SA, I already know for a fact that outiftting is growing in this area and others and I am not in the Golden Triangle. Far from it. There are several guides around here that are leasing/buying up as much ground as possible one leasing in excess of 8,000 acres and several farmers I know are thinking of opening up shop too as soon as they think they can guarentee the business to take more ground out of production for animal habitat. It will happen, I don't know how much more it will happen but it will.
I know it is happening but whether it will continue to happen with the IL DNR raping the NR is the part that I am questioning. Only time will give us the answer to that.
One would think that the high prices would keep NR's from coming in but most who are using the outfitters don't seem to care about another 100-200 bucks, as long as they are getting what they paid for which is a "good" hunt that hopefully ends in a big buck.
That all depends on the hunters. I can tell you of 9 that I hunt with locally that have said they won't go back anymore. I am speaking from the perspective of the person that is going to have to pay the prices and I can tell you that after this year that I just won't do it, nor will several others that I have talked to. I don't know what kind of indication that is. Only time will answer that question. I am sure there will still be a lot of people willing to spend the money to go up there and hunt but I am also sure that they are excluding a major portion of their market base. So anyway you go about it there is going to be less guys willing to go up there and spend the money. Less hunters going doesn't look like a whirlwind for the outfitters. Three years ago it took several weeks for the tags to sell out. Two years ago it took 8 days. Last year it took 8 hours. That tells me there isn't just an unlimited numbers of hunters trying to get in and the price increase is going to have an effect on that IMO. To what extent it will have an effect is the question.