Wildife Task force 90-10, etc.

[rogerthat]

Just make it a good one, 'cuz it will likely be your last.

Probably should start thinkin' 'bout takin' up golf, soon.

I hate golf and golf hates me

 

[D_Walt]

Sounds like private land vouchers/guided are the future of hunting Wyoming - and everywhere else. I live that here at home, $10k+ per year for decent hunting, and if you can afford it it’s great - awesome actually. There will still be plenty of NR hunting for those willing and able to pay. CO is next, and when that hammer falls the NR hunting that all the tag/app pimps have been pushing the last 10-15 years will be effectively dead. I no longer hate the idea of transferable NR landowner tags in any state, they allow those willing and able to capitalize on market opportunities the ability to achieve their dreams/vacation goals and those who can’t have something to dream about; that’s the American way right? #fthenamandotheroutdatedideas

 

[rogerthat]

Sounds like private land vouchers/guided are the future of hunting Wyoming - and everywhere else. I live that here at home, $10k+ per year for decent hunting, and if you can afford it it’s great - awesome actually. There will still be plenty of NR hunting for those willing and able to pay. CO is next, and when that hammer falls the NR hunting that all the tag/app pimps have been pushing the last 10-15 years will be effectively dead. I no longer hate the idea of transferable NR landowner tags in any state, they allow those willing and able to capitalize on market opportunities the ability to achieve their dreams/vacation goals and those who can’t have something to dream about; that’s the American way right? #fthenamandotheroutdatedideas

Yeah I think your right. The European model of game management. The outfitters can shove it. I will hunt grasshoppers before I pay thousands for a big game animal. If your paying than who cares. That’s how I see it. To each their own

 

[D_Walt]

Yeah I think your right. The European model of game management. The outfitters can shove it. I will hunt grasshoppers before I pay thousands for a big game animal. If your paying than who cares. That’s how I see it. To each their own

Wish it wasn’t so, but that seems to be the trajectory of the future . Certainly has been the case in Texas for over 75 years. What gets valued gets done, $ talks and all the idealistic talk of things like “democracy of hunting” and “no commercialization of wildlife” can’t hold up the combination of $ to be made mixed with the reality of decreasing resident opportunities on public land seemingly everywhere. The decrease in resident opportunities is the largest part of this issue, but with decreasing game populations, constant drought, increase in human populations, what else can be done? We have loved it to death; we are literally our own worst enemy and there is no way around that.
For better or worse or right or wrong I don’t know; but the NR game is about to get much more expensive - and rare. May take a decade or more but the writing is on wall; game, set, match. For NR’s of western states best to start saving for guided/private if you wish to hunt in the future - probably a better investment than buying points in 6 or 7 states every year. Times change - cheap land and Buffalo went away, now we see the time coming when the NR diy public land hunting “lifestyle” will die.
Time to adapt, get more into whitetails at home and adjust to the new normal or take up golf. This might read more dramatic than I mean it to be, but change is coming, best be prepared.

 

[DFS]

Unintended consequences of influencers trying to make a living off of pushing public land DIY. Other states will follow. Normal people that were in before the BS started I feel bad for, they will get left behind on our way to the European model. Influencers will find ways to get tags. $$$. Sad to see.

 

[HONEYBADGER]

The upside is when you can't get a tag without waiting a number of years or dropping some serious coin, a lot of the normies and casuals will just walk away.

 

[Shangobango]

The upside is when you can't get a tag without waiting a number of years or dropping some serious coin, a lot of the normies and casuals will just walk away.

I agree with the walking away part, not so much on it being an upside, I think probably the exact opposite. It may take a while but what I see is the death of the NAMWC coming.
Once access to game and the places to hunt them dwindle to a certain point due to commercialization and privatization, the whole system is toast.

I know if I was just getting into hunting anywhere, but especially in the west, I would have second thoughts after perusing these types of threads and a lot of the other news coming down the pipe.

Hunting as we know it is on the downhill slide. We had a pretty good 100 year run.

 

[cur dog]

Sad to say, but I agree we are witnessing the beginning of the end, of the NAM.

The whole sad situation boils down to greed.

 

[TheTone]

The upside is when you can't get a tag without waiting a number of years or dropping some serious coin, a lot of the normies and casuals will just walk away.

