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My long winded Draft Letter to Legislature on Deer Regs....

Sligh1

Sligh1

Administrator
Staff member
Hey all, here's quick draft of first letter.
1) It's too long so I'm going to clean up & make second draft more concise but I wanted to start with it all & shrink from there. Clean up some repetitive points.
2) I know a lot of these legislatures. A lot are clueless about hunting, land, etc. I really just wanted to explain "THIS IS MY LANE!!!". Am I am expert on guns or gun rights? NO. Covid & Medical issues? NO. Etc, etc . But hunting & land, this is my life & where I spend every day. I really think as hunters we need to understand, the politicians are vastly NOT outdoorsmen or serious hunters.
3) just encompassing my thoughts. 1st draft, please feel free to chime in on suggestions for second draft if constructive. If you ever make one, take any thing you see from here if needed. All I care about is this state & other hunter & our resource- PERIOD. You know my motivation, it's not $ or some crap special interest. Here's my letter I'll work on this week & send out to folks on the legislation being debated now.

Hello ____
On THESE DEER HUNTING REGULATION ISSUES, I AM UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO DISCUSS THEM & HELP OUR LEGISLATURES UNDERSTAND THEM. Please take a brief minute to read THIS EMAIL- it encompasses 30 years of full-time experience with these issues! My name is Skip Sligh, I own acres across Iowa including forest acres. I'm 43 & started buying farms here at 22 years old, starting from scratch coming from a poor family living in Michigan. I've hunted 11 different midwestern states for deer. Farming, land management, conservation, habitat restoration & hunting is all I do now for a career. If you opened the doors for more NR access & privileges, keep messing with the seasons it will ruin this last great state. In full transparency, I would make a substantial amount of $ if I wanted to cash in... I DO NOT & DO NOT SUPPORT ANY OF THIS. I care more about our state, our fragile resource, access & the everyday Resident more than I care about $ or selling out to NR interests. I speak with thousands of people across the country... I've spent many deer seasons hunting all these states. I deal with realtors & land buyers daily. I spend each day making each acre I encounter better than I found it & I help countless landowners improve their farms for conservation. I live in the center of this world.
  • Iowa is 6% timber. We have 4 months+ of deer hunting, 7 deer seasons & endless weapon options RIGHT NOW. Access to land for newer hunters continues to dwindle. I have let HUNDREDS of hunters (R & NR) have access to my land, FREE OF CHARGE & will continue to do so as I'm able. I am not motivated by $. Access is absolutely getting harder each year, here's why....
  • Several of my farms I own have a substantial amount of NR landowners already. Any more incentives for buying land in Iowa for NR landowners will further the buy up. I'm involved in countless real estate transactions a year; I travel across the state... It's HUNTERS that are buying the very limited timber up. IT'S NOT ANTI-HUNTERS!!!! I have seen thousands of farms sold & never once have I seen timbered land be purchased by an "anti-hunter". I do have Apple, Microsoft & other investors from the west coast buying HIGH QUALITY AG LAND near me. Very different! If we say "own land for 10 years, get these new perks".... It will instantly bring THOUSANDS of new hunting land buyers to Iowa to buy up the 6% timber we have. They will buy the land in droves & wait to hit the 10-year mark- by the thousands. I know these people. I speak to folks across the country from MI, MN, WI, NY, PA, etc. - they will quickly buy every farm that comes for sale. $5-10k/acre ground is cheap vs their areas. The residents will get out-priced & lose access to the fraction of land still available.
  • I have spent the 1st half of my life in other states... Access for quality hunting doesn't exist like it does in Iowa. Cross into MO where NR's have far more privileges so the MO DNR can make more in tag sales... Literally every farm is leased up or locked up. Substantially worse than Iowa. If you loosen Iowa's regulations to allow more NR access, the average hunter & NEW HUNTER will be devastated! When there's not good access to quality land, new hunters quit. I mentor lots of kids & new hunters, I understand the system. The regular guy & new hunter will be the ones that suffer. Personally, I'm "set" no matter what happens... Why it's important to understand my motivation & experience here - I can't allow this state flushed down the drain for $ & NR privileges. Our Residents need the priority, they are the voters of this state, and they are currently struggling as it is. Please don't make it any worse or ruin this state by opening or messing with our already vast hunting seasons.
  • I want to make it CLEAR AS DAY!!!.... 4 months of hunting, 7 seasons, countless weapon choices.... We have a special state that's still the best in the country despite this. 6% forest - please, understand how little of our state is forest and how much has clear agriculture for no deer for miles! THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY MORE SEASONS, ADVANCEMENTS IN ACCESS FOR NR's, MORE WEAPONS, NOTHING!!!! It's already way beyond what's needed!! The more the seasons are opened in any way, it simply makes more people LOCK UP LAND & shut down access. Any new seasons, weapons, etc. will have the exact opposite impact intended! NR's come here from states that look like whitetail paradise.... WI, MN, MO, IL, MI- they come here because their government has ruined their states long ago. They come to Iowa because we are one of the last great states. I talk to thousands of these people.
  • I'm friends with & help countless NR's with their farms. They are my welcomed friends. The vast majority of them do not want to see Iowa sell out to special interest NR groups or lobbyists for different weapons manufacturers (crossbows, IFC's push for rifles, etc). We have a fragile but great state that's continually under threat.
  • Last, our state's draw for a NR wanting to come here gets worse each year - as we are the "last great state"... I implore you to get rid of the "Celebrity" Governor's tags which PROMOTE HUNTING IN IOWA... We need NO PROMOTION! We have a 5 year wait in some areas as it is- this pressure is building. Those Celebrity tags literally reach millions of viewers, BY DESIGN & REQUIREMENT, per year. THIS MUST STOP! This program has no merit & use anymore & must be removed!
PLEASE, DO NOT change the NR tag allotments or give new perks to NR's. Do not add more seasons or weapons. Do not cater to the special interest NR landowners that will destroy hunting for the Residents... The vast majority of our NR friends don't support this, they want Iowa to stay great! Don't buy the argument that Anti-Hunters are buying timber or by restricting them is allowing CWD to advance - this is non-sense, not true & not supported by any facts.
PLEASE DO: support anything that allows for access to quality land for the everyday RESIDENT - that's the threat to new hunters or lack-there-of. Please do end the Celebrity Governors tags which are fueling Iowa's access problems.

