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Check Stations for Iowa

C

cmruff

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I would like to see the state of Iowa make hunters check in their deer. I believe this would help the state get better count on the harvest and cut down on some of the illegal activity that goes on with deer hunting. What do other Iowa hunters think of this?
 
Hi, long time viewer first time poster.

I think that illegal activity would still take place. The reality in my mind is that if someone wanted to shoot a buck on a doe tag they still would. I don't think it cuts down on illegal activity one bit. But it could help with the DNR knowing how many of what sex were taken legally and could help managing the deer herd.

Eric
 
I'm not talking about poaching. That will always happen. I'll give you an example of what I mean. If you lose your tag it only costs two dollars to get a replacement. People are claiming to lose there tags and get replacements tags when they still have there tags. No one checks this... People shoot deer with a gun during bow season, slap a bow tag on it and no one checks it. A check station could tell if it was shot with a gun or bow. People who don't own land by farms tags. No one checks it. The DNR officers don't have time to deal with all these violations. Check stations could help out a lot.
 
and who would pay for this, and i dont want to shoot a buck on my land, load it up take it into "who knows were", I just dont like the idea, and if you did get a big buck, maybe some one would not want the whole world knowing it, look what happed to the kid form indee.
 
Those are some good points and I agree with them. I just hate to see some people abusing the system. The duplicate and farm tag abuse is terrible.

Just a question?? Where is all the money from the bonus doe tags going? They are not hiring any more DNR officers, and I have not seen any big public land purchases.
 
Just another quick thought on check stations...I'm from Missouri and have been checking my deer and turkeys for about the last 25 years. In fact, Missouri is going to a "tele-check" system where the telephone or internet is used to obtain some type of confirmation number that you write on your transportation tag, attached to your harvested deer.

I believe the comment was something like "a check station could tell if it was shot with a gun or bow"...Not trying to be disrespectful here, but allow me to pose this question. About 95% of Missouri check stations are gas stations or convience stores, so with that in mind, consider this: Do you think a 17 year old high school kid working behind the counter is going to come out after dark and climb up in the back of your truck to examine the entrance/exit wound(s) of your deer carcass to check for an arrow vs. bullet hole?

I've never seen it happen in the 25 years I've been checking deer and turkeys in Missouri. They usually do not want to even touch harvested game, often times asking me to attach the plastic seal to the deer's leg.

I'm all for check stations for the purposes of keeping harvest statistics AND enforcement , but it's doubtful a high school kid working behind the counter at the local Casey's General Store will be examining your harvested deer.

MO
 
setting myself up for a bashing, but here goes...
my extended family all comes to our land, and surrounding family's land to shotgun hunt. there are about 8-11 of us, and we have 5 days to fill 13-15 tags. we group/party hunt. its the only way we can ensure that everyone has fun, and there is plenty of meat to divide between all of us. some people can't get time off for the whole 5 day season. it would really suck to have one person running to town after every drive to check in deer.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I believe the comment was something like "a check station could tell if it was shot with a gun or bow"...Not trying to be disrespectful here, but allow me to pose this question. About 95% of Missouri check stations are gas stations or convience stores.
MO

[/ QUOTE ]

I non resident deer hunted in Wisconsin and Minnesota in 1990/1991. In Wisconsin I checked my deer at a gas station, Minnesota it was a bar. I don't think either place they came outside, just asked me what sex it was. Maybe things have changed in those states since then, but Iowa doesn't need that.
 
Being in law enforcement, i'll reply to this. Check stations would not be a bad idea, but as stated previously they would be primarily for statistical purposes. I don't think anyone who took an animal illegally would be silly enough to check them at a check station on the off chance that it would get inspected closer than expected, but it may catch a few. I also agree it may be an issue as to who would be doing the checking. I would imagine there would be a funding problem, unless it's going to be volunteer, which kind of scares me.

Hopefully the DNR will be able to get back to full strength sometime in the near future, which would be the highest chance for further enforcement efforts. Also, don't forget to encourage your local Sheriff's dept to be as proactive as possible. They could be a huge asset, along with the eyes of all the law abiding hunters.