I was chatting with a friend yesterday that is basically going to call it if/when this changes. I’d call him anything but a casual

It’s certainly going to make me re-think my ideas. I was hoping to cash in my elk points in the next couple years and then start building again for a hunt in the future with my infant son, who knows if that will be worth it, I certainly don’t think it will be if we would be looking at using 8-10 points on a general tag

 

[huntin24/7]

Hopefully with how much things have been going in favor of outfitters in the western states, the pendulum will swing the other direction at some point with different legislatures in power and rules will be changed with complete disregard for the outfitting industry. A guy can hope anyways. #****WYOGA and ****MOGA

 

[JM77]

How many of you on here actually think there is equal access to wildlife? Sure sportsman still pay the tab, but the North American Model, as written, has been gone for a long time. Prove me wrong...

 

[rogerthat]

How many of you on here actually think there is equal access to wildlife? Sure sportsman still pay the tab, but the North American Model, as written, has been gone for a long time. Prove me wrong...

I could post up some of the crap that I have harvested public land diy….clowns will pay $20-40k for some of these hunts and “trophy” animals. I paid whatever I had into the hunt. Couple hundred bucks. That was the NAM. It’s still there but it’s hanging by a thread. And yes the opportunity was always there to buy your spot in line but you didn’t have to. That’s my point. This is death to the NAM by a thousand cuts. This is a big slash and this isn’t just Wyoming. This is the future for hunting out of state and it sucks.

 

[Wildabeest]

Hopefully with how much things have been going in favor of outfitters in the western states, the pendulum will swing the other direction at some point with different legislatures in power and rules will be changed with complete disregard for the outfitting industry. A guy can hope anyways. #****WYOGA and ****MOGA

This is part of a much larger issue where money and special interests control our politics and thus our government. Unless/until Citizen’s United is overturned, it’s only going to get worse. And there’s zero chance that’s happening with the current SCOTUS makeup.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

There is some inevitability to all this…however, it is not unusual for NO ONE to show up to commission and TF meetings, other than those who stand to gain financially.

I’m busy like everyone else, most of the time all I can do is call and e-mail. From what I gather from decision makers, VERY few are even doing that.

Edited to add: I’ll be the first to admit, I spent too many years not being involved enough.

 

[rtraverdavis]

There is some inevitability to all this…however, it is not unusual for NO ONE to show up to commission and TF meetings, other than those who stand to gain financially.

I’m busy like everyone else, most of the time all I can do is call and e-mail. From what I gather from decision makers, VERY few are even doing that.

If this is something we all actually care about, then this is something we all need to speak up on. Without whining, without vitriol, without vague emotional pleas—just an honest explanation of what 50% outfitter set asides would mean for the future of hunting and wildlife management.

 

[Shangobango]

How many of you on here actually think there is equal access to wildlife? Sure sportsman still pay the tab, but the North American Model, as written, has been gone for a long time. Prove me wrong...

Ok. I can pay 100 bucks and have access to about a million acres of public ground with half a dozen deer tags in my pocket, plus 2 turkey tags, plus small game, pIus fishing. I can do that this season where I live.

That is the NAM in action.

The price to lease land is going up fast here. This is pricing out a lot of people causing them to have to choose between increasingly crowded and unproductive public land or throwing in the towel. That is an example of the NAM being weakend by privatization and commercialization.

The NAM is not dead. It is waiting on a spot to open up in the ICU.

As far as my personal situation all I can say is "c'mon outmigration". If that trend continues here we should eventually see some relief.

This is not any state's fault. It is a broad problem that is showing itself all over the country.

I put it squarely on cronyism.

Edit: Checked my numbers. 1.6 million acres of state managed land and water with about 1.1 million acres of huntable land owned by USFS, Corps of Engineers , etc…

 

[The Hedgehog]

To get a few more resident permits, and giving into “industry” and political clout will come back around someday to Wyoming residents.

Hunting is well on the way to being all for who’s got money or where there’s money to be made.

 

[TheTone]

Maybe Wyoming residents should start telling there politicians to stop recruiting businesses, especially hunting related ones, to come to Wyoming. I gotta think weatherby and now kifaru have only added more hunters into the mix and thus further taking away residents opportunities

 

[JM77]

To get a few more resident permits, and giving into “industry” and political clout will come back around someday to Wyoming residents.

Pretty harsh blanket statement that doesn't look good on you Kurt.

 

[RobertD]

Apologies if I missed it, but is there still time/avenues to share dissenting opinion? Thanks.