You all are professionals & experts in your certain area. This is my unique expertise; what I've done my whole life & the world I live in every day. I understand it inside & out. KEEP IOWA A GREAT STATE, PLEASE! Please defend the Residents against NR Lobbying interest & all the others that wish to exploit our state for $ over the citizen.

Respectfully,
Skip Sligh
 
Does the 6% timber # include public ground, just private, or both? Maybe point out that we have less public than ( I think ) 46 other states. Seems like I read that Hawaii has as much as we do but could be wrong. Regardless, the proposed limit on purchasing power of the DNR or CCB’s isn’t wanted.
 
I said earlier I would not buy in Iowa with a 10 year wait. That’s ludicrous and a decade of someones life. Not sure what NR is willing to do so. I can see it now. Hey son I just bought great land in the Midwest, see you in 2032, lol. F that !!
 
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Windlooker said:
I said earlier I would not buy in Iowa with a 10 year wait. That’s ludicrous and a decade of someones life. Not sure what NR is willing to do so. I can see it now. Hey son I just bought great land in the Midwest, see you in 2032, lol. F that !!
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It is not a 10 year wait to hunt, it is a 10 year wait to hunt every year. If they already have points, they could hunt it 2 or 3 times in that 10 year period. Lots of NRLO do that now. If there is an "every year" tag available at the end of 10 years, I guarantee there will be a huge jump in NR who become NRLO. I get it, you wouldn't do it, but there is no question it will increase NR who become NRLO.
 
Windlooker said:
With a bow you might hunt twice needing 4 or 5 pts. Not worth it. No deer is worth that wait.
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Right now u can hunt with a bow every 2-5 years depending on zone & party shotgun every year. There’s a lot of people ok with buying with this scenario.
So- buy land TODAY, by the time you draw your 2nd bow tag in the hard to draw zones- u will now have yearly hunting rights for the rest of your life. Thousands will jump on this!!!!!
 
seven twenty said:
Does the 6% timber # include public ground, just private, or both? Maybe point out that we have less public than ( I think ) 46 other states. Seems like I read that Hawaii has as much as we do but could be wrong. Regardless, the proposed limit on purchasing power of the DNR or CCB’s isn’t wanted.
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Must be just private bc the figure I’ve seen is like 8.5% in Iowa but splitting hairs. Interesting that Kansas, Illinois and Iowa are all ranked next to each other at the very very bottom in terms of amount of timber land in this country.
 
I know folks that don’t want to play those games. I’ll apply for an archery tag, don’t get it, ok let’s buy a doe tag and maybe party hunt , if I know someone; and those scenarios are scrutinized with many wanting party hunting to go away. So the game goes on for 4 or 5 years. In the southern tiers it’s a 4 to 5 year wait, not 2. That’s not hunting. Again, no way worth a 10 year wait.
 
I’ve been straight forward on this subject for 10-15 years now. It may be opposite of what many die hards think on this site.

I believe a landowner should have adequate tags to hunt deer, turkey, pheasant or small game.

If it’s elk, bear, or something that’s limited in numbers . That’s a different situation. I also agree that tags can and should be limited overall . Primarily for public land hunters so they are not overwhelmed with hunters.

