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HF 2120 storage of game/pelts

Fishbonker

Fishbonker

Life Member
This bill changes the law about storing game, fur bearing animals or their pelts.

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=%24selectedGa.generalAssemblyID&ba=hf2120

It changes storing fur bearing animals and pelts a lot but venison not so much, but as always read it and draw your own conclusions.

Personally, I'd like to see the amount of venison to be carried over a lot more than 25 pounds maybe even unlimited. I had a good year this year but not so good last year and who knows for next year. A freezer full of meat takes the pressure off for the following year, or maybe even two.

I have heard that as long as the venison was processed at a locker and has the name of the locker with the date of processing on each package it's OK to have "old" venison in the freezer. But I've never asked.
 
Fishbonker said:
Personally, I'd like to see the amount of venison to be carried over a lot more than 25 pounds maybe even unlimited. I had a good year this year but not so good last year and who knows for next year. A freezer full of meat takes the pressure off for the following year, or maybe even two.
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I read it differently. If I legally take the game, I can keep it. No limit stated.

The limit of 25 pounds of venison is for others, not the hunter, such as, I can give 25 pounds venison to the non-hunter landowner. I read this as a separate bullet point to what the hunter can posses.

"Any person may possess up to twenty-five pounds of deer venison if the deer was obtained from a lawful source."
 
We need a law stating how much Venison you can have in your freezer? Give me a freaking break. A little government overreach?
 
Just reading what is in the link, I would say 25 pounds of venison is the max at any time. So, as soon as you put 1 deer in the freezer, you are in violation? That can't be correct.....
 
Rjack said:
Just reading what is in the link, I would say 25 pounds of venison is the max at any time. So, as soon as you put 1 deer in the freezer, you are in violation? That can't be correct.....
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Agree. Plus when I grind up 2+ deer and mix with pork/beef, then what. Is the entire finished product could towards the limit? Probably
 
I read it as any person, even if they did not harvest it, can have up to 25 lbs of venison. The person who harvests any animal may have up to the possession limit. Of course I could not find a possession limit in the regs book after a quick look. It may be there I just did not see it. All the rest of the game possession limits are summarized nicely in a table.

Regardless, the rule needs clarification as others mentioned. It could easily be interpreted differently than I did.
 
deerhunter93 said:
03/02/2016 Passed House, ayes 96, nays none. H.J. 386.

Who do we need to contact for clarification about the 25lb limit on this bill?
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My best guess at this time would be the representative that proposed the legislation Jones, and the House floor manager for the bill Wils.

It hasn't been assigned to a Senate Committee yet. The Senate is out of session until Monday but their journal for today hasn't been published yet so this may well change later today (Thursday 3/3). So when it is assigned it would be good to contact the sub committee/full committee members to raise the point that this is unclear.

As far as the possession limit from another post, I don't think there is a possession limit as a hunter can get as many doe tags as they want.
 
This is how it has been for several years. I do not see any change to the amount of venison you can have.

POSSESSION & STORAGE OF GAME
AND HIDES
You cannot possess game or furbearing
animals or their pelts, except deer venison,
for more than 30 days after the close of the
season for that species. A person in lawful
possession of deer venison taken with a valid
license, may hold the venison until the following
September 1. From September 1 until
the first day of the next deer open season for
which the person holds a valid deer hunting license,
the person shall not possess more than
25 pounds of deer venison. Any person may
possess up to 25 pounds of deer venison if the
deer was lawfully obtained.
A permit to hold for a longer period may be
granted by the DNR. The permit application will
be verified in person and show the number and
varieties of the skins or hides you may hold.
The permit will authorize the holder to sell or
otherwise dispose of such skins or hides.
 
Assigned to the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee.

Of concern is the file strikes the provision that a permit could be obtained from the DNR to hold more than 25 pounds of venison.
 
Fishbonker said:
Assigned to the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee.

Of concern is the file strikes the provision that a permit could be obtained from the DNR to hold more than 25 pounds of venison.
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If one cannot hold more than 25 pounds of venison, or a little less than a normal deer, then that would suck big time.

OK...how about this? I normally add some pork to my ground venison...so does my 25 pound limit apply proportionally to the amount of pork I add to my venison? :D I should get at least, say 29 pounds of venison pork! What if I have 25 pounds and my wife has 25 pounds...is that OK? How about my kids?

What a bunch of malarkey.
 
150 Class said:
I read it differently. If I legally take the game, I can keep it. No limit stated.

The limit of 25 pounds of venison is for others, not the hunter, such as, I can give 25 pounds venison to the non-hunter landowner. I read this as a separate bullet point to what the hunter can posses.

"Any person may possess up to twenty-five pounds of deer venison if the deer was obtained from a lawful source."
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I still read it this way. We can posses the legal limit (one deer per tag). The 25 lb limit is for others. A non-hunter can posses 25 lbs. Example #1, a gift to the landowner. Example #2, someone who gets meat from the HUSH program.
 
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150 Class said:
I still read it this way. We can posses the legal limit (one deer per tag). The 25 lb limit is for others. A non-hunter can posses 25 lbs. Example #1, a gift to the landowner. Example #2, someone who gets meat from the HUSH program.
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Interesting, thanks for the clarification. If that is how it is, then I guess I am in the clear, but the elderly family that I gave 2 deer to this year is now a game violator. :confused: :rolleyes:

This gentlemen used to hunt and still loves venison, but is not physically able to go out and get a deer himself these days, so I give him one or two per year now. I suppose I should phone him in to the TIP line? (It may be evident that I am not a big supporter of a bunch of ticky tack rules and laws. ;))
 
This is the bill with all the strikethroughs removed.


Section 1. Section 481A.57, Code 2016, is amended to read as follows:
481A.57 Possession and storage.
A person having lawful possession of game or fur-bearing animals or their pelts lawfully takenby that person with a valid hunting or trapping license, may hold,possess, or store the game or fur-bearing animals or their pelts in an amount that does not exceed the possession limit for the game or fur-bearing animal, from the date of taking until the day before the first day of the next open season for that game or fur-bearing animal. Any person may possess up to twenty-five pounds of deer venison if the deer was obtained from a lawful source.

I hope you guys are correct in your interpretation but I still read it as I can only hold 25 pounds of venison after September 30th until I report another harvest. Once I report another harvest then I can possess more until Sept 30th of the next year then it's back down to 25 pounds and over and over and over.

The bill was introduced so trappers could hold their pelts longer than 30 days after the season closes in hopes of getting better prices, venison is just an after thought and it shows.

Again, I hope you guys are right but only a judge can tell us for sure. Kinda like getting married, the preacher has you say "I do" but later the judge tells you what you said "I do" to.
 
I read it like you. You can store all the deer you want from harvest until 1 day before opening day (which is before Sept 30th for urban and youth hunts) and then you can have a max of 25 pounds until you harvest another one.
 
FWIW, I read it the same way men, I assume that they are not intending to make 60%-90% of the deer hunters in this state illegal.
 
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