"Where the hell is the game?" isn't a bad question. MT has never been one of the top pheasant states, but Iowa certainly has. During the 80's and 90's, we led the nation in pheasant harvest more frequently than any other state. That's right--we even beat out SD. Since 2001, however, we have been at or below our previous all-time low (724,000 birds in pre-CRP 1984) every year except one (2003, the last time we topped a million). In 2008, it was 380,000. This season--likely lower. Last season was also the first time we ever dropped below 100,000 pheasant hunters. (SD had more NONRESIDENT pheasant hunters in 08 than IA had TOTAL pheasant hunters.) Lower license sales = less money for the DNR, which = reduced $ for habitat. Same story if nontox is mandated for upland hunting: Hunter numbers will fall even farther, as will $ for habitat.

The situation is discouraging enough without the push for additional nontox requirements.