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Ia. vs. Other States - NR Landowners

Here lies the problem with Iowa. It is one of the last states where knocking on doors granted you access to hunt. Every other state in the union has left the train station long ago. You have to pay to play in those states, regardless of residency. Iowa is slowly transitioning to the "pay to play" and we residents are having a hard time swallowing that big pill. Yes it sucks a big one unless, yes I mean unless you OWN LAND.

Lets pretend for a minute that this website is a Water skiing website. Thats right, water skiing. Everyone on this site is an avid to semi professional water skier. In order to enjoy water skiing you need ski's, a life vest, tow rope etc. What really completes the deal is a nice ski boat. If you have a ski boat you can really enjoy water skiing and you will get good at it. But if you don't have a boat and you love water skiing, you better have a good friend who has a boat or you are practicing on dry land.

Lets say you are the guy who doesn't have a boat, well in the 70's and 80's your friend would love to take you water skiing all day. Gas was only $1 and some change a gallon. No problem. As the late 90's to 2008 approached gas really jumped up and your friend couldn't afford to drag you around the lake day in and day out. Well now you have to chip in for gas or you don't ride. Get it!
Well most guys have no problem paying a buddy for gas so they can have a good time enjoying their passion of water skiing.

That analogy about sums up bowhunting. Oh yes you love to hunt whitetails, you have all the gear, gadgets, treestands etc but you don't have land. How are you going to enjoy your passion without land to hunt on? Well in the 70's and 80's deer weren't too popular so you knocked on doors got permission and off you went. Well all the videos came out, we glorified these yahoos on camera like they were gods, land became expensive, farmers realized that deer were of great value, and lo and behold bowhunting became an industry. Well now you are going to have to chip in or you aren't going to be able to ride.

No matter what side of the fence you are on, this is the cold hard truth. This state is changing. If bowhunting is your passion and you don't own your own land then you and some friends better get together and lease some ground now! instead of bitching about some non resident buying it up.

I know of 120 acres down the road for sale, priced a bit high but you can negotiate. Why don't some of you guys get together and buy this ground. I know from being on this website that you are going to scream like a bunch of school girls when it gets bought up by a non-resident. You all seem like good ethical hunters and I'd love to have you in the neighborhood.

Don't mean to sound like a jerk but its time to realize that the free ride is over. The state of Iowa is going to make money off of deer, regardless of the outcome. Get some land together and manage it the way we know it needs to be managed and not by the standards that the great state of Iowa has mandated. (with the help of Farm Bureau)

Peace
 
Jbawls. I agreed with everything you said until this.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">No matter what side of the fence you are on, this is the cold hard truth. This state is changing. If bowhunting is your passion and you don't own your own land then you and some friends better get together and lease some ground now! instead of bitching about some non resident buying it up.

I know of 120 acres down the road for sale, priced a bit high but you can negotiate. Why don't some of you guys get together and buy this ground. I know from being on this website that you are going to scream like a bunch of school girls when it gets bought up by a non-resident. You all seem like good ethical hunters and I'd love to have you in the neighborhood.

Don't mean to sound like a jerk but its time to realize that the free ride is over. The state of Iowa is going to make money off of deer, regardless of the outcome. Get some land together and manage it the way we know it needs to be managed and not by the standards that the great state of Iowa has mandated. (with the help of Farm Bureau)
</div></div>

I wouldn't call it bitching. It' more like trying to protect what we have left and preserve it for the future. There's no dought Iowa's deer quality is one of the best in the country. By careful planning or accidental good luck the hunting laws and seasons have worked...........period. We say, Why change the NR LO and NR licensing for the self serving interests of a few when it would likely have a huge negative effect for many.

I agree that things are changing and much of the change I think are for the reasons you mentioned above. But I don't think the knocking on doors and ask for permission has to change, nor do I think it should change. But if we as hunters don't keep up the pressure in DSM we will be on the outside looking in and wishing things were like they were in the old days.

So for a guy that just submitted his 1st post and tried not to sound like a jerk I think you are on shakey ground. If you've been on here for awhile as you've said, most NR and NR LO on this site support no changes in Iowas laws.
 
