Wyoming FEES

[Topgun 30-06]

Anybody that bitches about a $26 deer tag needs to take up knitting because he obviously doesn't feel the need to pay his share for the resource he partakes in if he thinks that's high!

 

[spook12]

Gotta disagree with you on this one Topgun, we need every ethical,law abiding hunter in the field. We are losing to many hunters ( sources of funds ) as it is. Like everything else there is a tipping point on how much people will or can fund the work that has to be done.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Disagree all you want, but if a person thinks $26 is too high for a deer tag IMHO he doesn't have the passion to be in the sport the way he was ranting. Hunting is my obsession and to hear a person gripe about paying $26 to shoot a deer is ridiculous when I might be paying well over $500 in a couple years!!!

 

[JohnCushman]

$26....plus being able to get multiple tags OTC.... some people just need something to complain about I guess

 

[spook12]

You're right Topgun, we keep losing hunters at the rate we have been those of us left will be paying 500 or more for our tags, if wildlife conservation is going to be funded.

 

[emrah1028]

Topgun.

Whoa, whoa whoa. Who the hell are you to tell anybody who is passionate about hunting? You don't know me or anyone else I hunt with. I figured this would cause a bunch of you to get your panties in a wad, so I'll explain it again: it's not about the fees. It's about the wasted dollars. The dollars are there. They just get gobbled up and spent in the wrong places.

And sorry that some of us can't afford to go traipsing all across the country paying triple digit $$$ for tags. Is $26 dollars too high? Not for me. Nor are the bonus tags. But I do know of a lot of people that get turned off by that price. Tell them to get another hobby all you want, but increasing prices and mis-management of money (again the REAL reason for my rant) is turning away a lot of people. They may be "one-weekend-a-year" types, but they hunt and increasing prices turns them off.

Yes, we are lucky in MN that there are a lot of otc tags. And they are relatively cheap. But again, I ask, instead of blindly believing the "it's just inflation" nonsense fed to us by the gummint, why don't you question how some of these dollars are really being spent?

Emrah

 

[spook12]

Bye the way Topun i'm not saying that his''rant'' was or was not warranted. Just suggesting that someone that isn't as passionate as you doesn't necessarily need to move on.

 

[emrah1028]

And I think Spook12 you make a very good point. It's a numbers thing. More hunters (more in the "pool") means more income to the state. Theoretically, less hunters would tend to drive down the cost of tags, according to basic economic theory. But we all know that governments don't operate like that don't we? They squeeze more and more and more from those that can pay, even though the pool is diminished.

I am fully behind paying to support the wildlife and the outdoors I love so much. I just don't like who's at the helm. Make sense?

Emrah

 

[spook12]

emrah, i don't know anything about how your states DNR operates, so i don't think there's a thing i can say to help you with that.

I would say, get involved. Talk to other like minded people and make sure that the right folks know how you and others feel about how they are running ''your'' wildlife agencies.

 

[Duwammer]

Reminds me of when I hunted an Indian reservation in Nebraska. The tags started out at $200 the last year I went they had went up to $650.

I was told by the guy in charge of the tags they were going to keep raising the prices of their tags until people quit buying them. It worked.............and they no longer get my money.

The same thing is going to happen in Wyoming. The big question is when to burn my 4 points for elk and deer.

 

[spook12]

Burn those suckers!!!!!

You have to have a tag to hunt.

howdy bye the way.

 

[msnyder]

According to another forum, resident fee increases were proposed as well:

Resident:
Antelope: from $31 to $48
Deer: $36 to $52
Elk: $50 to $75
Moose: $110 to $175
Big Horn Sheep: $115 to $250
Mountain Goat: $120 to $260
Black Bear: $43 to $52.50
Daily Fishing: $4 to $7
Annual Fishing: $22 to $36

Is this correct? Not sure if this is helpful, or enough, just thought it should at least be included in the conversation.

 

[naturebob]

Wyoming is doing legal prositution for all their species. I aint complaining as Hunting is My life ,but for some it's bad. I been buying points for Elk ,Antelope and Deer.for 5 years and am 2 behind the Max points race. At $120 a year by time I can get a real good tag , I may as well bought a hunt some where.. How long and how much more $ will it take to get a decsent tag. Lottsa folks ahead of Me on the list. Some say it aint worth it. If You are Young it mabbee, but at 56 , I wonder how long ,and will I still be able to hike? I paid over $600 far a Montana deer tag this year and I didn't mind it cause at least I can hunt every year and if You do your home work You can find Quality animalls. Any ideas on how long to get some good Wyoming tags......BOB!

