The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is working to develop programs to maintain the state's rich history of private land access for deer hunters. Photo by Curt Wells.

You pay to go to the movies. You pay to play a round of golf. You pay to enjoy dozens of other recreational activities. Why shouldn't you pay for the privilege of hunting on a farmer's property?

The knee-jerk reaction you're probably feeling underscores the depth of the old tradition that, in Iowa, you hunt for free. For generations, the unspoken, unwritten custom of the country has been that, merely by asking permission, hunters would be granted access to private property.

But things are changing. Farmers and landowners have realized that pheasants, deer and other wild game on their property have value. Some hunters are willing to pay to gain access to land that offers good hunting. Some landowners now view wildlife as another revenue-generating "crop."

(Editor's Note: Though landowners have no legally recognized property interest in the wildlife on their land -- wildlife belongs to the public and is managed on its behalf by the state government through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources -- they exert de facto control of that wildlife by managing access to their property and any habitat in it that harbors game animals.)

Fortunately, the majority of landowners in Iowa hold strong to the tradition of open access to private property, as long as permission is asked and granted. Will that tradition continue, or will money eventually decide who hunts where in Iowa?

GROWING CONCERN
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has watched the pay-to-hunt movement develop in Iowa and is monitoring its expansion, studying its effects and working to develop programs to maintain hunter access to private property.

"Right now, our biggest concern is with deer, because we see more and more leasing and restricting of hunting access for deer," said Todd Bogenschutz, upland game biologist with the IDNR. "We're trying to get a handle on what's going on with all forms of hunting access in Iowa so we can stay ahead of the situation."

IDNR surveys show that less than 5 percent of landowners now lease hunting rights. But percentages can be deceiving. Many of those owners have land in areas of the state that offer the best wildlife habitat and, therefore, the best hunting.

"I get phone calls all the time from guys complaining that they've lost access to ground they hunted for years and years, because somebody bought or leased the land for hunting," said Randy Taylor, president of the Iowa Bowhunters' Association. "I hear about it a lot down in southeast Iowa. There are places down there where thousands of acres have been leased or purchased for hunting rights. They may not all be under one management: Maybe one guy or group has rights to 100 or 200 acres next to 100 acres leased or owned by another group of hunters. But the bottom line is that there are a few areas in Iowa where it's getting tough to get permission to hunt deer because the hunting rights have been bought or leased."

Dan Cunning, a realtor in Mt. Ayr in south-central Iowa, has seen interest in leasing or purchasing land solely for hunting rights increase markedly. "There's a strong market for land that's not good farmland or pastureland but has good wildlife habitat," he reported. "I have mixed emotions about the whole issue. I own land of my own, have hunted my entire life and prefer to see things stay the way they are -- where hunters ask and get permission to hunt for free. But it's hard for farmers to walk away from the extra income if guys are willing to pay to hunt."

HIDDEN ISSUES
Willie Suchy, IDNR wildlife research supervisor, noted that farmers and landowners might want to look at more than the potential for immediate profits. "Iowa's statutes are such that if a farmer or landowner grants permission to hunt for free, they're not liable (for damages) if the hunter is injured on the property," he said. "As soon as they take any monetary payment, the farmer or landowner can be held liable for injuries. That is a big, big issue."