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Administrative | Since 1965We have done the research since 1965 to know where to lease land and where not to to get the best return for our dollars spent. Iowa leases came after a long experience in Kansas and Missouri quail hunting. That best return is measured by membership renewals as we know that hunters will only renew their membership if they have a good quail hunt. To have a good quail hunt requires the right habitat. To have the right habitat in this region of the country is to know the difference between what a watershed provides compared to that of hill country. A nuance lost on many and greatly appreciated by those that enjoy our better Iowa quail hunting as well as the rest of what we provide. The value to our Iowa quail hunting members is they will be in the right Iowa locality that allows for the best opportunity to be on wild Bobwhite Quail. What that hunter does with that quail hunting opportunity we do not attempt to control. We stick to our mission of securing the best habitat we can and have the organization fixed to allow all members to hunt on their own.
Why Do It YourselfWe have always operated since our beginning in 1965 as a do it yourself quail hunter operation. In fact the original 4 local businessmen that started MAHA were all quail hunters that wanted a more efficient method by which to enjoy their quail hunting. They began in Missouri and later the Association expanded into Iowa. However, as good as all this sounds our quail hunting is not perfect. One aspect we cannot overcome and probably should not is that every first year member will experience a twinge in his gut the first several times stepping out of his truck and hunting on land that he himself has not personally met with the landowner. There is not anyway around this effect and we have a long time tested method to overcome it. We use the same county road maps to mark our lease land location as the county sheriff, utility Co-Ops and township road crews use to navigate. They are the most accurate around to include key features as local land marks and road surface quality. These two last features alone are missing from all of the commercially available alternatives we have explored. Trust in the maps we issue as we have been mapping our leases for a long time. Our maps will get all who can read a map to where they need to hunt. The next thing we do is to post our leases with a unique MAHA sign that gives the hunter confidence he has found the right spot. After these two aspects there is nothing for the new hunter/member to do except get out there and experience the hunt. That twinge in the gut will attenuate and later disappear entirely with experience.
MAHA AdvantageWe provide the private Iowa land to quail hunt, the recommendations to get the new Association hunter started in the right area for what he is after and a lodging listing for every county where we lease land. The hunter hunts on his own, using his own upland bird dogs and skills. Good hunts to all!
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