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I don’t get it

JNRBRONC

Well-Known Member
Somehow I’m missing the legislative rationale that we are seeing. An email I sent to the DNR last month, they replied that they are seeing a trend of sagging license sales. These sales are needed to fund the DNR, as the state legislature doesn’t appear to want to fully fund them. So how do cheaper and multi-season licenses fit the model? I seriously doubt that hunter recruitment is hindered by the “cost of entrance”. More due to the exit of boomers and electronic distraction of today’s youth, IMO.


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You are absolutely correct IMO as well. I personally know of countless families that had a parent or both parents highly involved in the outdoors. Usually these parents came from generations of active outdoors (hunting, fishing, etc) families as well. Majority have tried to introduce their own kids to everything great about hunting and an outdoor lifestyle all for the today’s America overflowing with electronic gadgets, technology and worst of all instant gratification. The recruitment of youth and new outdoorsman in America is dwindling at an alarming rate for all of these reasons. There is zero possibility that we are seeing less and less new hunters and license purchasers due to costs of being able to hunt. A kid or anyone for that matter can go purchase the required hunting licenses, clothing and chosen weapon or two and still easily spend significantly less money than what all this electronics crap will cost them or parents. They can then go build a life of priceless memories in the outdoors with family and friends like so many of us have done in our lives. Instead electronics and instant gratification is taking over as the lifestyle of choice. This trend is not new. This has been happening all across America for decades. Iowa and other states DNR programs and funding are now seeing and living the effects of this trend.
Kids don’t go outside and entertain themselves anymore. Go ask any 10 year old to go out and build a fort now days.....build a what???? HA!! They gonna look at you like your the alien from the video game they just played for 4 hours straight and talked about for another 4 hours with their buddies.
I don’t have all the answers to a financially suffering DNR but I do know full well opening up more ridiculous seasons and weapons is NOT the solution. Nor is the “cost” to get in the outdoors and enjoy real life instead of this electronics age of fantasy.
 
I hate to say it but I think there is something to the theory these things are being done by design to weaken the DNR. Remember the DNR does a lot besides police fish and game and a lot of that other stuff pisses off industry in the state.

When you reduce license revenue you also reduce the amount of funding we get from Pittman Robertson, which we all pay into, and other programs.

If anything fees should be going up.
 
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Money is important to the DNR and often surpasses emotional feelings about tags and good hunting.
 
Money is the root of all evil. Cliche? Maybe . Fact.....yes!!
The trends in Iowa and other states I have hunted for many years is for the DNR to become increasingly liberalized on laws and regulations and to “decrease the deer herd” Why? Well that’s an easy answer
 
The DNR doesn't introduce these bills. The DNR doesn't legislate.

More often than not these bills are introduced because of lobbyist, favors owed, or someone with alternative motives etc.

So far.... all these bills are trash except the dog tracking one. I have to admit.... fighting this year in and year out gets old and tiring.
 
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The DNR doesn't introduce these bills. The DNR doesn't legislate.

More often than not these bills are introduced because of lobbyist, favors owed, or someone with alternative motives etc.

So far.... all these bills are trash except the dog tracking one. I have to admit.... fighting this year in and year out gets old and tiring.

The DNR will push the legislation if it involves more $$$ for them. Last year they pushed to raise license fees. It happens all the time, they have supported raising the NR tag allocation in the past (by the way). It is 10s of thousands of $$ they send back, they are not always on your side (hate to break it to you).
 
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The DNR will push the legislation if it involves more $$$ for them. Last year they pushed to raise license fees. It happens all the time, they have supported raising the NR tag allocation in the past (by the way). It is 10s of thousands of $$ they send back, they are not always on your side (hate to break it to you).
You are right. What I had in my head, but didnt articulate was things along the lines of the bills fishbonker has been posting. Tags for outfitters, aunt betties 2nd nephew gets a tag, uncle ralph from Pennsylvania should be half price, carryover tags, etc etc.... those things.... not DNR driven.

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You are right. What I had in my head, but didnt articulate was things along the lines of the bills fishbonker has been posting. Tags for outfitters, aunt betties 2nd nephew gets a tag, uncle ralph from Pennsylvania should be half price, carryover tags, etc etc.... those things.... not DNR driven.

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Agree, I will say the Iowa DNR is better than the MN DNR.
 
With a lot of states seeing a decrease in Lic sales and decrease in funding they should look to the Missouri model of charging a "sales tax" to fund the Dept. This spreads the cost of enforcement and environment across the entire population and not just the hunting population.
 
With a lot of states seeing a decrease in Lic sales and decrease in funding they should look to the Missouri model of charging a "sales tax" to fund the Dept. This spreads the cost of enforcement and environment across the entire population and not just the hunting population.

That law was passed in Iowa 10 years ago. The legislature may increase the sales tax this year. I have heard that the Missouri legislature cut the DNR budget equal to the amount that tax brought in.
 
I get that the DNR does not legislate for the most part. My concern is that the legislature is trying to usurp their authority via special interests, rather than setting seasons/regulations based upon scientific game management policies.


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I agree that dropping the 'entry fee' and adding multiple new seasons and weapon options probably aren't productive ways to increase hunting license and tag sales. In turn, decreasing the income for the DNR. That said, I honestly don't care if there are less hunters today than there were 20, 40 or 60 years ago. Actually, I see it as a good thing. I've got less competition in the woods and my children will too. Over the past 30 years, I've lost a good chunk of my private hunting ground to farmers who now lease it out to folks with deeper pockets than mine. Some ground has sold to new owners who hunt, so that went away too. Some ground has been turned over to a conservator and he only allows his family and friends to hunt all of the farms under his control, so it went away too. I'm down to mostly public land and a couple of private farms that I share permission with several other hunters on. So, again, I say GOOD! Those who enjoy hunting will continue to enjoy it, just with less competition. Those who are interested in getting into hunting, will get into hunting if they really want to. They've got plenty more options available to them than I did when I got into it. If they don't they don't. As for the DNR, if there are less hunters, then obviously there is less need for some of the services the DNR provides. Just my 2 cents.
 
Does anyone else get the feeling that somebody has the strategy to carpet bomb the legislature with so many new bills every year that we either get confused , dilatory, or just stop paying attention at all? It just seems a little beyond ridiculous the amount of bills tossed around every year, you'd think we were some sort of crisis mode.
 
Does anyone else get the feeling that somebody has the strategy to carpet bomb the legislature with so many new bills every year that we either get confused , dilatory, or just stop paying attention at all? It just seems a little beyond ridiculous the amount of bills tossed around every year, you'd think we were some sort of crisis mode.

Ya think? ;) Career politicians have to justify their jobs somehow.
 
Does anyone else get the feeling that somebody has the strategy to carpet bomb the legislature with so many new bills every year that we either get confused , dilatory, or just stop paying attention at all?

If anyone has the time this is simple to track. Follow the links to the original bill and then look at the bill's history all the way back to the origin of the bill. The bill's sponsor will be listed. You will see a pattern develop.

A good place to start would be with sponsor of SF 2141 and go from there. This is my opinion only, your opinions may vary.
 
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