 

[BuzzH]

It doesnt take any points to get good tags in Wyoming...

 

[Wyodeerhunter]

I gave up my max moose points and near max sheep points last year in wy. Also am letting all my points expire in all the other states.

Figure I'll just keep hunting otc sheep and moose areas up here. And when I do want to smoke a muley or such, ill take the leftover tags.

My sheep hunt cost less than 200 this year. And will be even cheaper next year.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

"I already think the $26 resident tags are quite high enough, thank you very much."

That is the quote from emrah, who then commented how lousy his DNR is and how they waste all his money. It would seem to me that at only $26 for a tag that they don't have very much money to waste!!! Sorry, but it's just hard to hear $26 dollars mentioned when we are talking $500 to $1000 or more for a tag in other states that we're hunting!!!

 

[spook12]

I hear you Topgun but i suspect tag prices will just keep going up. Lots of factors,but i figure the decline in hunter numbers is one of the main ones.

 

[emrah1028]

Topgun,

Look, I'm not trying to spiral this into a name-calling flame war and I knew as soon as I hit "send" on my first post that comment about $26 would come back to haunt me.

But remember, it's not just one tag. I buy a rifle tag. A bonus tag (my area has unlimited doe tags otc), a muzzleloader tag. An archery tag. A turkey tag. A small game license.

Ok, so all told, I'm still under $150. Nothing to scoff at but definitely cheaper than what an out of state tag costs. But those are all resident fees. And I guess I wasn't very clear in the first place that it's not just res fees, but non-res fees that seem really high.

I would love to do an out of state hunt. I'm dying to go to SD or WY and do pronghorn. Or mule deer. I'm saving up for a rifle hunt in CO next year. But tags are still very pricey. Even accounting for wildlife management, DNR, conservation, etc.

I guess I am more upset by the blase (sp?) attitude some people have when a state or federal government comes around year after year after year and asking for more and more money, and hunters (taxpayers) don't even question it. They take these bureacrats at their word and never stand up and ask "Why? Where is my money going now?"

Done ranting.

Emrah

 

[TheTone]

Most (all?) state wildlife agencies are tasked with manging more than just game species. The cost of doing business is just going up for the level of services that are being asked of these groups and that money has to come from somewhere. License and tag fees make up a big part of those budgets and are thus usually called upon to increase funding.

I often go back to this article by Ben Lamb, http://www.mtbullypulpit.org/2012/01/parting-shot.html that addresses many of these funding questions as well as P-R funds which have done tremendous things for wildlife and habitat. He also addresses where P-R hasn't kept up with the changing hunting industry. I'd love to see an expansion of P-R to include items he mentions like tree stands, game calls, etc. Hunters are the ones purchasing these products, we should be able to also see we are the ones that will benefit the most by taxing them a little and fudning what we love and enjoy

 

[Ben Lamb]

Topgun,

Look, I'm not trying to spiral this into a name-calling flame war and I knew as soon as I hit "send" on my first post that comment about $26 would come back to haunt me.

But remember, it's not just one tag. I buy a rifle tag. A bonus tag (my area has unlimited doe tags otc), a muzzleloader tag. An archery tag. A turkey tag. A small game license.

Ok, so all told, I'm still under $150. Nothing to scoff at but definitely cheaper than what an out of state tag costs. But those are all resident fees. And I guess I wasn't very clear in the first place that it's not just res fees, but non-res fees that seem really high.

I would love to do an out of state hunt. I'm dying to go to SD or WY and do pronghorn. Or mule deer. I'm saving up for a rifle hunt in CO next year. But tags are still very pricey. Even accounting for wildlife management, DNR, conservation, etc.

I guess I am more upset by the blase (sp?) attitude some people have when a state or federal government comes around year after year after year and asking for more and more money, and hunters (taxpayers) don't even question it. They take these bureacrats at their word and never stand up and ask "Why? Where is my money going now?"

Done ranting.

Emrah

Emrah, I think you bring up an incredibly valuable point. It's he duty or sportsmen to know what their agency is spending money on, and why. Most agencies are required by law to make their budgets public. Most should have them online, or you can call and have it sent to you. Furthermore, many of the state legislatures audit agencies frequently to ensure fiscal responsibility.

To e, appreciate the kudos. It I didn't write that one. Land Tawney did, and I like that one as well.