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FB has drawn a line

ElkHunter

ElkHunter

Life Member
Well, the day has finally come. Farm Bureau has drawn a line in the sand and stated they have compromised enough and will not move off their platform/agenda. All legislators on House & Senate Natural Resource committees are really feeling the heat from FB. Next week there will be several key committee meetings and all legislators need to hear from sportsmen & women.

FB is still after transferable tags, more shooting permits (shooting deer outside of regular hunting seasons) more free tags, centerfire rifles statewide for depredation program in gun season and a September hunting season.

Last month the DNR hosted a Kaizen event on the depredation program. Eighteen shareholders were represented, including FB. Many changes were made to streamline the whole process, making it producer (farmer) & hunter friendly. The new program will work given the chance. FB has now decided it’s not enough and wants to push their agenda using the legislature to get what they want. We all know what happens when personal agenda takes precedence over biological logic. Many of FB’s proposals will tie up more land, create more loopholes and provide less access, which in turns means less deer harvested.

<u> We as hunters need to be telling the legislators the deer management program already in place along with the changes in depredation program from Kaizen event will bring down the deer numbers given the time and opportunity. The DNR deer management program is working, now isn’t time the for knee jerk reaction. There is an election this fall and the last time I checked there were more hunters & sportsmen than FB members. Be polite and respectful but make them understand how you feel.</u>

If your legislator is on this list please call and email them. I truly believe that FB can smell blood and are ready to move in. For the first time they sense a legitimate chance to get their agenda though the legislature. The IBA has done all it can. It’s time for the membership and all hunters’ not just bowhunters to step up and make the calls. If you do, we can fight off this latest challenge, if you don’t we will lose.


House Natural Resources
Committee Members
• Paul Bell (D, District 41), Chair
• Dick Taylor (D, District 33), Vice Chair
• Henry Rayhons (R, District 11),
• Rich Arnold (R, District 72)
• McKinley Bailey (D, District 9)
• Clel Baudler (R, District 58)
• Mark Davitt (D, District 74)
• Dan Huseman (R, District 53)
• Steven Lukan (R, District 32)
• Jim Lykam (D, District 85)
• Dolores Mertz (D, District 8)
• Dan Rasmussen (R, District 23)
• Nathan Reichert (D, District 80)
• Paul Shomshor (D, District 100)
• Chuck Soderberg (R, District 3)
• Todd Taylor (D, District 34)
• Linda Upmeyer (R, District 12)
• Jim Van Engelenhoven (R, District 71)
• Andrew Wenthe (D, District 18)
• John Whitaker (D, District 90)
• Wes Whitead (D, District 1)

Senate Natural Resources and Environment
Committee Members
• Dennis H. Black (D, District 21), Chair
• Tom Hancock (D, District 16), Vice Chair
• E. Thurman Gaskill (R, District 6),
• Jerry Behn (R, District 24)
• Joe Bolkcom (D, District 39)
• Dick L. Dearden (D, District 34)
• Rob Hogg (D, District 19)
• David Johnson (R, District 3)
• Steve Kettering (R, District 26)
• Mary Lundby (R, District 18)
• Larry Noble (R, District 35)
• Amanda Ragan (D, District 7)
• Brian Schoenjahn (D, District 12)
• Dr. Joe M. Seng (D, District 43)
• Frank Wood (D, District 42)
 
Randy or someone,
Can you please explain in more detail what the Kaizen event is or what was proposed.

Thank You
 
It is a critical look at the system to identify solutions and improvements done in such a way that all stakeholders can have input and results in the optimal approach to deliver a service or produce some deliverable. Comes out of the LEAN process in business so you eliminate duplicate steps or steps in a process that do not add value or contribute to a better outcome. Or something like that...
 
This one was what I was wondering about when I thought a nasty surprise could be on the way a few weeks ago.
 
A Kaizen event is the new terminology for thinking in new paradigms. In other words, somebody wants change so they bring in a bunch of process engineers to prove their point. And in my terms, its a way to screw me over.

