$1,149.84

[8andcounting]

$1,149.84 is how much it costed to apply for big game combo , elk permit and bonus and pref point . Holy f ....... I know this has been dragged through the mud already but wow just wow . I keep saying I'll keep applying forever but I just don't know how much more I can go up . For a middle class guy that makes decent living this is a lot . I love Montana tho so I'll sacrifice elsewhere to do it but wow .

 

[8andcounting]

I thought seriously about doing just the deer combo , that with pref point was around $693 . Would have saved $450 and that coulda paid for my trip . Next year have a feeling that's what I'll be doing

 

[----]

Just for the fun of it- If you buy a deer b, elk b, and the requisite stamps and licences, you'd be in it for a little less than 400 bucks. You're paying an extra 750 bucks for the chance of some headgear.

I'm not casting stones, I ate an elk tag a couple years ago that I had $1,400 into and could've filled multiple times.

 

[Southern Elk]

It is ridiculous! As a Montana resident. I can buy a Sportsmans (Including Bear) License for $85. That's elk, deer, bear, upland birds, fishing, conservation and state land licenses.

 

[8andcounting]

yup, no I have thought of it . ill most likely be going for a cow anyways , I elected to keep my entire combo if turned down for elk permit cuz I would keep the deer and only get 315 back , then turn around and buy a leftover b tag for 275 don't make much sense . Region I hunt has whitetail b tags over counter so I could buy one of those, draw 1 muley b and buy a elk b and have roughly $475 into all of them and get a lot of meat . its something to think about . Or I could go to region 7 (not going to do this so don't beat me up) and but 5 muley b tags and have roughly $425 into everything and have a huge amount of meat .

 

[MN Public Hunter]

Yep....Hunting out of state is getting to be a rich mans sport.

 

[Trucker]

Add another $587 for my sons youth big game combo. Hope the wife does not see the bill. But we have a great time every year and enjoy the time we spend in MT.

The smile is worth it.

 

[WapitiBob]

Looks cheap to me; I sent Wyoming $1,300 just for an Elk license, and had 11 years of points on top of it.

 

[8andcounting]

nice buck , and yes you cant put a price on a smile

 

[pabearhunter]

Great buck and nice to see a young man enjoying the sport.

 

[pabearhunter]

I am almost 70 and my father told me when I was little that the day would come that hunting would only be for the rich !

 

[8andcounting]

I am almost 70 and my father told me when I was little that the day would come that hunting would only be for the rich !

yes, and the time is now . My dad is 71 , and I take him every fall and I enjoy takin him and ill keep doing it, but we might have to change how we do things as far as tags, maybe just get deer combos or b tags or something . gets to be a lot of cash$ .

 

[sdkhunter]

I feel your pain! Spending good money on a tag I don't mind so much - but what was really an eye opener for me was a number of years ago I started to add up all the 'fixed' costs for just applying and building preference points all over.... I started to approach 1K (just for non-refundable fees/costs) when it dawned on me that I may not really want to know the actual number... So on a year I draw a tag - I figure I'm already around 2K out-of-pocket - yikes.... Plausible deniability I figure - that way if the wife asks me how much I spend on hunting 'stuff' - I can quote a specific tag cost or whatever - but I've never (and don't want to) added it all up so I truly don't know so I can get away with a generic "too much but I don't know the exact number" type comment... ha ha Good luck on the hunt - sure it will be a blast!

 

[deer_shooter]

I applied for deer and cow elk in Colorado. if I draw both that will be $900. I'm applying in Arizona for Coues too, so there is another $475. It adds up quick.

 

[dcopas78]

It is definitely getting expensive. With a 4-year old that thinks of nothing but hunting, and another boy due in July, I have a feeling I better keep working my side contracts for the extra money. I am fortunate in that little effort/hours makes some good side money. I've been blessed to be able to take my yearly trips. Hopefully, I can continue to be blessed for my sons in the future. It's going to be a nice hunting camp when they are old enough to join me.

 

[Big Fin]

I wish it was different and that price was not a hurdle for many non-residents. Reality is, price is a hurdle, always has been and it probably always will be. I noticed that pain in 1989 when I started looking around at hunting in other states. Now, 30 years later, what the original post mentioned is still the case.

I know some may not like it when I put it this way, and it is in no way trying to discount that hunting out of state costs money. Yet, as expensive as it is to pay non-resident fees, I hope it is understood that most folks who are residents of these western states pay even more for their resident hunting opportunities, albeit in the form of opportunity costs. And I don't know many of them, myself included, who would move for higher paying positions in states with less hunting opportunity.

