Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Hunting

Poltical Report: Hunting Season: A Win for Some is a Win for All

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

It`s that time of year. For many of us, hunting seasons are well under way, while others among us are doing our last-minute scouting, sighting in our rifles one last time, or packing and repacking bags for long-awaited trips to new hunting grounds. No matter what you hunt or where you hunt it, the rituals of preparing for the seasons are both timeless and a marker of time`s passage.

Protecting the right to hunt, on the other hand, is a full-time, year-round pursuit for us at NRA -ILA. Anti-hunting groups follow the "divide and conquer" strategy, so they attack hunting season by season, species by species and method by method.

Our counter-strategy has three prongs. First, we must protect the hunting opportunities that exist. Second, we must create new opportunities--whether by opening new seasons, expanding access to hunting lands, or removing needless obstacles that block hunters from going afield. Finally, we must recruit and retain a new generation of hunters to perpetuate our hunting tradition.

In most states, the arrival of fall is marked by dove season. For many, the first dove hunt of the year is as much a social occasion as it is a hunting trip. Opening day dove hunts often see dozens of hunters gather for a sporting afternoon of wingshooting, followed by a barbecue and party. One ritual common to many dove hunts is to introduce the new hunters of the year, children who have come of age for their first hunt. They come with eyes wide, clad in ill-fitting camo, and beaming at their acceptance in the hunting community. Seeing the excitement and enthusiasm of the first-time hunters is an inspiration, and that`s why dove seasons are a critical component for success in new hunter recruitment and retention.

Doves are our nation`s most populous game bird. They enjoy high reproductive rates, out of biological necessity. That`s because their mortality rate is also high, regardless of whether they are hunted. But just as hunting is bound by tradition, the absence of a dove season in many states has become accepted. Anti-hunting groups manipulate those attitudes to prevent the establishment of new dove seasons at any cost.

That`s why it was a major victory this year when the Iowa legislature authorized the state`s first dove season since 1918. Anti-hunting groups tried everything to derail the hunt or make it less popular, including an amendment that would have banned lead shot, forcing hunters to use more expensive and less available alternatives. The amendment was defeated. But when the time came for the state Natural Resources Commission to set the season and rules, the Commission included a ban on lead shot on its own, in overt defiance of the legislature.

I can`t vouch for the motives of state agency officials, but Iowa wouldn`t be the first state where we have seen state game officials abruptly institute a lead ban without any supporting science. Groups seeking to ban traditional ammunition claim that lead is taking a devastating toll on wildlife populations. Yet the species they claim are threatened are flourishing. There simply is no credible science that definitively links the use of traditional ammunition in upland bird hunting to any decline in wildlife populations.

The NRA "does not stand alone in its view that any regulation effort on traditional ammunition should be based on sound science that shows a wildlife population-level impact. The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has put forward a resolution stating that "state agencies should focus regulation efforts where population-level impacts to wildlife are substantiated." (afwa--2010 Lead Ammunition and Fishing Tackle Resolution; emphasis added.)

An overt, concerted campaign is under way to ban lead in ammunition and fishing tackle nationwide. They are driven by zeal and blinded to fact. And where they have been able to limit the use of lead shot, even without any basis in science, they are able to manipulate other regulatory bodies into following suit, whether out of fear or ignorance. Even state fish and game agencies are riding the political winds at the direction of anti-hunting groups, placing entire sections titled "Get the Lead Out" on agency websites and propaganda materials.

So it`s really no surprise that the Iowa Natural Resources Commission decided to ban lead shot. But they didn`t count on the reaction from the state`s elected officials. If there`s anything that will outrage an elected lawmaker at any level of government, it`s an unelected bureaucrat issuing rules that are openly defiant of the legislature. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad waded into the fray, saying the Commission had overstepped its bounds. A legislative panel quickly delayed the lead ban, and lawmakers will revisit the issue in their next session.

