GoatSlayer

I think eipaul1 is on the right track. It is good to see people hunting. However I think there are many points we all miss until you are in them. I lived in Colo. for 24 years and hunted every minute I could. I now live in Kansas for the past 26 years. I can see the issue from both sides. I still have friends and family that still live in Colo. Plus I know many good spots to go and get elk and deer. So I apply and hope to get drawn when I can. I also am fortunate enough to be able to apply in several states. With luck I draw in at least one state that I am a non-resident in. So somebody is going to see my non-resident tags and complain. As a resident I applied for certain tags anddidn't got drawn as a non-resident I apply for tags and didn't get drawn. As a Colo. resident I had 6 points for bighorn sheep. I then moved to Kansas. Applied for 3 year and then the dept. did away with the point system. A few years later they came back with the point system in a different format. But you couldn't use your previous points I had 7 points for Ranching for Wildlife when they did away with non-residents being able to do this type of hunt. Kansas has been hard hit with a huge influx of non-resident hunters. Many of the residents I know have lost many of the ranches they had to hunt. At this point I am fortunate there also I have been hunting the same ranch for the past 26 year. Thank God that the rancher I hunt on has not given in to the big money floating around out there. I have 25,000 acres to hunt and am greatful for every minute I have to hunt on it. My family and a few choice friends get to hunt this ranch. Don't get me wrong I have had my days when I too complained about over crowding and non-residents (no matter which state I lived in). I met a guy in Kansas 8 year ago that I am good friends with now. He was hunting some public land in Kansas and asked for a hand. He was just an average Joe like me out looking to hunt. Why did he hunt Kansas? Because he couldn't afford the $10,000 it took to take a whitetail on a high fence ranch in Texas. So his total investment of $800.00 to hunt that year in Kansas was worth the chance. Can't blame him there. We don't smoke or drink so the money we spend hunting is our escape. Am I upset with non-resident hunters coming to hunt? No. Will I have to miss some season due to a non-resident getting a tag? I am sure of that. But I am guilty of that to other states residents in the same manner. Why because I love to hunt. Will I pay outrages sums of money to hunt? No. But as with anything I will take my chances and hope for the best in each and every tag draw. People can keep this going and going. Should residents get better odds, it is public land and the debate could go on and on. But if you really think about it most of those non-resident plates you are seeing are just average people wanting to hunt and trying to see if they can find a place that they can still hunt, ex-residents coming back to hunt with family and friends and that too can go on and on. By the way we did apply in Wyoming the reason I read this post. Several elk tags were drawn. But with gas prices the way they are we may wish we didn't.

Been on both sides of the fence.

Goatslayer........