Hiawatha

I like the rates we have for non resident hunters and can see the value in why we have them. If it were cheap for out of sask people to come and hunt then everyone would be doing it and our hunting pressure would sky rocket. It is good here because no one is here. Lower the prices and make it more accessable this would change. I look at it as protecting it for us. If i want to hunt someplace else i expect to pay a stiff licence fee as that is whatmy province demands for others to hunt here.

jmbuckhunter

I don't know about the last couple of years. But in '04 we were on vacation in Colorado. We were due to haed back the day the call ins started for IL. I got up early and tried for about an hour to get thru. Then I tried whenever I had a cell phone signal and could not get thru. So I waiteduntil we got home around midnight and tried again. I finally got thru and got a recording that said had sold out of 12,000 tags in less than 8 hours. So I had no tags to hunt on my dads farm where I have hunted for 30 years. And another farm I had been hunting for 9 years, all within an hours drive of my house. Yet thousands of hunters could travel thousands of miles to hunt for a few days at an outfitters and then go home never to set foot in IL again. THAT JUST WAS NOT FAIR AND STILL PI$$ES ME OFF. That year they did havealimit.

iamyourhuckleberry

Greg,

I have killed enough mule deer, elk, and antelope. I think I'll live if I never kill (not harvest) another one. However, I hatebeing stuck in my own backyard because the costof goingout of stateis so inhabitive (I am a Huntaholic-I admit it. One of my goals is to kill a deer in all fifty states). I understand both sides of the issue. I would hate to have the feds involved in a state's ability to managetheir ownnatural resources-it would end up a serious cluster f***.

Here's my offering...

If I draw a "resident" tag, and if I so desire to transfer that tag into a "non-resident's" name (before the season starts of course), then so be it. The status quo remains the same-right? Someone is filling the boots of that licenses-who cares where they live. This concept would allow you and I the abilityto trade hunts (natural resources) anywhere. It would be a roll of the dices. I have the chance to kill your deer, you have the chance to kill mine...so on and so forth.

I wish I also had the abilityto designate a "shooter". For example, if I am standing right next to you and give you written permission to "kill" my elk, then where's the foul? I'm present (a requirement of such act). We could even go register the designation beforehand (make it legal and all) with the localDNR office.I would do this in a second if it meant hunting elsewhere!

Makes to much sense...

Now, let me shed some light. In Colorado, Our hunting industry generates $13 billion/year. That's $6 billion more than our ski industry (if you can believe that). Can you imagine the lose of revenue if Colorado changed their current game laws? Do you think the politicians will allow such an event to occur?

The wildlife(a limited renewable resource) is a means to an end...13 billion of them. Big brother isn't going to do anything short of filling his pockets. It's basic economics! I do not see any changes in the near future-other than the price of nonresident tags going up!

GR8atta2d

Thanks Mike..I've been singing the same song for years. We've had a camp in PA since 1968.. Still pay non resident fees even though we pay taxes and school taxes..etc PLUS we get no Landowners option to get in early for doe tags. Bear tags are too high to make it worthwhile for a 3 day hunt. Throw us land-owners a bone, instead of just giving us one.

HuntingEd

I know they suck, but I dont mind them... The state uses it to fun DNR activities, which include paying gamewardens and supporting habitats.

Also, I live in MD and every year the "Dutch Army" Invades from the north during gun season. I usually get stuck behind 10-15 PA trucks going to my hunting spot. The problem is that most outta-staters just come to shoot, they dont put any effort into managing the deer herd, they figured they paid the fees, now let me shoot at everything i see, on their 1-day of hunting per year. (sorry all you PA guys, I know its not how everyone hunts).

I just think its only fair to pay more to protect the natural resourses for those living in the states, after all this country is the United STATES. The fed shouldnt have any role in game regulations... Its one of the last gov't entities that remains in the power of the states, just the way everything but defense should be, and the way our founding fathers wanted it!

Besides every state has jacked up outta state fees so it balances out.

Greg / MO

Thanks for the replies, guys...

I definitely agree with less government, so that kind of shoots a whole in that thought process... at least on a national level. Good post, Ed. Maybe states in close proximity could work out a reciprocal agreement as was mentioned earlier, or have "alliances" and share the combined monies?

Howler

I like huckleberrys idea of "tag swapping" for sure. Anyone that has a tag for any given species can sign it over to anyone they want, wether it be a resident or NR, and visa-versa. That would give "hunt swap" a whole new perspective to all hunters.