Jbawls who are you really? Just another, one post, average Iowan trying to make us narrow headed Iowans see the light durning this legislative session. Why, I have never seen such a thing! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif
 
This year there has been more legislation filed trying to give the nonresident landowner the same rights and privileges as a resident landowner as far as DNR code is written. I just wanted to show what other states did.

While my original post was missing a couple words, I still stand by the statement that 34 states offer the nonresident landowner no special consideration over a regular nonresident. Several states have conditions that must be met before they are given preferential treatment.

If someone can post an excel spreadsheet that isn't all run together and impossible read, let me know and I'll send it to them, so they can post it.

I have to agree with Moose, just because times are changing and most states have caved in to money and in some cases special interests groups. Why does Iowa have to follow that path willingly.When change is good for the majority,that's a good change. Change for the sake of change isn't.

I told myself I wasn't going to do this, but I can't help it.

There are many people in Iowa that don't like or agree with the IBA and there are hundreds of people in the US that hate the IBA (from letters, phone calls and emails I get hate isn't too strong a word to use). That is understandable, everyone is entitled to their opinions. In Iowa we have an alliance called Iowa Conservation Alliance, made up of 10-15 different conservation groups active in this state. For the last 5 or 6 years they have voted to keep nr deer tags at the current number, when the nr lo topic became a hot item,the alliance also voted to keep current regulations in place.
While alliance members agree with current policy, most have chosen to stay in the background and decided not to rock the boat. The IBA has made their stance very clear and in my opinion they have nothing to be ashamed of. When the majority of bowhunters change their views and stance on these two items, then our group will support that change. How can an organization survive if they don't follow the memberships wishes.

I'm sure there will be those that agree with this post and I know there will be some that call me a political jerk.
 
Guys:

I'm with you on this. I guess there are still some areas of the state where you can get good access with just a knock on the door. I live in Monroe County. I'm a White guy and I have a better chance of catching sickle cell anemia than I do gaining access with a handshake.

That being said, I hope things never change but as I grow older and hopefully wiser, I can see the writing on the wall. Big money is doing the talking right now. Moosehunter, you agreed things are changing. I own the land I hunt on and I have neighbors, some good, some bad. I would much rather have residents leasing the ground around me than non-residents. I get tired of shooting all the does.
 
Not too shocking many of our posts have a political tone since we're dealing with a hotbutton political issue. It ain't rocket science and the only one that seems to have a problem with that used most of his many 8 posts to bitch about his plight in life in another FOI thread from last year. Excuse me if I don't break out the confetti and noisemakers for your pity party particularly when you used your last post to bash senior membership of this site. You have a real sack to call a guy a politician when you've spent all your posts making the exact reverse pitch for NR landowner rights and use a smear campaign in the end to get it done...classic pot/kettle. Who's the real politician at the end of the day DG1?
 
yeah, jbawls, times are changing, and the changes you mention are coming. but apparently you would have us throw up our hands, and run headlong towards that change. instead, there are those of us trying to postpone that change for as long as possible. by your reasoning, people that hit retirement age may as well go to the cemetary and dig a hole and climb in, since they are going to end up there anyway. makes more sense to me, to postpone the enevitable for as long as possible, to extend the enjoyment for everyone
 
Teeroy:

I have always enjoyed your posts, they are straight forward and to the point. I will go out of my way to read what you write along with several other contributors. Everyone who has commented about my post admits that there is some kind of change coming. I agree, work like hell to postpone whatever is coming...but, What happens if at the end of the day you lose? All I am saying is if you don't own the land you hunt, wouldn't it be wise to have a backup plan in place? I got a feeling in my gut that whatever is coming is not gonna be good. I am working with my neighbors to help ensure that this resource is not wasted regardless of the State. We are working cooperatively on food plots, sharing information, patrolling, helping neighboring farmers with odds and ends, educating the same farmers about shooting does etc.

