Land Owners Tag

[Slim]

I was recently contacted by my local DNR officer regarding landowner tags. I practice deer management where I live and put in food plots. I am selective with the bucks I take and also harvest doe's. He told me unless I am harvesting a crop for sale I will not be getting a landowner tag again. I was pretty upset after all the work I go to year around to improve our deer herd. I understand what the law states. I also know the law is vague. Has anyone else faced this problem. I it realistic to think this law could be modified. For those of us that practice deer management? Thanks guys I had to vent.

 

[Big Timber]

What is the minimum amount of crops you need to complete the requirement. Plant an acre of sweet corn and sell it out of the back of your truck. Does that qualify? Hopefully someone can answer this question.

 

[smokepole]

Laws like that really make me mad! You are creating habitat and food for many species of animals, yet you can not get a land owners tag! If you ask me, you deserve one just like the traditional land owner. So you harvest one deer, you are feeding probably 50!

 

[Fishbonker]

I own just over 10 acers and have always gotten a land owners tag. I thought as long as I "ownwed" land that was outside of city limits or any other restrictive ordenences etc that I qualified for a "Land Owners Tag". The guy who leases the land next to mine for hunting/guideing informed me that I had to "harvest a crop" to qualify for a "Land Owners Tag". OK, so my crop is venison and I need a "Land Owners Tag" to harvest my "crop".

Its also amazing to me that a fence can determine shooting boundries. I'm all for land owners rights, but if that deer spends half its time on my ground and half its time on other ground, and I'm standing on my ground.....I'm trying to be ethical, fair and within the law and so far I haven't had to choose, but if that venison is on the other side of the fence and its the last day of the season....

I do think that next year I'll forego the land owners tag because I don't need the hassle and 4 tags are plenty, but I just love getting out there and hunting.

The 'Bonker

 

[tracy]

I don't know how I feel about this new law as we manage our 200 acres for deer also, but for a long time I have hated the fact that just anyone with a 1-acre YARD could get a landowner tag. I live in an area zoned rural residential and I do not feel gun hunting should be allowed at all and I feel if these people did not receive landowner tags, they wouldn't hunt. I feel Iowa should adopt a law similar to that of Illinois where a person has to have a minimum number of acres to obtain a landowner tag and also prevent gun hunting in rural residential areas. There are homes everywhere in my area and there are many hunters with no regard to the fact that there are inhabited homes all around - absolutely no respect for the safety of the homeowners and their families. Slugs can fly a mile, yet the neighbors will say that they are not within 200 yards of your house and to "screw off" if you tell them not to shoot slugs or rifles on their land toward your home. For safety purposes, you are confined to your home the entire day during most weekends of shotgun season. No one should have to live that way and I wish the DNR would do something about that as attempting to reason with our bordering landowners does not work.

 

[THEBAD]

If you do not harvest any crop for sale...consider trying to get some of your land into the CRP program...That also qualifies you for a land owners tag and improves wildlife habitat. Best of all you also get one of them there goverment checks to go with it.

 

[IaCraig]

Interesting, and while I do not agree with this new law I do think that in the past some game wardens have been too lax on checking on who has gotten free landowner tags. (some wardens check everyone in their district out) Slim, unless they change the law I'd suggest you decide if deer hunting is worth $25 or not. If it is, buy a license and enjoy what I believe to be one of the best bargains you'll ever get.

IaCraig

[This message has been edited by IaCraig (edited 12-20-2001).]

 

[GDCooper]

This is not a new regulation, has been in effect for at least several years. The DNR regulations (booklet or online) provide a definition for who is eligible, for what type of land (definition of "agricultural unit"). Basically, the land has to be used for agricultural purposes, and the landowner's tag can only be obtained by the operator of the "agricultural unit". The Iowa Code generally defines a farm as being 10 acres or more, and also contains a definition of agricultural commodities. The enforcement is probably going to depend on the feelings of your local DNR officer (and perhaps your demeaner). Some might feel that if hunting on the 10 acres of closely manicured lawn surrounding your house trips your trigger, more power to you. Others might be more rigid, in which case you might want to research the Code a bit (also available on line, although not quite as thrilling as looking through the Victoria Secrets catalog) before discussing with your friendly officer in an effort to pursuade him to adopt your point of view, and ask him to seek a second opinion from his superior if you're unsuccessful. Much cheaper to do that in advance, than later in court. Especially if it turns out that your interpretation was incorrect. (Phew, that'll probably occupy a whole page by itself).

[This message has been edited by GDCooper (edited 12-20-2001).]

 

[antlers]

I live in southeastern South Dakota, our landowner preference requires you own and actively operate a minimum of 160 acres. This would allow you to hunt anywhere in the county. This does not guarantee you a tag either. Half of the tags available for a county are elegible for landowner preference, so if there are more landowners applying than the available number of landowner preference tags, you take your chance of getting a tag. I do think you can buy a landowner tag, but you can only hunt on your own land.

 

[Kennylee]

I have 21 acres of CRP on a 40 acre farm. I get a landowners tag even though I don't "harvest" anything but deer. BUT, only land that has been previously tilled and then taken out of production can qualify for CRP programs. The DNR should be more clear about what the definition of a "Landowner" is.

Check with your local Farm Services Administration to learn more about CRP and how to qualify. Plus, $100+ a year/acre is better than a kick in the teeth.