I don't think it's outlandish to say price increases are a product of "making hay while the sun shines."
On a purely economical basis it's a losing proposition and we all know that. But that's not the point. There is recreational value also. No doubt that $1500 - $2000 could buy a lot of t-bone steaks [which may not be the healthiest choice from the meat case] at your local supermarket. That same amount spent on a vacation could put some pounds around your waistline instead of 35 or more pounds of meat in the freezer.
Yes. However, these numbers are probably going to come down even more once the hit to o&g is reflected.
I get that. And that is kind of the whole point. There are a limited number of people willing and able to “pay anything”.
People have money to spend. Instead of buying a cheap $350 Savage Axis rifle folks are buying $900 or more production rifles and high dollar scopes. The good gunsmiths are busier than a one-legged man in a butt kicking contest. I don't think that a few hundred extra dollars is going to be a stopper for those folks. If antelope numbers don't start to increase expect more competition for the available tags.
People are willing to pay for the opportunity alone, even if it's slim odds. It's the experience that is selling itself now I think
I kind of agree with this, with the exception that a lot (if most) have really overestimated the experience. I'm hoping that a lot of these people are the "Creed more/Swarovski/hipster" crew of late and ponder the fact that they just paid $15,000 to shoot a doe or a spike. Then, maybe some of them will have it out of their system and free up some tag opportunity.
One of the issues, though, is that my generation cares less about how they perceive the experience themselves than how others perceive the experience as they're having it.
Maybe I can pick up some cheap used swarovskis and see what they're all about! haha
Yeah. I'm right with you.
The cost of those slim odds is $15 and the time it takes to complete the application.
Yeah, like drop the requirement that I need a guide to hunt Federally declared wilderness areas, and let's pass some legislation that mandates easements for access to landlocked public lands, not just in Wyoming, but everywhere. I do like how Wyoming does work with private landowners for the HMA/Walk-in areas. The only antelope we saw last year, that we had 'legal' access to, where on a walk-in area. I am thankful for that."Kicking out" the non-residents by meeting the standard set by every other state in the West I guess... But at least we will be "complaining" about each other.
With less non-resident tags allotted there will be just as many tags, but likely in the hands of fewer people. Not many residents are sitting on the sidelines waiting to hunt because they can't get tags here, so I don't see many more starting to buy tags just because the non-residents get cut. The same people will just buy more tags, heck we may go back to having leftovers.
Cutting non-resident tags means more tags for us, better chance at drawing the best units and likely less people afield. Now that is some great hunter management!
The real solution to crowding is more access. Another spot WY shines with the HMA's and Walk-in's.
That's a fair point. "Post-covid" is rewriting a lot of narratives.
If demand stays exactly where it is or even declines slightly there will still be point creep.
You can hunt it with me! And I'm not a guide. Just have to make nice with folks in WY you can hunt with if your keen on it. I think it's buffalo chip for the most part, but seeing as how the grizzly bear numbers and encounters are going up and hunting does pose a significant risk for a negative encounter, its not a bad idea to be back in some of those places with someone who is used to being in bear country if you aren't. I guess maybe they look at it as reducing liability? Course the hikers are on their own, but they don't carry around bags of meat and let off gunshots
I meant the opportunity with a less than desirable tag, like shelling out hundreds for a low-quality cow hunt in a unit with low populations or very limited public access year after year. Gives people a reason to be excited, spend money and get outdoors I guess
We are talking about two different metrics I think.