I've heard quite a few complaints about the DNR's license quotas, so check stations may offer an alternative to gain more accurate information about herd composition. I feel that anything that could improve herd quality would be a good thing.
 
FYI. I was at a meeting hosted by our local state representitives and the IA. DNR last week. Ia DNR Director Jeffrey Vonk and a other DNR people answered questions concerning all facets of the outdoors. As for your question about the deer license fee monies, some of that money is used to support the fishing side. I believe he said even with license fees and the money from the marine fuel tax, the DNR has to cover some of fishing side exspenses with hunting license money. He also stated that they are getting a handle on the deer population with over 50% of the harvest in some areas being does.
I talked with one of the DNR people after the meeting and he said they're already impacting the herd because they've starting to hear of not enough deer in some areas.
As for check stations helping track the herd we don't need them. People that remember the late eighties remember a large growing deer herd that was brought down substantially in 5 or less years. Willy Suchy of the DNR directs our deer herd and has an incredible handle on how to manipulate deer numbers. Everyone wants to hunt Iowa so I believe he's doing it right.
I'll also add in talking with Mr.Vonk after the meeting he wants himself and your state reps to hear from people supporting good numbers of deer. They have to hear the other side not just Farm Bureau's and they have to hear it from large numbers of hunters. It's time to get involved, call your state reps.
If you would like to read the coverage by the local newspaper of this meeting go to www.waukonstandard.com

AGS
 
if we had to check our deer in it wouldn't be any big deal to me. i remember working at the illinois check stations and it seemed like most of the guys enjoyed seeing all the other huntes success. the only rule with them was you had to check your deer in by the end of the day so if you were party hunting you could keep hunting and then, as a group, go check your deer in after dark. if i remember correctly there were at least 1-3 check stations per county as well. that way you don't have to drive to God knows where to check it in. i can understand wanting to keep a big buck all "hush hush" i'd just drive him to a different county and check it in.
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if they implement them, cool. if not, oh well. i
 
speaking of keeping track of harvest info.........those of you who recieve a card from the DNR about the deer you placed your tags on, be sure to turn them back in
 
The way check stations work here, you have until sundown on the final day of the season to check your deer in. At the check station, they put a numbered metal check station seal (metal band) on the animal, make sure you have a valid license for the deer, and send you on your way. Since check stations are mandatory here, the lockers won't take a deer for processing that doesn't have a check station band on it. Check stations don't seem like an inconvenience to me, but then, I've never had it any other way.
 
Why fix something that is not broke and also raise the cost of operating it?

Been deer hunting Iowa since 1970 and I think the DNR knows what they are doing. They have heard the people of Iowa when needed.

I do not feel that we need to complicate our hunting needlessly in light of our current beyond belief deer resources.

The poachers are our problem to deal with since we live and hunt around them. http://www.tipofiowa.org/

Our focus on big antlers has fueled much of our current poaching issues.

I say let the DNR spend more money on land purchases, hunter education, CO's, fishing, etc...

I also fill and send in my survey cards each season.

For Iowa currently, we would just be re-inventing the wheel. (or muzzleloader)
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let me tell ya, we have check stations here in ohio, always have, and they don't cut down on illegal doings! you can bet that for every deer killed tagged and taken to a check station, there are atleast 2 that aren't!
 
The back of my license has only TIP, tresspassing and public information disclosure and resident certification. Some ELSI stations may still have some old paper in them if it mentions harvest reporting.

The initial step into ELSI would have had us reporting harvest data within 24-72 hours or something like that, but I did not recall it being actual carcass checking. The harvest reporting was killed at the last minute by the legislators due to many hunters contacting them in opposition to the plan.:*saw
 
All of the tags my family has bought ever since elsi started have had the reporting instructions on the back and have printed on the front to disregard the reporting instructions on the back. You are correct it was not carcass checking, but reporting. Having bought tags at several different stations and in a couple of different counties they must have printed up a whole lot of the old paper to still have some left after several years.
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