I just don't see how my reasoning equates to digging a hole and jumping in because death is inevitable. Seems to me my reasoning is eat right, exercise and get plenty of sleep.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jbawls</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What happens if at the end of the day you lose? </div></div>

Then I will say I fought a good fight. I've got two young boys (5 & 2), right there are two great reasons to fight. I want them to have it just as good as I have.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jbawls</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Teeroy:

I have always enjoyed your posts, they are straight forward and to the point. I will go out of my way to read what you write along with several other contributors. Everyone who has commented about my post admits that there is some kind of change coming. I agree, work like hell to postpone whatever is coming...but, What happens if at the end of the day you lose? All I am saying is if you don't own the land you hunt, wouldn't it be wise to have a backup plan in place? I got a feeling in my gut that whatever is coming is not gonna be good. I am working with my neighbors to help ensure that this resource is not wasted regardless of the State. We are working cooperatively on food plots, sharing information, patrolling, helping neighboring farmers with odds and ends, educating the same farmers about shooting does etc.

I just don't see how my reasoning equates to digging a hole and jumping in because death is inevitable. Seems to me my reasoning is eat right, exercise and get plenty of sleep. </div></div>

What is a good plan? I am glad to hear you encourage to keep up the fight, it helps change my tone a bit. But what is a good plan? If we need to help develop a focus for Iowa's future on this issue what are some good ideas. I for one can't see giving NR revenue away to extend resident landowner privileges to NRs.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jbawls</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What happens if at the end of the day you lose?</div></div>

So be it. The other option is to ensure defeat by doing nothing.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jbawls</div><div class="ubbcode-body">All I am saying is if you don't own the land you hunt, wouldn't it be wise to have a backup plan in place?</div></div>

Absolutely, to those who can make it happen. I can't right now. I've even attempted to gather friends for a purchase but can't find enough like minded people that I would want to share land with who can come up with the necessary cash to do so either. An obvious long term goal of mine and of many others I'm sure.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jbawls</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I am working with my neighbors to help ensure that this resource is not wasted regardless of the State. We are working cooperatively on food plots, sharing information, patrolling, helping neighboring farmers with odds and ends, educating the same farmers about shooting does etc.</div></div>

Good forward thinking on your part.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jbawls</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just don't see how my reasoning equates to digging a hole and jumping in because death is inevitable. Seems to me my reasoning is eat right, exercise and get plenty of sleep.</div></div>

If you're still fighting as you say, then you're not jumping in a hole and it doesn't apply but many have unfortunately taken that path because of the feeling of "inevitability". It'll be inevitable when and if it happens, until then it's a cause well worth it's efforts to me anyway. If we look back in history at all the times things seemed inevitable only to turn out just the opposite and have a lasting effect on the future, one finds a long and colorful list.

I think every hunter would love to own their own ground, it almost goes without saying. It may just be that our backup plans have different time frames but we can all make a difference with the current state of affairs. If the house of cards falls one day, we realize we did all we possibly could and perhaps by then our backup plan will have come to fruition. If not, I guess I'll have died trying and that's a Hell of a lot better than sitting on my tail doing nothing like some choose to do. Guess I feel that way about most things worth fighting for, hunting related or not.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Full Quiver</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jbawls</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What happens if at the end of the day you lose? </div></div>

Then I will say I fought a good fight. I've got two young boys (5 & 2), right there are two great reasons to fight. I want them to have it just as good as I have. </div></div>

Same here will fight to the end. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif

Have two myself except oldest is 8 and a girl. To me it is very important for them.

If alot of this NR legislation passes I do not think they understand how they will change the revenue that stays here from the resident, plus how much more licenses will need to go up to recoupe the number lost by residents not hunting.

I will be glad when this legislative session is over. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif
 
Ironwood:

From what I can tell, this is the most proactive site for resident hunters in the state of Iowa. Someone on here posted a few days ago that he isn't seeing this much chatter anywhere else but on this website. I think that most guys on here are doing all they can by contacting the legislature etc. We must realize that we hunters are a small group compared to the relative population. The IBA does a fantastic job but I think larger groups have the ear of lawmakers at this time. Somehow this chatter needs to spread beyond this website.

Teeroy, I can see where you are coming from, It could look like I am giving up, I am just making a plan B. You see I have spoken to different legislators, I contribute a bunch to Harkin and have met him a few times at various functions. I get the feeling that they just don't care about our concerns. I see guys writing these wonderful e-mails to the senators, congress men etc and that is great. I have also seen with my own eyes how their view of you changes when you stick $1000 into their campaign.

I remember when I was young and had to ask permission to hunt. I have lost land to other hunters, I've had farmers get tired of hunters and throw me out. You name it and it has happened. When I graduated college, I said I will own my own land someday no matter what. I made the sacrifices. I would hate to see any of you not have a place to hunt. To me it is not fair. But you also have to understand that hunting is not a right.

