RobinAim Low

Exactly on both statements! Another counter to the conspiracy theory debate of "money for the state" is the fact that the "state" doesn't get money brought in from tag sales. The MDC is it's own governing body. Any money raised goes back into their budget, not the state's general fund. They have a whole lot of easy ways to generate higher income from license sales if that was their goal. Higher NR doe tags, higher NR turkey tags,make hunting license a requirementfor archery deer hunting, etc.

mobow

BUT, you cannot justify an major increase in tag prices w/out having the big bucks. Do you honestly think people would pay Illinois what they want for a non res tag if they didn't have the big ones?? No way.

It's all a process, and growing the bigger bucks is one of the steps. The one thing I am glad for is that the MDC IS it's own governing body, and the state doesn't get any of that. Or do they? In order for a conservation agent to have the same legal ....hierarchy, for lack of a better term, as the state patrol, they HAVE to be tied to the state somehow, yes? Otherwise, where does their authority come from?

Think of this.....If they would have implemented all the changes they want to, and done it all in one year.......There would have been a revolt. Firearms season gets moved to after the rut, AR's implemented statewide, archery tags good for one buck, or even go to just a deer tag, not archery/firearm tags.....and we can only get 1 buck per year.....And on top of that, raise res and non res tags......do that all in one year and see what happens.


And the 3 buck/year thing is a moot point, IMO. Seriously, just because we CAN shoot 3 a year.....How many actually kill more than 1?? I bet it's a pretty low percentage.

wallhangr

Not sure what those %'s are, but I would agree that they are probably low. Never done 3, but have done 2 in a season twice in 5 years and spend a ton of time on stand to do that.

I'm afraid that the possibility of taking 2 bucks during archery season won't last much longer.

RobinAim Low

A whole lot kill more than one. One with a bow, one with a gun. Easy to do. Now...I am sure the number that kills 3 drops considerably.

Agents get their authority from the MDC MO code of regs which is part of MO's state constitution. MDC's money is MDC's money...that is the way our state constitution is set up. By and large, the MDC gets their operating budget from the whatever less than one percent sales tax, along with private donations.

I am not saying you won't ever see an increase in NR fees. I am saying that in no way do I think that is the motivation behind regs that tweak our deer herd. Everyone certainly has their own opinions...and often folks choose to believe that everything everyone does has some kind of negative motivation. I happen to believe that MDC actually wants to manage our herd for population control and health first, while balancing out the needs/desires of all hunters (end users). Pretty tall order considering the extremely wide range of hunter opinions, methods, needs, and desires.No doubt about it, there is a growing number of MO residents that would like to see efforts to maximise our state's buck potential and provide us more trophy opportunity.

mobow

I've always heard that the state didn't get any of that, and I never understood how the agents have their authority. That answers it, thank you.

I don't see it as negative motivation, just a fact in the world we live in. Money is the motivator of just almost everything. It's a shame, but it is what it is.

RobinAim Low

Yep. So what if MDC raises more money thru NR fees? Then what? They purchase more land, improve existing areas, offer more landowner assistance, or hire more agents. I have a hard time seeing bad in that.

Hunter20084

this year is the first year the antler restrictions are in m y county its good in some ways and bad in others

mohunter82

I agree with you robin. As long as thats what they use it for and not misuse it. Unfortunately the MDC is still a government agency and I have a hard time trusting some government agencies.[>:]
Overall I trust the MDC so far but it only takes one thing to change the opinion of the masses.

louddrummer69

I hunt mostly NW MO which has had the AR for a couple of years now and I know I've seen an increase in bucks and their headware. NowI've practiced QDM before the restrictions were in place so the restrictions never bothered me. I personally don't shoot anything that isn't going on the wall and its only going on the wall if its going in MO Big Bucks(140). I'll just shoot does and be fine with it.

Hunting Kuk

I am fromN Arkansas and we dont have many big buck's I wish we had County antler restrictions instead of state.Does any other state have county restriction's?