The 'Bonker
 
It was a way to cut amount of time from when farmer contacted DNR until he had tags in hand or another solution.
When we mapped it out there were 49 steps and 14 handoffs after streamlining it went down to 37 steps and 7 handoffs..
More info for farmers, DNR website, press releases, brochures anywhere farmers tend to frequent. ASCS offices, Co Op's.FB Spokesman and other FB outlets.

Farmers didn't want strangers on land, so a Master hunter program will be started, class similar to urban hunt class. Complete and DNR will have your name on the list.

New process will give a hunter up to 3 tags, report a harvest and get another tag.Less people on land farmer more comfortable.

Officers decide enough deer damage tags can be issued on the spot, farmer has his hunters lined up, he gives them a # code or a bar code they can go to ELSI system and get up to three tags.


The process is much faster and smoother but the farmers still need to become pro active with the program. Deer aren't going to just fall over dead.It will take some time and a little bit of effort, but if you really have a deer problem taking out does will help the bottom line look a lot better.

Will it work? Don't know. Right now there are only 282 farmers in the depredation program, which isn't many considering what a large deer problem we have. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

Once it has been agreed to there will be lots of information out there about the program.

That should confuse everybody. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif
Sorry not the best at explaining things.
 
To many,,only good deer are dead deer. Heard this before where I came from. Which interest group has more clout? Or the most $ involved wins. Bottom line. Is good to make your feelings known. At least you go down fighting, or making your point.
 
Transferrable tags or Increased NR tags = Increased NR leasing and an increased number of outfitters. Read this article that was posted on prairiestateoutdoors.com and you will see that Farm Bureau's solution will only increase our deer numbers and will hurt the resident hunters access to private land which just happens to be 99% of our state. If this legislation is passed Iowa will be like Illinois in two years. One thing to remember when reading the article is that the figures given only include outfitted acres not total leased acres. I copied and pasted the article so you wouldn't have to search prairiestateoutdoors.com.


.................................................................

Who’s in charge of Illinois deer?
February 22, 2008 at 05:03 AM
BY JEFF LAMPE

Forget budget woes. You want to know how bad things are in the Illinois Department of Natural Resources?

DNR biologists aren’t even in control of the deer herd any longer.

Oh, in theory they manage the world-class Illinois deer herd.

But in practice the DNR has steadily lost a grip on the deer herd. Control has shifted to politicians, who seem hell-bent on killing more deer. And control has shifted to outfitters, who effectively manage much of the state’s best timber.

Consider that later this year, a task-force will meet to discuss deer management issues. The present makeup of the group calls for legislators and members of various groups: outfitters, gun hunters, bowhunters, the insurance agency, the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Illinois State Police and conservation police.

But no deer biologists.

It’s against that curious backdrop that the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic opens today at Bloomington’s Interstate Center. The deer show runs through Sunday and more than 20,000 are expected to attend, lured in large part by the display of world-class bucks.

Among the monster racks expected are a 20-pointer from Knox County shot by firearm hunter Marty Sharp of Gilson, a 17-point LaSalle County bowkill bagged by Dave Gorisek of Mark and an 11-point Randolph County bruiser arrowed by archer Joel Eggers.

No doubt other amazing antlers will emerge. Every show includes surprises. In terms of quality of bucks, there’s no better event in the U.S.

<u>But big bucks are also a big part of the reason DNR has lost its handle over the deer herd. </u>

Based on 2006 numbers, there are 270 licensed outfitters in Illinois that control just over 1 million acres. Wildlife program manager John Buhnerkempe estimated at least another 1 million acres are tied up by non-licensed outfitters, those landowners who choose to book hunts on their own ground.

For those scoring at home, that’s nearly 2 million acres tied up by outfitters versus 555,000 acres of public land in Illinois. No wonder more and more people are hunting with outfitters: projected numbers show 11,182 in 2006, up from 8,473 in 2005.

And what are those hunters paying big bucks to hunt? Bucks. In 2005 outfitter clients shot 2,244 bucks and 2,598 does. Many of those does were no doubt shot in the late-winter antlerless season.

Break that down and you’ll see outfitters are taking roughly one deer for every 207 acres and one doe for every 386 acres. Then again, one outfitter who controls 6,000 acres reported his clients shot eight bucks and no does.

