bill that I can not begin to shorten, this is from the "Explanation" section of the bill:
The bill requires DNR to conduct a deer population study to determine the estimated deer population in each county in this state. The bill requires DNR to review and provide scientific data relating to the environmental impact of excessive deer populations, including the impact to crops and trees, review information relating to the spread of disease in deer and other wildlife populations, and include information on property loss, medical costs, and fatalities due to deer-vehicle accidents. The bill requires DNR to work with relevant representatives from the Iowa state university of science and technology, the department of transportation, and the insurance division of the department of commerce. Expenses for conducting the study shall be paid from the fish and wildlife protection fund. The bill requires DNR to submit a report to the general assembly by January 1, 2022.
To me, the legislature wants to know how nay deer are in Iowa and if it is overpopulated with deer. If the findings indicate the state is overpopulated then, well, I don't need to explain that to anybody.
I need to point out a discrepancy between the actual bill and the explanation section, the bill would allow .223 to .500 caliber weapons and the explanation indicates it is .233 to .500 caliber. I'm not shire which is the desired reading but I went with what was in the actual bill.
This is just my understanding of the bill, I would encourage each of you to read and draw your own conclusions.
The bill has ben referred to the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee.
