Non-resident tag fees out of control!

[Doe Nob]

I don't mind paying a lot of money for a good tag. I don't mind paying a decent amount for a preference point.

I do mind paying a lot of money for a hunting license I won't use if I don't draw and I also mind paying a bunch of money for a tag in a crummy area where there are way too many hunters and not enough game.

I think the answer to this is to have a sliding price scale on tags in the state. The best tags cost the most money, the tags that aren't so great cost a lot less. Apply this both to residents and non-residents. Residents have the ability to learn the less popular units and still have a good season year after year. As a non-resident I don't, I can spend maybe a week scouting or I can hire a guide to help me out. Seems fair to me

I would guess most Eastman's subscribers apply in multiple states every year.

[Old Hunter]

I don't mind paying a lot of money for a good tag. I don't mind paying a decent amount for a preference point.

I do mind paying a lot of money for a hunting license I won't use if I don't draw and I also mind paying a bunch of money for a tag in a crummy area where there are way too many hunters and not enough game.

I think the answer to this is to have a sliding price scale on tags in the state. The best tags cost the most money, the tags that aren't so great cost a lot less. Apply this both to residents and non-residents. Residents have the ability to learn the less popular units and still have a good season year after year. As a non-resident I don't, I can spend maybe a week scouting or I can hire a guide to help me out. Seems fair to me

I would guess most Eastman's subscribers apply in multiple states every year.

I don't like that idea. That would flood some areas with applications, and leave the good areas for the rich.

[Doe Nob]

Yep - free market economics - supply and demand. When demand exceeds supply, prices must rise. Not every tag in every state is over subscribed, mostly we are talking about the trophy units where people can't get tags.

A lot of people, myself included, would be happy to just get to go hunting every year. Throw in a trophy hunt every now and then when i can afford it, but to me its just as good to get out there. Now if the odds of filling my tag are something like 18% and there's 400 other hunters in my unit, then I don't think its fair for me to pay out the nose for that privilege.

And I don't want to sound elitist, but at 69 if you can still get around the mountains and pack out a deer, there are a lot of seasonal jobs you could do during the spring/summer to get enough money to be able to at least drive to a different unit. Not trying to be a jerk, I've just found if you want something bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen.

[Wapiti slayer .270]

Sorry, didn't realize a jab was being thrown...

I've erased my 2 cents and will not post further.......

[Old Hunter]

Yep - free market economics - supply and demand. When demand exceeds supply, prices must rise. Not every tag in every state is over subscribed, mostly we are talking about the trophy units where people can't get tags.

A lot of people, myself included, would be happy to just get to go hunting every year. Throw in a trophy hunt every now and then when i can afford it, but to me its just as good to get out there. Now if the odds of filling my tag are something like 18% and there's 400 other hunters in my unit, then I don't think its fair for me to pay out the nose for that privilege.

And I don't want to sound elitist, but at 69 if you can still get around the mountains and pack out a deer, there are a lot of seasonal jobs you could do during the spring/summer to get enough money to be able to at least drive to a different unit. Not trying to be a jerk, I've just found if you want something bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen.

Do you understand what retired means? I worked my ass off for 45 years to take it easy in my later years and enjoy hunting and fly fishing. Which btw is what I do in the summer.

Maybe you don't want to sound like a jerk, but........

[xtreme]

I am trapped again Old Hunter. I only have one acre so no land owner tag for me. I am only 25 feet from the national forest and have to cross the Conejos to get to my house, all that is good. I have seen bear in my yard, several. We had a gaint of a bear three years ago and a giant mule deer. They were seen for three years and now they are both gone. Lack of a tag kept me from trying to shoot either one. I am not bitter about it. Either animal would have been the trophy of a life time. Btw, I still work pretty hard as I have a small herd of registered Beefmaster cattle to take care of.
I hope to make it to Dipping Lakes this summer, thats one of my goals, won't need a tag to do that, just camera.

[buckbull]

Fish are Game departments have budgets they have to deal with. Much of their budget comes from Non-Resident license fees. Based on the article mentioned earlier, Montana's fish and game department is ran with 2/3 of their budget coming from Non-Residents and I would guess other states like Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado are simliar. When these game departments have needed increased funds they always stick it to the Non-Residents. Its quite obvious why. The demand is still higher than supply for these tags so there is little fear that they will not have a measurable net gain in revenue. Also, non-residents can't vote for state legislature. Can you imagine someone within the fish & game department or even within the state legislature proposing fee increases for residents. Political suicide. So, if residents want more say in what goes on they probably need to kick in a little more jack. Twenty or thirty dollars for a deer tag in my opinion is ludicrous when you compare the amount of entertainment and potential protein that tag can buy. I can't take my family of 5 to the movies for under $60 just for tickets and would spend $20 in gas to go get there and back. We have the same horse $hit going on here in Illinois. Deer permit is $20 but nonresident tags are like $500. Then all the residents raise hell when the conservation department wants to increase fees, so the conservation department raises non resident fees and increases number of tags to make up for budget shortfall. Now all the residents complain about not having places to hunt anymore because of all the leasing going on to outfitters who cater to the non-residents.

[Old Hunter]

Supply and demand. We've got the elk. You don't!

[buckbull]

Yeah, and Money talks and BS walk

Nobody wants to pay more than they have too. Your right Old Hunter, you have the Elk so non-residents are going to have to pay the price to hunt them. Even though the fees are high, they could be a helluva lot higher than what they currently are. Guys still have to wait 5, 10, somtimes 20 years for premier Elk units so no doubt the ceiling hasn't been hit for non-residents. Sheep tag in Wyoming is over $2000 for a non-resident and there's a chance a guy could never draw the tag. I have in the past paid the "special" fee in Wyoming to just draw a tag in a reasonable amount of time. Fish and Game departments are walking a tight rope between residents and non-residents trying to keep both sides content all the while having to deal with tightening budgets. Just need to be thankful we all have an opportunity to hunt at all; even if it means we need to pay more out of pocket.

[Old Hunter]

That's why i'm glad my dad taught me to not be a trophy hunter. Nothing wrong with it if that's what you like. I enjoy the hunt and the meat. I pay no attention to the best units, and wouldn't wait to hunt them. Makes life easy.

Funny though. I've shot what some might consider a trophy. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.