Dear Dead Shot readers: Thank you for all your responses to the pheasant survey I took in the June issue. If you read the June issue, you’ve come to the same conclusions that I did that it is the Iowa Economics that affect the pheasant population and not habitat, as alleged. The Iowa Economics affects everything in Iowa, including the outdoors. Recently, The Des Moines Register article indicated the DNR has financial problems regarding the park system.

In the past, hunters and gunners have always come to the DNR’s rescue. This is accomplished by and through the hunting licenses, habitat stamps and other stamps available. It’s been my understanding that other outdoor people who are recreational users of the parks. do not pay their share but only complain such as the anti-dove people have in the past. I think it’s about time that the other outdoor people step up to the plate and help the DNR through this economic problem. As you hunters and gunners understand, we will support the DNR and the outdoors as we have in the past and will continue to do so in the future. The real outdoor people have to negate the anti-gunners, anti- hunters and anti-dove people who have come to the forefront to survive the outdoor economic crisis.

There are several ways the hunters and gunners can help the DNR, by purchasing stamps from the DNR, proposed by us, such as:
  1. Environmental Stamp - to be purchased by any one using the outdoors.
  2. Habitat Stamp – Up to this time, this stamp has only been purchased by hunters, which should be purchased by all outdoor people.
  3. Dove Stamp – with a dove season coming up this fall, we need a dove stamp to help the DNR.
  4. Pheasant Stamp – a pheasant stamp would help with the pheasant population.
  5. Quail Stamp – a quail stamp could be established by the DNR and any monies thereto would go to the resurrection of the quail.
  6. Sales Tax Increase – an increase of 3/8 of 1% which would be shared by the hunters and gunners.
  7. We also already allow Iowa Migratory Stamps and the Federal Migratory Waterfowl Stamp which are support by a million hunters and gunners.

Park Users Fees – pursuant to a recent Des Moines Register article, we are in need of a park users fee to help the people who do not help themselves, help the outdoors or help the DNR by establishing a park users fee to help with the resurrection, correction and perfection of the Iowa park system.

Trail Use Tax – we also need to set up a trail use stamp for people using the trails which have been supported by the DNR and Iowa gunners and hunters.

All this money is needed for the outdoors and up to this point it has been supported only by the hunters and gunners whereas at this point, Iowa outdoors has become dilapidated, hurting and needs help from other people who use and abuse the outdoors.

This is another survey trying to get you people to contact me regarding what your thoughts are on this matter. I know the taxes are increasing across the nation however, we do need some income for the DNR to help preserve what we do have of the outdoors. Up to this point, it has only been the hunters and gunners who have supported our outdoors and we are in need of more people who appreciate and use, not abuse, the outdoors.
I am not recommending any of them I am just throwing these out there for the purpose of discussion.

Please contact me regarding your position on this by calling (515) 283-2330, emailing me at dmlaw@qwestoffice.net or by writing to 206 – 6th Avenue, Suite 510, Des Moines, Iowa 50309.

Have A Good Hunt And Keep On Fishing!