(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is hosting a series of town hall-style meetings starting next week. D-N-R wildlife biologist, Todd Gosselink says it’s a chance to recap the previous year and plan for the next. He says it’s a chance for hunters to tell the D-N-R what they like and don’t like and to suggest ideas for changes. Gosselink says each year has a few changes to the rules — with the deer seasons often seeing adjustments. “We’re tweaking those quotas and things like that for deer season. We have Chronic Wasting Disease in certain parts of the state — so we’ve changed deer regulations to allow for extra seasons — like a January antlerless season to try and harvest more deer in those areas that have C-W-D or Chronic Wasting Disease,” he says.

He says they will have a final meeting after all the others to talk about what they learned. Gosselink says they will reveal the changes they came up with based on public input, and then have a second round of input on the proposed changes. Gosselink encourages you to find a meeting in your area and give your input. “It really helps us gather a lot of information from the hunters out in the field,” Gosselink says. “And it definitely helps us in the decision-making process, it’s a big factor of what needs changed and addressed to.”

Here are some of the Meeting dates, times and locations:
Creston, Feb. 21, 6 p.m., Multi-Purpose Room, Southern Prairie YMCA, 1201 West Townline Street
Sac City, Feb 22, 6:30 p.m., Sac County Conservation Center, Hagge Park, 2970 280th Street
Onawa, Feb. 23, 6 p.m., Lewis and Clark State Park visitor center banquet room, 21914 Park Loop
Council Bluffs, Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m., Council Bluffs Fish & Game Club, 531 Comanche St.