Here is an example of what I have paid for the privilege of being a resident of Montana and the great hunting and fishing opportunities that come with that residency, at great cost to wealth building. When I moved to Montana in 1991 to become a resident and all it has to offer, my wife was making $40K. She took a job in Bozeman for $14K, a bit over $2,000 per month for us to have resident hunting and fishing opportunities we desired. I won't even add what my hit was in leaving a great position with great potential at a national CPA firm to work for a small four-person CPA firm here in Bozeman.

I'm just one of thousands who have made that choice. I know many folks who turn down high paying jobs in other areas to stay in places like MT, WY, ID, etc. And yes, those are all personal decisions we make and we don't expect anyone to feel our pain. We would gladly do it again. Hopefully it gives some perspective of what a resident pays for hunting/fishing privileges when both cash and opportunity costs are considered.

When you take those huge pay disparities with really no reduction in cost of living, use even the lowest rates when determining the time value of money, over the life of working careers, what my wife and I have paid to be Montana residents is well over $2 million. And that is probably not much different for most others who have moved here, or elected to stay here and decline higher paying jobs elsewhere.

Again, not trying to discount the financial hurdles of hunting out of state. We all pay for that privilege one way or another. I hope you have a great hunt and I hope you are able to continue with these hunts until you "run out of health."

 

[hank4elk]

BF is to the point for sure.
I gave up a bunch to move here when I retired & do not miss the costs of out of state hunting now that I do not.
I decided to live where I can hunt elk every year if I wish & still have somewhat decent muley hunting.
The trade off from where & what I had is well worth it to me.
Peace of mind in the middle of nowhere. I would only visit NM before & never thought of moving.
Now it is heaven,my elk heaven.

 

[Southern Elk]

^That's so true Randy. My wife reminds me constantly how much of a pay cut we took to move here. I'm grateful she was on board with it. I'm never going back and I try not to think about the money lost.

 

[Big Fin]

^That's so true Randy. My wife reminds me constantly how much of a pay cut we took to move here. I'm grateful she was on board with it. I'm never going back and I try not to think about the money lost.

At first, Mrs. Fin kept a running total until it quickly surpassed $100K, at which time the point was well made. And it hopefully illustrates the level of commitment many folks make toward this lifestyle, a lifestyle greatly enhanced by large public landscapes and tireless conservation efforts. I remember Mrs. Fin almost pushing me out the door a few times for public meeting about hunting, fishing, and access, with her parting remarks of, "We didn't move here and make such a large financial sacrifice (she calls it an investment) to see this stuff go away. Get your butt down to that meeting and give them an earful."

As polite and modest as she is, when you mess with hunting, fishing, public access, you get to see an entirely different side of her. Her unwavering commitment to those principles gives some insight as to why she is equally committed to our advocacy platforms. Yes, I've far outkicked my coverage.

 

[Cerebral Stalker]

I wish it was different and that price was not a hurdle for many non-residents. Reality is, price is a hurdle, always has been and it probably always will be. I noticed that pain in 1989 when I started looking around at hunting in other states. Now, 30 years later, what the original post mentioned is still the case.

I know some may not like it when I put it this way, and it is in no way trying to discount that hunting out of state costs money. Yet, as expensive as it is to pay non-resident fees, I hope it is understood that most folks who are residents of these western states pay even more for their resident hunting opportunities, albeit in the form of opportunity costs. And I don't know many of them, myself included, who would move for higher paying positions in states with less hunting opportunity.

Here is an example of what I have paid for the privilege of being a resident of Montana and the great hunting and fishing opportunities that come with that residency, at great cost to wealth building. When I moved to Montana in 1991 to become a resident and all it has to offer, my wife was making $40K. She took a job in Bozeman for $14K, a bit over $2,000 per month for us to have resident hunting and fishing opportunities we desired. I won't even add what my hit was in leaving a great position with great potential at a national CPA firm to work for a small four-person CPA firm here in Bozeman.

I'm just one of thousands who have made that choice. I know many folks who turn down high paying jobs in other areas to stay in places like MT, WY, ID, etc. And yes, those are all personal decisions we make and we don't expect anyone to feel our pain. We would gladly do it again. Hopefully it gives some perspective of what a resident pays for hunting/fishing privileges when both cash and opportunity costs are considered.

When you take those huge pay disparities with really no reduction in cost of living, use even the lowest rates when determining the time value of money, over the life of working careers, what my wife and I have paid to be Montana residents is well over $2 million. And that is probably not much different for most others who have moved here, or elected to stay here and decline higher paying jobs elsewhere.

Again, not trying to discount the financial hurdles of hunting out of state. We all pay for that privilege one way or another. I hope you have a great hunt and I hope you are able to continue with these hunts until you "run out of health."

Thanks for putting things in perspective Big Fin. I hadn't realized there was such a pay difference between states. Now I see the full picture.