Full Quiver, I hope that telling your boys that you fought the good fight for them is good enough when they don't have a place to hunt. I am not being sarcastic in any way, shape or form because I have 2 small ones as well, and it would break my heart knowing that a youngster who loves hunting will be limited because of access. You of all people should be securing their hunting future and not waiting for this government to make the decision for you. If that means leasing, so be it. If you can buy it, even better.

It's tough, we already have the highest priced deer tag in the nation for non-residents. The only way the state sees to make money is increase the volume but don't increase the price. I know they had a hard time sending back all those millions to the unsuccessful applicants last year.

Now is the time for some good ideas, I have run out of them.
 
the main reason Iowa is different that these other states..... PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO IOWA TO HUNT, BECAUSE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES OUR SYSTEM HAS CREATED!!!!!

You couldn't say if better. When I hunt in iowa I pass up bucks that I would love and dream about shooting in WI. Iowa hunting is by far the best state for deer hunting I think. If other states were like iowa, maybe they too could have hunting close to iowa. Deer hunting by my house is so pressured, you barely see a small buck. Buffalo county is full of large bucks, but there is no public land. The rest of the state is full of people who shoot everything and ask questions later.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> When I graduated college, I said I will own my own land someday no matter what. I made the sacrifices. I would hate to see any of you not have a place to hunt. To me it is not fair. But you also have to understand that hunting is not a right.
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Keeping these tags down alows more Iowans to be able to afford land here. They get sold, you'll be competing with people from much stronger economies than here.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: River Bttm Boy</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> When I graduated college, I said I will own my own land someday no matter what. I made the sacrifices. I would hate to see any of you not have a place to hunt. To me it is not fair. But you also have to understand that hunting is not a right.
</div></div>


Keeping these tags down alows more Iowans to be able to afford land here. They get sold, you'll be competing with people from much stronger economies than here. </div></div>I agree! If NR landowners are treated as landowners; the price of land will skyrocket!! I am fortunate to be a landowner, but it wasn't easy. Even when i purchased my farm 12 yrs. ago; the price was all i could afford. The reason i bought then; was because i had lost my best hunting properties to retired farmers. Some that are now locked up by NR landowners.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jbawls</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Full Quiver, I hope that telling your boys that you fought the good fight for them is good enough when they don't have a place to hunt.</div></div>

You're darn right it will be! I will able to tell them that their dad stood up for and fought for what he believed was best. Not just for an individual, but for everyone involved.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jbawls</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You of all people should be securing their hunting future and not waiting for this government to make the decision for you. If that means leasing, so be it. If you can buy it, even better.</div></div>

Sorry, but I don't agree with the argument that leasing or buying is the only way to secure your future of hunting.
 
I agree completely with Full Quivers statement. If FOI and the DNR had their way things in Iowa would change at a greatly accelerated rate. This is exactly why we will always put up the fight. I hunt my own places mostly but I am not going to become a sellout because things are secure for me. Or because I could profit from it.

Jbawls are you an Iowa resident? Are you involved in the Real Estate end of deer hunting for profit? The reason I ask is I believe everybody in the discussion should know what makes your views what they are. Get off this issue and I have no doubt that we could get along just fine but I firmly believe that anybody supporting FOI are no friends of Iowans and are trying to move us toward an unmanageable future for deer hunting in our state. I believe this is a move toward privatization of this resource. It is the only way it can head if FOI has their way and the DNR jumps the NR numbers. Increase NR hunter numbers to increase revenue and decrease NR licensing fees collect from NR land owners. FOLLY! There is no way this helps the DNRs budget. What else is really going on behind the scenes.
 
Some things are inevitable, but only in the eyes of the beholder. It was inevitable that the British would certainly win the Revolutionary War, right up until they surrendered.

This post has also provided much information for NR landowners as to states that obviously treat them much better than Iowa. I would suggest that all those disgruntled NR landowners sell their Iowa lands and purchase where they can buy a license "over the counter" each and every year so that they can "hunt their own land every year". Of course all of those states have lack luster deer hunting and huge access problems, but if you own your own land what difference can it make, right.
 
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