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I drew 3 buck tags this year with zero points!!!!!! Wooohooo!!

That is a big problem itself. Does anyone need to shoot 3 bucks in one year in state. To many loopholes. 2 is plenty. Also even though I have heard many gripe about the nr price I don't personally know anyone that stopped applying. Charge whatever you need to, keep it affordable for the residents. Has to be a benefit to live in state.
 
That is a big problem itself. Does anyone need to shoot 3 bucks in one year in state. To many loopholes. 2 is plenty. Also even though I have heard many gripe about the nr price I don't personally know anyone that stopped applying. Charge whatever you need to, keep it affordable for the residents. Has to be a benefit to live in state.

I agree completely on the 3 tags but we had that discussion and people like to just sit and watch, not kill but without a tag they don't have an incentive. I think they should reduce it 2 and allow NRLO with X amount of ground have 1 any sex tag a year. Bow hunters on average spend more money when they come in to hunt the state than other types of hunters. If it's a money issue, offer more archery tags....
 
That is a big problem itself. Does anyone need to shoot 3 bucks in one year in state. To many loopholes. 2 is plenty. Also even though I have heard many gripe about the nr price I don't personally know anyone that stopped applying. Charge whatever you need to, keep it affordable for the residents. Has to be a benefit to live in state.

I've bought 10 tags (6 anysex and 4 antlerless) the last two seasons and have harvested one deer (doe). Just because we can buy so many tags, doesn't mean we are out whacking and stacking them. I'm aiming to harvest 5 yr olds or older. So, in the event that the stars align and I can harvest 3 fully mature bucks in one year, I will do so. It will open the gates for the younger 3 and 4 year olds to move in (with hopefully better genetics). I would rather see someone kill three 5+ yr old bucks (especially genetically inferior bucks) than one 1-4 yr old.
 
I would rather see all of the tags that aren't allocated through the draw be sold in this way as opposed to handed out to celebs or sports stars. As long as the funds go to worthy organizations I think it is a win all around.
I would like to see them offer a tag more like the western states do where I is open for one year and all weapons.
 
I don't know where to start but I will. Two buck tags are enough in one year. NRLO should never be allowed to get a guaranteed tag every year. If that happens they will buy up everything they can. Many of them have bought land just hopping that the law will change. If you want a guaranteed tag move to Iowa. The only people that want more NR tags are outfitters and NR. My staunch on this will never change as these are JMO.
 
I would agree with the above post in that there are enough tags in the system currently for both residents and non residents . More buck tags to any group will negatively affect the reason I chose to live here. Also even though I do guide I don't want more NR tags the system works fine the way it is now.
 
150, I too respect your posts when you do respond in threads. The one thing I didn't mention in regards to my hypocritical view, as you stated, is that I've owned land in Iowa for nearly 15 years and tags were about half as much; which were still expensive but doable. I don't recall the exact price but it was a lot less. When the DNR raised the price I certainly wasn't going to forego my investment. As a result we suck it up and pay. Hypocritical, I don't think so. But, I respect your opinion.
 
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I don't know where to start but I will. Two buck tags are enough in one year. NRLO should never be allowed to get a guaranteed tag every year. If that happens they will buy up everything they can. Many of them have bought land just hopping that the law will change. If you want a guaranteed tag move to Iowa. The only people that want more NR tags are outfitters and NR. My staunch on this will never change as these are JMO.

Couldn't agree more!!! Hard enough to buy land without expanding the pool of wealthy guys motivated to buy.
 
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Couldn't agree more!!! Hard enough to buy land without expanding the pool of wealthy guys motivated to buy.

They are buying anyway ...1/4 of land in Iowa is owned by NR.

Don't hold your breath on buying based on a deer tag?
 
They are buying anyway ...1/4 of land in Iowa is owned by NR.

Don't hold your breath on buying based on a deer tag?

No? Lots of people move here for the hunting quality. If 1/4 own now you don't think more will with a guaranteed tag every year?
 
No? Lots of people move here for the hunting quality. If 1/4 own now you don't think more will with a guaranteed tag every year?

Yeah probably another 1-2%. If they buy land and move to Iowa, no different, correct?
 
It's a bigger commitment. I can't say anything against someone moving here because the hunting is better. But depending on your family and situation picking up and moving is a huge deal. Not sure every spouse would understand moving to Iowa so you can shoot bigger deer. But, investing in land and hunting couple weeks a year every couple years is an easier sell. All I am saying is it expands the pool of buyers quite a bit going from the population of Iowa to all the states in the union. Some things should be left as a benefit to residents of the state. You want to make that commitment and move, welcome. If not, throw your name is and pay the price just like the rest of the NR that can't afford to or choose not to own (maybe because landowners can't get a buck tag every year)
 
Agree with above. Think about a situation where a large percentage of ground is owned by NR's. For 50/52 weeks of the year their money is made and spent elsewhere. I'm not at all saying a majority of land owners would turn into NR, but the percentage would certainly go up. An argument was made above about the financial incentives for opening it up. I think for the state, as a whole, opening tags would be a financial disaster. There are tons of people that have moved here because tags are limited. For most that's not THE reason for the move, but it is a large factor. Shoot, there's a handful of folks just on this site. The economic impact all those folks have and will continue to make to Iowa's bottom line over a lifetime far outweigh what little money would be gained through selling more tags.
 
Part of what makes Iowa deer big is the current situation where NR land isn't hunted every year. They are default sanctuaries and a giant benefit to anyone hunting regardless of where you are from. I'm ok with the system Iowa has for NR's. I would argue that the resident laws need changed before you mess with NR's. Party hunting and 3 buck tags are the real detriment as I see it. On the flip side hunting isn't always about killing giant deer and every state does it different such as baiting, dogs, seasons, tags....as NR's we get to pick our poison from where we go to hunt. No state is perfect, but it tough to argue the quality of deer produced by Iowa in the last 10 years compared to other states.
 
Agree with above. Think about a situation where a large percentage of ground is owned by NR's. For 50/52 weeks of the year their money is made and spent elsewhere. I'm not at all saying a majority of land owners would turn into NR, but the percentage would certainly go up. An argument was made above about the financial incentives for opening it up. I think for the state, as a whole, opening tags would be a financial disaster. There are tons of people that have moved here because tags are limited. For most that's not THE reason for the move, but it is a large factor. Shoot, there's a handful of folks just on this site. The economic impact all those folks have and will continue to make to Iowa's bottom line over a lifetime far outweigh what little money would be gained through selling more tags.

I have to agree....I happen to be one of the people you are talking about. The major reason I moved was to be able to own land here and hunt it every year. The limitations on NR tags i believe is a major factor in the quality of deer in the state....if it was easy to get NR tags...iowa would be the next Illinois...hunting quality has declined in my opinion there due to the tremendous influx of NR hunters who can shoot 2 bucks every year
 
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