*49 out of 50 states allow a landowner to hunt deer on his land every year. I don’t think the legislators considering this option with a 10 year ownership wait is crazy, nuts, or selling out.

That being said, if it doesn’t pass. No problem! My biggest concern is if they ever mess with moving the December gun season. That is the overall key to Iowa greatness!
 
This subject is so depressing. The Republicans on the natural resource committees in the legislature appear tone deaf to the concerns of resident sportsmen and sportswomen. Overwhelming opposition to proposed changes, and the votes advance bad bills in favor of big money.

I’m concerned especially about the NR tag quota increase being tacked on a ways and means bill, and no way to get rid of it. A revenue boost with ZERO benefit to resident hunters.

Thanks to everyone for making your voices heard and fighting to keep great deer hunting in our state.
 
I think that’s pretty good Skip. I’m a non resident. I really hope they don’t change anything. MN is a total disaster. Endless seasons and now they are sharpshooting on 2 sides of me over corn piles until April. I can’t wait to get back to Iowa in 4 years. I’d sign a petition if you have one started.
 
Windlooker said:
I said earlier I would not buy in Iowa with a 10 year wait. That’s ludicrous and a decade of someones life. Not sure what NR is willing to do so. I can see it now. Hey son I just bought great land in the Midwest, see you in 2032, lol. F that !!
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They don’t buy to wait 10 years now. They buy to hunt every 1,2,3,4,5 years the way it is depending on zone and weapon. But after ten years they hunt EVERY year!!
 
Windlooker said:
With a bow you might hunt twice needing 4 or 5 pts. Not worth it. No deer is worth that wait.
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Not worth it to you but MORE than worth it to many. Why else would this bill even be proposed….. Also this law does not start the waiting period for all that qualify. There are many that qualify for a tag next year if this passes. Terry Drury automatically hunts Iowa every year with this law instead of drawing like everyone else or hunting on a Governors tag.
 
Hardwood11 said:
I’ve been straight forward on this subject for 10-15 years now. It may be opposite of what many die hards think on this site.

I believe a landowner should have adequate tags to hunt deer, turkey, pheasant or small game.

If it’s elk, bear, or something that’s limited in numbers . That’s a different situation. I also agree that tags can and should be limited overall . Primarily for public land hunters so they are not overwhelmed with hunters.

*49 out of 50 states allow a landowner to hunt deer on his land every year. I don’t think the legislators considering this option with a 10 year ownership wait is crazy, nuts, or selling out.

That being said, if it doesn’t pass. No problem! My biggest concern is if they ever mess with moving the December gun season. That is the overall key to Iowa greatness!
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I think the thing many are missing with this bill is that it doesn’t start a 10 year wait for those that already qualify and there are several of them.
 
NR buyers see the writing on the wall and are already buying up recreational land. A steady couple years of it already. A newly politically red state that has no intention of funding IWILL, and last in line of all the Midwest states to grant unlimited NRLO tags. If IA passed Baxter’s 10-year-wait bill in 2022, let’s be honest, by 2025 that bill would be amended down to NO waiting period.
 
Windlooker said:
I said earlier I would not buy in Iowa with a 10 year wait. That’s ludicrous and a decade of someones life. Not sure what NR is willing to do so. I can see it now. Hey son I just bought great land in the Midwest, see you in 2032, lol. F that !!
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Some of the best elk/deer hunts here in az are 20+ years to draw. 10 years isn't that long to wait to start getting a tag every year. Not to mention the opportunity for some income return off the land, so if you've got the cash, and a LOT of people do right now, that's a huge incentive to buy.
 
Hardwood11 said:
Prices are very high. It’s not like the days when you could buy a farm in Iowa for 2000/acre. It’s insane/crazy. Too high.

Smart investors will evaluate the prices and some will pass for now.
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That's what people were saying 10 years ago. I'm not saying things aren't overpriced now, but with current inflation, I don't think anyone really knows for sure.
 
10 year wait and you can totally skirt the rules we have in place now.... Set for life.... You all remember 2012? Year Obama ran against Mitt Romney for example.... If you bought then, coulda bow hunted 3-5 times depending on zone, gun hunted every year & turkey/small game, etc. You are now set for life & bypassed the laws that SOMEWHAT/KINDA kept Iowa somewhat affordable & also offered "DECENT" but dwindling access as it sits now. There's a lot of NR $ pouring in as we speak (fine, whatever, it's a hot market & lots of $).... You broadcast to hundreds of thousands of landowners across the country that Iowa changed & is now a 10 year wait & you're set for life.... Thousands MORE farms will be purchased & land will sky rocket. Every land owner with $ under 70 years old will now consider buying here. 6-7% timber in this state. We all know what will happen...
 
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