And so, on Sept. 1, Iowa opened its first dove season in nearly a century, complete with all the traditional trimmings. It`s our mission to keep it that way and ensure that wildlife management decisions are rooted in sound science--in Iowa and all across America.

IN THIS ARTICLE
Hunting/Conservation
TRENDING NOW
Federal Legislation Introduced to Ban “Gas Operated Semiautomatic” Firearms

Friday, December 1, 2023

Federal Legislation Introduced to Ban “Gas Operated Semiautomatic” Firearms

Joe Biden has long insisted he would ban what he calls “assault weapons” and has enlisted a motley succession of extreme anti-gun legislators to aid in that effort. Now, Senators Angus King (IND-ME) and Martin ...

Washington: Two Anti-Gun Bills Pre-Filed for 2024 Legislative Session

Friday, December 8, 2023

Washington: Two Anti-Gun Bills Pre-Filed for 2024 Legislative Session

Pre-filing of bills for the 2024 legislative session started this week in Washington. Among the dozens of bills that were pre-filed, there are two prominent anti-gun bills; HB 1902 and HB 1903.

NBC Poll: Majority of Voter Households Own Firearms

News  

Monday, December 4, 2023

NBC Poll: Majority of Voter Households Own Firearms

The last few weeks haven’t been kind to gun grabbers - and we’re not just talking about President Joe Biden’s woeful poll numbers. Black Friday is typically the largest day of the year for gun sales. This year, gun buyers set ...

Crime in “America’s largest outdoor shooting range” – Lies, damned lies, and statistics

News  

Monday, December 4, 2023

Crime in “America’s largest outdoor shooting range” – Lies, damned lies, and statistics

In a press conference late last month, Chicago’s progressive new mayor, Brandon Johnson, shifted the blame for the crime epidemic and migrant crisis plaguing his city on his predecessor, Lori Lightfoot (another Democrat), and on “right-wing extremism.”

Following Terrorist Attack, Israel Relaxes Gun Laws and Arms Civilians

News  

Monday, October 16, 2023

Following Terrorist Attack, Israel Relaxes Gun Laws and Arms Civilians

Following an unprecedented terrorist attack on civilians that indiscriminately targeted even the elderly, women, and children, Israel has loosened its gun laws and is distributing firearms to civilians. As of press time, the number of victims killed in ...

Canadians on Canada’s Gun Control Measures: Expensive, Ineffective, Political Posturing

News  

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Canadians on Canada’s Gun Control Measures: Expensive, Ineffective, Political Posturing

More than three years have passed since Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a ban and mandatory confiscation (“buyback”) of what he called “military grade assault weapons,” which was followed by a national handgun “freeze” ...

Seventh Circuit Strains to Uphold Illinois’ Gun and Magazine Ban

News  

Monday, November 13, 2023

Seventh Circuit Strains to Uphold Illinois’ Gun and Magazine Ban

At this point, gun owners and other productive Americans don’t anticipate much good news out of Chicago. On November 3, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit lived up to those expectations when it upheld Illinois’ ...

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Strikes Maryland’s Handgun Qualification License Requirement in NRA-Backed Case.

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Strikes Maryland’s Handgun Qualification License Requirement in NRA-Backed Case.

On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals ruled that Maryland’s Handgun Qualification License (“HQL”) requirement is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. 

Virginia: Omnibus Gun Control Bills Filed Ahead of the 2024 Legislative Session

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Virginia: Omnibus Gun Control Bills Filed Ahead of the 2024 Legislative Session

In Virginia, the pre-filing of legislation has begun for the 2024 session and anti-gun legislators are wasting no time in aggressively laying out their agenda. 

Michigan: House Passes Long Gun Registration & Permit Mandate

Friday, March 10, 2023

Michigan: House Passes Long Gun Registration & Permit Mandate

On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing and sent House Bills 4138, 4142, and 4143 straight to the floor. The House then voted 56-53 to pass them.

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.