Lets us know how it goes. The majority of us out here are just dreamers anyway. I'm not sure how excited I am right now to assist a State that doesn't give two shits about me or others like me.
Probably just sour grapes on my part. This too shall pass.................... I hope.
I can understand the frustration over what happened in NM this year, but it really was the right thing in the long run. The timing was terrible and can be questioned. However, their current non-resident allocation is not dissimilar to other western states. The problem is that the NM legislature got in the way and created an outfitter set-aside.
The RMBS is a sheep conservation organization first and foremost. I see benefits of working together to increase bighorn sheep populations throughout their historical range, whether or not those new populations are available to all hunters. More sheep equals more interest in sheep, and more interest in sheep hunting and sheep conservation. Bighorn sheep management cannot be sustained by the very limited number of hunting licenses available. Managers largely rely on funds contributed by NGO’s and raised through the auction and raffle of permits. The more limited sheep hunting opportunity becomes, the more difficult it is for NGO’s to raise funds.
I am thankful that there are healthy, thriving populations of desert bighorns in Mexico, even though I will never have the opportunity to hunt them. Because when that Mexico outfitter who is paid $50,000-$90,000 donates a week long fishing trip or a reduced price desert sheep hunt to my organization, it allows us to raise money to put on the ground right here in Colorado.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife transplanted bighorn sheep into Dinosaur National Monument in 1997 and 2000. Some may not see the benefit of taking sheep from a herd that can be hunted and putting them into a national park off limits to hunters. But DNM has some outstanding sheep habitat. The herd has grown to approximately 165 animals and will now be used as a source herd for transplants into suitable habitat that will be available to hunters.
I am thankful that the states of NV and AZ didn’t base their decision on non-resident hunter opportunity when they gave CO 36 desert bighorns between 1979 and 1981, because we didn’t have any at that time. It took 30 years for the populations in CO to grow to the point that we could offer a non-resident tag.
For what it’s worth, the last time NM submitted a funding request to RMBS for their lion control program (2013), it was not approved. And it had nothing to do with the cost or availability of non-resident sheep tags in NM.
You have every right to make sure the organizations you support are spending your money the way you see fit. However, I think it is short-sighted selfish to base your decision solely on how it might benefit you personally. It would be no different than me saying I no longer support RMEF because they do elk projects in Oregon, and OR only gives non-residents 5% of their elk licenses. There is a benefit to having healthy elk populations in Oregon, whether you and I ever get to utilize them or not.
Luckily, altruism is alive and well, or conservation organizations would likely go the way of the dodo.
