Last week, Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus former Co-Chair and current member Governor Terry Branstad (IA) signed two pro-sportsmen’s bills into law, advancing the interests of sportsmen and women in the Hawkeye State.
On March 30, Gov. Branstad signed into law House Bill 2342, authorizing the electronic signing of all hunting, fishing and fur harvester licenses. This change will allow the sportsmen and women of Iowa to purchase, sign and store licenses electronically; lowering one of the barriers of participation in hunting, angling, and trapping and paving the way for licenses to be made available on your mobile devices.
Gov. Branstad also signed into law House Bill 2279 on March 31, legalizing the ownership of firearm suppressors statewide. Often misrepresented in the media, firearm suppressors are an innovative technology that protects the hearing of recreational shooters, reduces potential noise complaints from nearby landowners, and increases accuracy. Iowa now joins 41 other states across the nation to afford their citizens access to the sportsmen’s hearing protection of the 21st Century, and the 39th state to authorize hunting with supressors.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
