Celebrity tags for deer hunts annoy hunters on waiting list
A program that gives celebrities a chance to immediately hunt deer in Iowa while other out-of-staters wait an average of three years for the privilege is drawing pot shots from within and outside of Iowa.
The likes of former pro athlete Bo Jackson, comedian Jeff Foxworthy and rocker Ted Nugent have hunted in Iowa under special licenses the state has set aside for them since the late 1990s.
The idea then was to encourage high-profile hunters to help promote the state as a top deer-hunting destination. That, in turn, would lure other hunters of all walks to bring their rifles and wallets to cash-strapped rural Iowa in pursuit of a trophy-sized buck.
But more than a decade later, the program is coming under renewed scrutiny as the last of Iowa’s 2011-12 deer hunting seasons come to a close next weekend.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120122/NEWS/301220042/Celebrity-tags-for-deer-hunts-annoy-hunters-on-waiting-list
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