Changing Rules on National Lands?

[Alsatian]

You ought to see this article on some rule changes proposed by the US Forest Service directed to giving preferential access to outfitters and guiding services relative to do-it-yourself hunters:

http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/12/23/news/wyoming/6802037b59171f05872573b900269201.prt

you can comment on a US government site:

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=SubmitComment&o=09000064803304bc

I posted my negative comments and plan to write to my US representative/senators also.

[BigTiny]

I'll post this over at TRCP, unless they beat me to it. Thanks.

[RedRiverHntr]

I see that the embattled congressman from Idaho is the sponsor....must have been some "toe-bumping" in a men's room in it for him!!!!

[homers brother]

Alsatian,

This is the article I read over the weekend. Thanks for the link.

[Cougar Mag]

I sent my comments. Thanks for this thread. Too many changes are always made without the general public even knowing.

Is this Craig of Idaho any relation to Craig Outfitters in Colorado?

Anyway, sending this to the top.

[pats102862]

The way I read the article. the gov. expects a lot of people to use the national forests in the coming years. And a lot of those people won't respect the forest. They would rather have a outfitter keep them out of trouble: get hurt , burn down a forest ect. I don't like it at all. Why should a hunter who hunted that forest. his or her whole life and knows it like the back of thier hand, pay a outfitter to hunt public land. I thought every time I wrote a check to the IRS I was paying to use it.

[Luckydaddy]

If this happens, oh man the regular DIY hunters will be screwed. What's next? 1,000 or 2,000 bucks each to go hunt for a week in our National Forest. What a crock. The outfitters DO NOT DESERVE ANY SPECIAL TREATMENT. Their associations must've put a lot of $'s or mens room attendants in Craigs pocket.

[tlchi]

can you say "more governmernt control"? last thing we need is the government AND the outfitters telling us what to do on our tax paid lands.

[PA Elkoholic]

I didn't see your thread and posted the same article in here. Guys, we need to watch this very carefully. I had a bad experiece this past year with an outfitter at a trail head to a wilderness area. Thisoutfitter actually gated off the only watering hole that you could easily & safelywater your horses at the trailhead. The closest water was three miles away. The outfitter also told me where he was posting clients and it would be better if I stayed out of that area all together. Before I left my base camp for the spike camp up on top, I walked my horse right through his camp and watered my horse. I also hunted wherever I wanted to up on top. This guy was terrible, he actually had ruts in the ground where he ran his ATV off of the roads to gather fire wood, even had a cord of wood stacked (this was at base camp, but you are not allowed ATVs off the forest roads). We are not being heard as we once were. There is an article in Bugle magazine that talks about US forest service and wildlife officers. It explained that the newer generation of officers do not hunt as in the past. Very scary if you ask me.

[909bowsniper]

If something like that were to happen, here in Ca. I can get my guides license for $177 a year, that circumvents it in the short term ; but long term someone needs to hit the brakes on this deal. We have the forest service walking up on us all the time here in Southern California asking us what we are doing (we are in full camo with bows, so you guess)... then they start asking us what we are hunting and so forth. We hardly ever see a game warden here. Of course this is the state of ANTI-EVERYTHING. Never in a hundred years would I pay outfitters anything to hunt on land I have hunted and scouted on for 30 years. This is just crazy...time to start letter writing and faxing. We are not being heard and represented...every one of us needs to start! Just not this issue...but every issue the ANTI's put forth.