Outside Iowa: It’s time to take action now
Ok, its time to discuss a serious issue facing Iowa’s outdoorsmen and women. I realize some may not agree with what we are going to talk about, but taking an objective look at Iowa’s deer herd and where it is headed is absolutely necessary.
Even if you don’t deer hunt or only get out a few times a year, being a part of redirecting our most valuable outdoor resource is critical, especially in regards to the next generation.
When I was in high school, I can recall getting out at 3 p.m. and meeting up with a few buddies and limiting out on pheasants before end of shooting time. And, we could do that day after day. Now, shooting a handful of birds throughout the whole season is a big deal! I bring up this example because we took for granted what we had in our pheasant populations and now my children will most likely never experience Iowa pheasant hunting like I did. That’s sad.
I know every reader of this column is smart, attractive, and capable of predicting potential future events based on nearly identical historical events. In short, Iowa’s deer herd is headed down the same road that Iowa’s pheasants were about 10 years ago. We can stop it before it gets that bad if we take action now.
I want to make it perfectly clear that a blanket solution is not the answer. There are still hotspots of dense populations that need further harvest, but overall, Iowa’s deer herd is where it needs to be, if not too low already. Additional overharvest will result in decimated numbers, period. What worries me most is the other side of the argument seems to have the “kill ‘em all” mentality.
Sure deer eat crops, that’s the way it always has been and the way it always will be. But, there is a balance that needs to be attained that keeps both farmers and hunters in mind. Iowa’s hunters contribute a massive amount to the state’s bottom line and are an essential part of our economy.
It is my professional opinion we have attained a manageable number, still considering the occasional hotspot. However, even after the biologist with the Iowa DNR put together a projected management plan to better compensate for the lower deer numbers, our Governor decided to decline implementing their recommended tag quota reductions. This is where I am confused because the last I checked, the Iowa DNR is the group with the education and biology behind their decision.
In my opinion, an organization that represents many of Iowa’s farmers had a major contribution to the Governor’s decision to veto the reduced tag numbers for the 2011 season. Yes, more tags purchased could potentially mean more money on the state’s bottom line and less deer across the state could mean higher margins for Iowa’s farmers. I really can’t blame them for that aspect of the decision, but if we go too far in this effort to reduce population numbers we will eventually have a very similar situation with our deer herd that we currently have with our pheasants.
We have to find the balance, and the Iowa DNR and myself believe we are there now. The number of Iowa farmers far outweighs the number of Iowa deer hunters. If we take action and explain to our representatives how and why it is important to not over-harvest our resource, we can have an impact.
I want to encourage all of you to contact your local representative during this legislative session and encourage them to support a reduction in Iowa’s antlerless harvest and do not support an increase in nonresident tag quotas. Our kids deserve a chance to enjoy hunting as we have and it starts by getting involved before it’s too late.
Good luck and feel free to contact me with any questions at tha481@gmail.com.
Live It Up!
Thomas resides with his wife and two children in Guthrie Center, Iowa. He is a professional outdoor writer, photographer, videographer, and outdoor talk radio show host; for more information visit www.outdoorpursuitsradio.com. If you have questions or comments feel free to e-mail Thomas at tha481@gmail.com