abell3
Well-Known Member
Let's play a game. Every time QDM makes a comment about population we all take a drink!I 100% agree. I don’t know how these polls would go on ISC Facebook but agree with booneriverbucks that it would turn out similarly. However, not one of the polls had over 100 votes cast. There are 160,000 deer hunters in Iowa. I personally know tons of guys that coyote hunt with thermal that don’t even deer hunt. Thousands of landowners and tenants would be affected by changing LOT acres or eligibility. The guys here on IW that actually believe we somehow represent the majority of deer hunters in Iowa, is actually laughable. Even though I am one of the die hard guys on IW. I realize that 95% of the average guys who deer hunt in Iowa can’t really relate to me or guys like me as far as my goals or expectations. So I try not to assume that everyone wants what I want. But talking with the average Joe’s it is clear that they are happy with our current regulations but would like to see more deer on the landscape. So I would rather try to accomplish our similar goals/objectives and not divide us by taking things away that won’t really matter in the long run.
I don’t think we should be proposing legislation for most of these issues. Definitely not because of the results of a poll with less than 100 people (who the vast majority I would guess would consider themselves trophy hunters/deer manager’s) participating in it.
I think we should devote 100% of our time and effort on increasing the population. That is something that the vast majority of all of Iowa’s deer hunters would like to see. So the support is already there and I believe Jace is on board. Distracting or dividing deer hunters with these other issues is not a good approach in my opinion.
On thermals, I personally don’t know one guy that thermal hunts that would poach a deer regardless of its size. Are there guys that would or could…sure. I just don’t know of any. Should the penalty for poaching a deer be hefty…absolutely. I think the penalty for poaching trophy bucks is no joke now. I also think pitting thermal coyote hunters against deer hunters is a mistake. They are ultimately helping us deer hunters way more than hurting us. I don’t have a thermal but have considered getting one to help control coyotes and raccoons. Regardless, the poachers will still have all the tools needed to poach. So let’s not group all the good guys with a couple bad guys. I think we should let guys kill coyotes and raccoons year round.
My opinion on feeding during season. I think I know a total of one guy that feeds deer during season and not really consistently. I personally don’t and most guys I know don’t so it doesn’t necessarily affect me other than taking away another landowner right. Most guys I know don’t own enough acres to feed during season because of the radius that it takes out of your farm. So if a guy wants to feed and isn’t hunting over it…who really cares??? Plus, what about granny or someone who likes to feed the wildlife behind the house. Now you have to address that situation. When in reality it’s not even an issue for 99.9% of the landowners or hunters in Iowa. Plus, let’s say a guy is hunting over it, it should be pretty easy to prove.
The vast majority of guys I talk to who are using cell cameras don’t want delayed pictures. I know for any trespassing issues I want the picture immediately so I have the best chance of getting the game warden there ASAP, not 12 hours later. By then they have your farm pushed out, all your good bucks killed, loaded up, and are gone. They also know there is a 99% chance they will never get caught after the fact. Plus after the fact, the game warden isn’t going to spend his time trying to hunt the guy down for just a trespassing charge. Add to that, without catching them on the property with your target buck on the ground there is likely not going to be any poaching charges that will be made. So worst case scenario they have your 200” target buck on the wall but it cost them a measly trespassing charge.
I personally don’t want buck tags taken away as I have explained in other threads.
Taking this scorched earth approach by going after things that you deemed guys don’t need or you’re opposed to will result in the same thing that happened last year when guys pushed for changes to the acre limits for getting a LOT tag. ISC guys kicked the hornets nest. Lots of people got upset and legislators got bombarded with calls in opposition and ultimately nothing changed. I wouldn’t push these issues that divide us.
I just don’t think it will be productive to try to ram these issues down the throats of all the other deer hunters/coyote hunters without getting significant push back and fallout. The reward just isn’t worth the political capital expenditure it will take to accomplish it in my opinion.
Now, if the DNR is on board to eliminate late doe season to boost population…great.
I would support them.
If the DNR was willing to decrease doe tag quotas in most every county that still has them to boost the population… great. I would support them.
If the DNR was willing to look at getting rid of party hunting…great. I would support them.
If the DNR decided to return late muzzleloader to black powder and archery equipment only…great. I would support them.
If the DNR wants to ban trail cameras on public ground…fine. They manage that ground.
Let’s get everyone pushing for more deer on the landscape. Let’s not fight over things that don’t matter or that won’t make a significant difference for all of Iowa’s deer hunters.
All in good fun here. I believe you are brushing pasted a few points. If you stop and think about cell cams your message isn't really why you want them is it? Even if you get a "real time" photo of a trespasser on your farm the CO that's covering 3 counties isn't anywhere close to your farm anyway. You want them because it makes you have the clear advantage over the target buck. You want to raise the population and keep more does alive. Well if we can get cell cams on a 24 hour delay well keep a ton of bucks alive too. Big buck lives matter too
Also FYI I don't think it public but one of the biggest poaching cases was done last year. A CO caught a "ring" of 5 guys from Iowa and Missouri that shot over 5 bucks over 200" with thermals over a 4 year time frame. Plus quite a few more big deer. From what I hear a lot of time and investigation efforts went into catching them. Don't know if this is public or not but I know they caught 4 of the 5 guys I believe. Anyone else hear about this? Southern Iowa..
I do agree with you pinning Iowa deer hunters vs coyote hunters doesn't feel like something we should be doing. Kill all the coyotes! Maybe there is another way to solve?