<u>Is it any wonder deer populations are increasing in places? </u>

<u>Is it any wonder selling more deer hunting permits does not automatically lead to harvest increases? </u>

“There are some big, broad issues we need to address as far as the future of deer hunting,” Buhnerkempe said.

So what’s the answer?

One obvious option is for outfitters to kill more does. Good luck enforcing that.

Another option is “Earn a Buck.” In other words, hunters must kill a doe before shooting a buck, a proposal floated in legislation this spring.

On a case-by-case basis earn-a-buck programs have worked to reduce deer overpopulation at places like Clinton Lake and, to a lesser degree, Jubilee College State Park. On a statewide level it would be hugely contentious and difficult to enforce now that the DNR did away with check stations.

Another option is to continue educating landowners about their role in deer management. Spread the message: antlers are great, but to halt overpopulation we’ve got to control does.

Whatever the eventual answer, it seems sensible to seek the input of biologists who helped build the Illinois deer herd into the national attraction it has become.

Then again, one thing obviously lacking in Springfield these days is good sense.

.................................................................



Please take the time to call your legislators and those on the House and Senate Natural Resources Committees posted by elkhunter. If you don't have time to contact all of them please be sure to call at least the House and Senate Natural Resources Committee Chair and Vice Chair. The more legislators you call the better! If you did call a couple weeks ago and you have time it doesn't hurt to call again. I guarantee FB has thousands of members emailing and calling all the legislative members trying to push this legislation. The sad thing is those same FB members that are emailing and calling don't understand how this legislation will be counter productive to their goal of decreasing the deer herd.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The sad thing is those same FB members that are emailing and calling don't understand how this legislation will be counter productive to their goal of decreasing the deer herd.
</div></div>


I agree. We need to get our side of the story into the main stream! Nobody knows about this stuff. The emails I foreward to friends and other local hunters only have so much impact. We need a good writer to write up these issues in similar fashion as the above article so we can enter them into our local news papers and media.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: River Bttm Boy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
We need a good writer to write up these issues in similar fashion as the above article so we can enter them into our local news papers and media. </div></div>

Has the IBA contacted the Des Moines Register and the individual chapters done this as of yet????
 
How greedy can the FB be? I saw an article in the paper where corn is forecasted to be $5+/bushel next fall, beans $10+/bushel. With those kinds of prices, I can handle the deer eating a couple of bushels of my crops. When corn is $1.50/bushel, that's when deer damage really hurts my bottom line.

I've heard "kill them all" from lots of farmers as well and the funny thing is very few of them hunt. I don't understand that. If I'm losing money and I can do something about it other than complaining, I will (and have been for quite a few years now /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif ).
 
Great idea to go public about "the truth" behind these crazy regulations. Major newspapers would be a great place to start, also remember to try and contact FB...as worthless as it may seem
 
"How greedy can the FB be?"

They may be thinking about lease money and or "gifts" for the transfer tags. Maybe it isn't all about "too many deer" except for the auto insurance industry.
 
I'm not a person who gets involved in political matters very often, but I just sent an email to Senator Behn. Judging by the relatively few reads and comments to this thread, I'm concerned that most people will sit back and leave the problem to others . . . like I sometimes tend to do. Please write a direct, but respectful note to your represenative on this matter. This is a huge issue, and it will have very, very negative results for many of you if it's allowed to go through.
 
I have sent letters to my reps and as many others as I had time to. Atleast it makes you feel better and sleep better too.
 
I've been asked a good question. If my rep isn't on a natural resource committee who should I contact.

Main ones are the 1st four in HNR comm. and the 1st three in the SNR comm

House would be
Bell
Taylor
Rayhon
Arnold

Senate
Black
Hancock
Gaskill
 
I am on my third round of e-mails to my reps (one of which is on HNRC). Let's not get lazy at this critical time.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: River Bttm Boy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
The emails I foreward to friends and other local hunters only have so much impact. We need a good writer to write up these issues in similar fashion as the above article so we can enter them into our local news papers and media. </div></div>


I consider this to be our #1 setback

Raise my dues if you must, but please find us a letter writer!!!
 
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