Talk about biased.
scared liberal sheep/ "nobody hunts with an ar-15" /scared liberal sheep
Iowa deer hunters allowed to use high-powered rifles
By The Associated Press
DES MOINES (AP) — Hunters can use center-fire or high-powered rifles — even some assault weapons — to shoot deer in Iowa under new rules approved by a legislative committee.
It's the latest effort by state officials to reduce the number of deer in the state. The Administrative Rules Review Committee, a joint House-Senate panel, had the power to block the new rules — but it didn't during a meeting Tuesday.
"I'd like to encourage people to come to Iowa and hunt deer like they go to Minnesota to fish for walleyes," said Rep. David Heaton, R-Mount Pleasant.
The new rules require that the rifles be larger than .24 caliber and have a capacity of no more than six rounds in the chamber and magazine.
Department of Natural Resources spokesman Terry Little said the restrictions would ban M-16s but would allow an AK-47 if the size of the magazine was limited.
"We didn't want the perception of people out there with banana clips," which can hold 25 rounds or more, Little said.
The rifles can be used to shoot deer only during one week in January and only in the southern two tiers of counties, where officials have struggled to control the deer population.
Little said the rule change was prompted by lawmakers' concerns over the state's growing deer herd. The goal is a reduction in deer numbers to about 250,000.
Officials have made progress in reducing deer numbers in many parts of the state but have struggled in the southern portion. That southern Iowa herd actually grew by as much as 8 percent last year, Little said.
Little said the lure of being able to use a rifle might attract some hunters to the southern portion of the state.
"We had to come up with something different," said Little. "We had to get more hunters into southern Iowa."
Joe Royce, lawyer for the oversight committee, said he had received phone calls from people worried about the safety of using rifles, where bullets can go a long way. Deer hunters currently use shotguns, with slugs substituting for buckshot.
"They believe a rifle is inherently dangerous and should not be used," said Royce.
Little said the dangers are overstated. Most rifle bullets begin losing altitude as quickly as 400 yards out of the muzzle, he said.
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scared liberal sheep/ "nobody hunts with an ar-15" /scared liberal sheep
Iowa deer hunters allowed to use high-powered rifles
By The Associated Press
DES MOINES (AP) — Hunters can use center-fire or high-powered rifles — even some assault weapons — to shoot deer in Iowa under new rules approved by a legislative committee.
It's the latest effort by state officials to reduce the number of deer in the state. The Administrative Rules Review Committee, a joint House-Senate panel, had the power to block the new rules — but it didn't during a meeting Tuesday.
"I'd like to encourage people to come to Iowa and hunt deer like they go to Minnesota to fish for walleyes," said Rep. David Heaton, R-Mount Pleasant.
The new rules require that the rifles be larger than .24 caliber and have a capacity of no more than six rounds in the chamber and magazine.
Department of Natural Resources spokesman Terry Little said the restrictions would ban M-16s but would allow an AK-47 if the size of the magazine was limited.
"We didn't want the perception of people out there with banana clips," which can hold 25 rounds or more, Little said.
The rifles can be used to shoot deer only during one week in January and only in the southern two tiers of counties, where officials have struggled to control the deer population.
Little said the rule change was prompted by lawmakers' concerns over the state's growing deer herd. The goal is a reduction in deer numbers to about 250,000.
Officials have made progress in reducing deer numbers in many parts of the state but have struggled in the southern portion. That southern Iowa herd actually grew by as much as 8 percent last year, Little said.
Little said the lure of being able to use a rifle might attract some hunters to the southern portion of the state.
"We had to come up with something different," said Little. "We had to get more hunters into southern Iowa."
Joe Royce, lawyer for the oversight committee, said he had received phone calls from people worried about the safety of using rifles, where bullets can go a long way. Deer hunters currently use shotguns, with slugs substituting for buckshot.
"They believe a rifle is inherently dangerous and should not be used," said Royce.
Little said the dangers are overstated. Most rifle bullets begin losing altitude as quickly as 400 yards out of the muzzle, he said.
Email this story Print this story
