I haven't read all the responses, so forgive me if I'msaying something someone else has already covered...

I know Illinois has hampered their "economic impact" by raising their non-resident archery tags to ridiculous rates. I know it's effecting local businessmen, because I hear small business owners complaining incessantly.

To make your paper the best it could be, be sure to interview and include quotes from area hotel owners, restaurant owners and others that would be directly affected by those costs you referred to.

When I first started hunting Illinois four or five years ago, a non-resident tag cost me $120. This past year's was over $400 by the time I bought the mandatory small-game permit and habitat stamp. You do the math, but that's an outrageous figure, whatever it comes out to be percentage-wise! Compare it to a typical inflation rate, and you'll see it's truly ridiculous.