R
Rod White
Guest
If the roomer I just heard this weekend was true, we should all enjoy the oppurtunities we have today at the trophy animals that our state is famous for. I have been told that we now have a rifle season. Yes, it is for doe only, but mark my words. This is the beginning of the end of what we all enjoy as trophy hunters, especially bowhunters here in the state of Iowa. For those of you who don't know me, I am an Olympic Gold Medalist in archery and now I am fortunate enough to make a living doing what I enjoy most and what got me started in archery, that's bowhunting. I doubt that few in my position would post this but I know many are thinking it. I feel, however, this may be the only voice or way I have to bring this to everyone's attention. I have always been extremely happy with the way Iowa DNR has managed our deer herd. Quite frankly, I moved here because of what our wonderful state has to offer. No matter if you are a bowhunter or gunhunter, you have to admit, the DNR until now has done a fantastic job with our whitetails.
That said, I was unbelieveably dissapointed and saddened to hear, if it is true, the DNR has opened the doors to the destruction of what we as hunters along with the DNR have created in this state. I have hunted for whitetails all across this nation. And I hunt public land for the most part. So those of you who own, controll, or hunt over a thousand or more acres may not be as concerned about this topic. But to the average bowhunter that hunts average hunting opportunities like myself, you should be very concerned. I don't have a lot of money so I don't lease any land, nor do I believe in it. I did once as an outfitter and unless my family is starving, I will never do it again. I do not want to be a contributor(by leasing land in any way)to the day when our sons and daughters cannot hunt without paying. I am still a bear outfitter, but on public land. The service I offer is to anyone who does not have the time to do all the work necessary to harvest a bear where I guide in Minnesota. Not to take the opportunity to hunt away from others. The little private land I hunt on is much appreciated though, I help bale hay and share my harvest with the farmers. I help where ever I can. If we all did that instead of handing out cash, we would all still have places to hunt. The farmers I hunt on are good friends and great people. I don't ever want to lose that to money.
Back to the main subject. In all the state's I have hunted in, NONE have what we have here. It is VERY clear that the states with rifles DO NOT produce the kind of whitetails we are so blessed with. Look around, Missouri hunters will tell you in most cases, a 130" whitetail is a pig where they come from. Talk to a Wisconisin bowhunter, I lived there for 3 years. About every two weeks they have a thing called T-Zone. It allows the rifling of deer about every two weeks from October to December, you think you know what nocturnal bucks mean. Hunt Wisconsin and it will redefine that phrase for you. Wisconsin hunters will also tell you how in most parts of the state, unless you have access to Buffolo County(better have some $ in your wallet), you may have to wait many a season to get a crack at a mature deer. In fact, in the area I lived in when they talked about a deer in the 180 class range, they were talking body weight. South and North Dakota hunters will tell you the same. The only exception is Texas(the high-fence, pet and kill state)and Kansas. In most cases in Kansas, the huge bucks you see on TV or in a magazine, are on large tracts of privately managed land. The only thing that somewhat protects Kansas is non residents can't buy tags over the counter for bucks. I love to hunt Kansas but I'll take waiting every two years for a tag to put on a 160+ any day over hunting every year for a 120 class deer. You will hear all this echoed in every rifle state in the east too. From Pennsylvania to Florida.
My point is this. Opening a rifle season, even just for does, not to mention we apparently nearly doubled the number of non-resident tags, is the beginning of the end to what we enjoy right now. The most frustrating part of all of this for me...I never knew it was coming until someone told me today after it was already voted on.
How can this happen. Please someone tell me this is a cruel joke someone is playing on me. I looked on the DNR website and found nothing of it. I did hear some kind of blurb about it though on the radio, so I fear it is true. I don't know what to do other than to voice my concerns to others like you who are reading this. All I can tell you is that no matter what they say, once they allow rifles in this state to hunt, they will never leave. And all I have left to pray for is a miracle to stop this but I fear it is too late. I know many may not agree with me, and to those of you who don't, just look at the states around you and what they have to hunt. With the increase of tags, comes the loss of the average guys land to hunt. Big money will show up soon to lease the land you hunt on out from under you, the only thing that stopped it before was they couldn't hunt every year. And what they consider a trophy usually has three more seasons to grow if it walked under our stands. And for all the guys who say I'm just a trophy hunter, I kill more than my fair share of does too, in our state and all the states I hunt. Your new non resident hunters aren't coming here though to shoot a doe. Thier leaving the population management to us, the residents, while in most cases, they leave with only antlers.
