A One-Year Survey of Public use on State Wildlife Management Areas in Iowa, July 1973

(1973) A One-Year Survey of Public use on State Wildlife Management Areas in Iowa, July 1973. Natural Resources, Department of

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Abstract

It has become apparent with each passing year that a greater percentage of public use on state-owned wildlife management areas can be attributed to users other than hunters. These areas were, for the most part, purchased by hunters' money, and hove been developed and managed from the same sources. Thus there is an ever-increasing likelihood of conflicts of interest arising between the several categories of users interested in Iowa's public hunting lands. Therefore, it was evident to those involved in administering these areas that a quantitative measure of types of use would be helpful, and perhaps soon necessary, in making decisions on how to best manage the considerable acreage involved. A year-long survey of user activities on a sample of these state areas was conducted so we could estimate type and amount of use. We believe that a rough measure of what was happening would give adequate figures for immediate use and would also serve as the basis for designing a better study at a future date.