Why should ranchers or farmers behave differently in the South Dakota than other states where landowners receive cash for access to hunt their land? Why is South Dakota any more special than Wyoming or New Mexico or Missouri or Georgia?
My great great grandfather was paid by hunters from NYC to hunt his land along the Missouri River way back in the 1890s. That was over 130 years ago.
So, pay to play is not a recent development in America.
What is more recent is the out-of-state license plates now parking at private property during hunting season. Curse those bastards, right, showing up wanting to shoot our birds and dance with our women!!
Residents are not protesting the high cost of non-resident application fees, mandatory hunting licenses to apply, and tag costs. We hear the "yes, but I pay taxes and live here" as non-resident fees outpace inflation and tag allocations are cut. hey, if I get mine then so what?
Guess what? When you make an experience more expensive to participate in then you increase the pool of people wanting to "Get their money's worth" while you also create hurdles for expanding hunter participation and new hunter recruitment. Ask Colorado hunters whether might be worthwhile to have more hunters in the state when ballot measures are being voted upon.
How many states are over $2000 to hunt a bull elk now? How many of those states can you draw a tag to hunt each autumn as a non-resident? Do you think most folks who are paying $2000 and burning a good chunk of their vacation days to go on this hunt are just happy to get out and hike with a rifle on their shoulder while bumping into hunters every hour or two? How can you pass on a "okay" bull elk on Day 1 on public when you might hear a "boom" a few minutes later as "brown is down" mantra plays out? On private, might see that bull again on Day 4 if let it walk on Day 1.
After a non-resident with some extra cash in his wallet figured out that the countermove to rising non-resident tag costs rise and reduced tag allocations is to perhaps pay for private access for elk then will be enough non-residents decide the "smart" strategy is on the table if want to hunt elk. Pay for access.
He tells his non-resident buddy (who might at some point draw that same elk tag after waiting for a decade or more) about the great hunt he had. This same strategy then trickles down to other big game through wing shooting, too. Access is a bargain in the minds of a subset of hunters after add up all the costs to acquire the tag after years of non-resident application fees, mandatory $200 hunting licenses to apply to the draw for a decade or more, purchasing points for a decade or more, gear, fuel, lodging, etc.
A public land hunt can run close to $10,000 cumulative costs over the years to get the tag in hand. $5,000 more for land access is not a huge stretch for some. On the other hand if do not want to wait for years to get a tag then a guaranteed VIP tag to step to the front of the line might seem a fair bargain at $25,000. For some. Wait a dog durned moment. Who can afford that?
There are a lot of millionaires in America these days and while having 1 in 5 neighbors worth a million across America does not quite mean what it meant to be a millionaire when you were born it is accurate that there are "enough" hunters here on HuntTalk that a $30,000 elk hunt in Utah or Nevada is not requiring the hunter to put debt on a credit card. Or, $1000 a day to hunt pheasants over a trained dog then retire to the lodging for some home-cooked meals and satellite tv to watch weekend football games and complain about the current wife. Personally, I prefer to eat the evening meal with a rancher on chipped dinnerware than rub elbows with guys wearing $20,000 watches and matching technical clothing but to each his own.
For me, NAM is no longer the reality of how states manage wildlife. Maybe NAM was never what we thought it was.
Why does it matter if the rancher or farmer is being paid to allow access to legally hunt big game or to wing shoot ducks or pan for gold or camp to roast marshmallows? Why does it matter if Utah sets aside dozens of tags outside the draw process? What does it matter if Wyoming sets aside tags for politicians to dress up as women and shoot pronghorn every year? What does it matter if Iowa hands out buck tags to folks with a hunting show?
Let the outrage and table-pounding continue as we complain every time a resident tag is proposed to go up $10 and then high-five each other when our state puts the financial and allocation screws to the non-resident. We got what we deserved.
. I’d probably be down, but I damn sure would offer something in return.
