No. Apples and oranges. Roads don't appreciably deteriorate from out of state car traffic, and the economic benefits to Iowans of maintaining the roads for use by all outweighs the costs of uilding and maintaining said roads.

200,000 out-of-state hunters blasting 4-5 pheasants a piece would virtually destroy the flock. As would 100,000 out of state deer hunters. It might take a few years, but it wouldn't be long before Iowa was known as a very bad place to hunt.

The IADNR, at the behest of the representatives of the people of Iowa, have determined that we don't want game in Iowa destructively effected by an "open border" licensing scheme. As such, non-resident hunting has been limited by both higher than resident fees and severe limits on available non-resident big game tags. These measures, while certainly frustrating to ex-patriot non-residents, are in place to ensure that Iowa is a good place to hunt for IOWANS. Every other state does similar things for the sake of the residents of their respective state.

I guess it boils down to this, it is the way it is because the residents of the respective states want it that way. Iowa is a better place to hunt FOR ME, an Iowan, because people like you, ex-pat or otherwise, have to pay more to hunt in Iowa. The same is true for you wherever you live. I pay $141 to rifle hunt in MN because that's how much the law says I must pay. You pay $500 to hunt in Iowa because that's what Iowa law says you must pay. You have no right to the natural resources in Iowa, any more than I have a right to the natural resources of MN. If there is disparity, that's just the way it is. Iowa doesn't care to lower non-resident fees, and doesn't care that you chose to move out of the state when your family didn't.

You can throw yourself on the floor and throw all the tantrums you want, but unless you choose to move back, then it is the way it is. Just think, if you lived here you could petition your representative to work to change the law... but you don't, so sorry about your luck.

Mike