I don't have any answers or know what to do, I have called in to my legistators and DNR, but apparently I and others who have are not in the majority. At least that's what they say. But I have a hard time believing this. What else can we do? Inform others until we have a large enough voice I guess. If you have any ideas, leave them on this thread for others including myself. Or at least tell others of what is about to happen. In the meantime, I'll be praying for this to all change somehow. Not just for me, but for my son and daughter who will someday be knocking on doors to hunt. <font color="blue"> </font> <font color="blue"> </font>
That said, I was unbelieveably dissapointed and saddened to hear, if it is true, the DNR has opened the doors to the destruction of what we as hunters along with the DNR have created in this state. I have hunted for whitetails all across this nation. And I hunt public land for the most part. So those of you who own, controll, or hunt over a thousand or more acres may not be as concerned about this topic. But to the average bowhunter that hunts average hunting opportunities like myself, you should be very concerned. I don't have a lot of money so I don't lease any land, nor do I believe in it. I did once as an outfitter and unless my family is starving, I will never do it again. I do not want to be a contributor(by leasing land in any way)to the day when our sons and daughters cannot hunt without paying. I am still a bear outfitter, but on public land. The service I offer is to anyone who does not have the time to do all the work necessary to harvest a bear where I guide in Minnesota. Not to take the opportunity to hunt away from others. The little private land I hunt on is much appreciated though, I help bale hay and share my harvest with the farmers. I help where ever I can. If we all did that instead of handing out cash, we would all still have places to hunt. The farmers I hunt on are good friends and great people. I don't ever want to lose that to money.
Back to the main subject. In all the state's I have hunted in, NONE have what we have here. It is VERY clear that the states with rifles DO NOT produce the kind of whitetails we are so blessed with. Look around, Missouri hunters will tell you in most cases, a 130" whitetail is a pig where they come from. Talk to a Wisconisin bowhunter, I lived there for 3 years. About every two weeks they have a thing called T-Zone. It allows the rifling of deer about every two weeks from October to December, you think you know what nocturnal bucks mean. Hunt Wisconsin and it will redefine that phrase for you. Wisconsin hunters will also tell you how in most parts of the state, unless you have access to Buffolo County(better have some $ in your wallet), you may have to wait many a season to get a crack at a mature deer. In fact, in the area I lived in when they talked about a deer in the 180 class range, they were talking body weight. South and North Dakota hunters will tell you the same. The only exception is Texas(the high-fence, pet and kill state)and Kansas. In most cases in Kansas, the huge bucks you see on TV or in a magazine, are on large tracts of privately managed land. The only thing that somewhat protects Kansas is non residents can't buy tags over the counter for bucks. I love to hunt Kansas but I'll take waiting every two years for a tag to put on a 160+ any day over hunting every year for a 120 class deer. You will hear all this echoed in every rifle state in the east too. From Pennsylvania to Florida.
My point is this. Opening a rifle season, even just for does, not to mention we apparently nearly doubled the number of non-resident tags, is the beginning of the end to what we enjoy right now. The most frustrating part of all of this for me...I never knew it was coming until someone told me today after it was already voted on.
How can this happen. Please someone tell me this is a cruel joke someone is playing on me. I looked on the DNR website and found nothing of it. I did hear some kind of blurb about it though on the radio, so I fear it is true. I don't know what to do other than to voice my concerns to others like you who are reading this. All I can tell you is that no matter what they say, once they allow rifles in this state to hunt, they will never leave. And all I have left to pray for is a miracle to stop this but I fear it is too late. I know many may not agree with me, and to those of you who don't, just look at the states around you and what they have to hunt. With the increase of tags, comes the loss of the average guys land to hunt. Big money will show up soon to lease the land you hunt on out from under you, the only thing that stopped it before was they couldn't hunt every year. And what they consider a trophy usually has three more seasons to grow if it walked under our stands. And for all the guys who say I'm just a trophy hunter, I kill more than my fair share of does too, in our state and all the states I hunt. Your new non resident hunters aren't coming here though to shoot a doe. Thier leaving the population management to us, the residents, while in most cases, they leave with only antlers.
I don't have any answers or know what to do, I have called in to my legistators and DNR, but apparently I and others who have are not in the majority. At least that's what they say. But I have a hard time believing this. What else can we do? Inform others until we have a large enough voice I guess. If you have any ideas, leave them on this thread for others including myself. Or at least tell others of what is about to happen. In the meantime, I'll be praying for this to all change somehow. Not just for me, but for my son and daughter who will someday be knocking on doors to hunt. <font color="blue"> </font> <font color="blue"> </font>
