RE: Non-residents hunting Federal Public land??
It is not where (federal public ground)you are hunting that determines your big game license costs.
It is the fact that you are taking an animal that belongs to the State of Colorado, an animal that isNOT property of your federal government. This is why you apply with the state's Divsion of Wildlife (or equivalent) and not the fed's USFG.
The feds long ago gave the right of ownership ofgame animalsto the states regardless of the ownership of the ground upon which the animal is standing.
Federal public land just happens to be where you can get "freebee access" (your land.... your taxes) to hunt and hopefully shoot said big game animal (versus private ground where you would likely pay for access in addition to tags). Being a Colorado resident, I am very thankful that OUR federal government has all this federal public land that allows me to not have to pay an access fee either.
The elk herds are managed by the State of Colorado and at the expense of the State of Colorado.
Beyond that the actual pricing is a matter of market place factors and what "the traffic will bear."
There is the logic (and the law). Ihave nodoubt you will likely reject it.
Are resident and non-resident rates for deer in Iowa the same?
Does the cost of the license vary based on where you go within Iowa to huntdeer?
Landowners perhaps?
I paid $250 in the 70's as a kid to go hunt elk in Montana near Missoula.
Compared to my "deer patch" back in Nebraska, it really felt like the big time and was a whole different world.