A sad Hunter
It’s that time of year again, applying for out-of-state licenses and tags. I just got through looking at fees, draw odds, bonus point systems and quotas. I’ve have never been more disgusted and disappointed in our game service departments in my whole life. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY it’s all about MONEY!
Let me start by stating I have had the privilege of hunting out-of-state for over 25 years now. I have hunted California, Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. It has been the activity that binds my father and me so closely together. Anticipation every year about the Fall hunt is almost as enjoyable as the hunt itself. Planning, new gear purchases and telling stories (lies) prior to the years hunt occupy a significant part of my life. Now I’m looking at the prospect of this no longer being possible.
Wyoming, the state I have been hunting most often the last few years, now looks like a
I have a slim chance of drawing in. With the newly, two year old, instituted point system my chances have reduced from a reasonable percentage to a number less than 20%. Why, because tags are issued to individuals with the most point first. The only reason I can see that Game management would use such a system is more money. If they create an environment that require me to pay extra for a bonus point and then only issue tags to the individuals with the most points, I will be forced to pay for points for many years before there is any chance of being drawn. This effectively raises the price of tags and increases revenue without issuing more tags. It’s taxing me in advance just for the chance of getting drawn in the distant future. Now let’s talk about “Special Draws”, the game department takes 40% of the tags and places them in a special draw. Charge an extra $200 to “possibly” increase your draw odds. This only works if less people apply for “Special Draws”. Again it is a scheme to increase revenue without increasing quotas. This only benefits those wealthy enough to afford the extra cost. This scheme is equivalent to telling people that if you pay me extra I’ll let you to the front of the line.
Utah now requires me to buy a hunting license before I can apply for a tag. A license that if I’m not drawn is useless to me. The point system also makes it very unlikely for me to draw for many more years.
Nevada has a similar point system to Wyoming that because I haven’t been able to apply for, prevents me from have any chance of drawing for many, many years. I can’t afford the $100+ license fee required to get a point each year. This effectively eliminates Nevada for me.
I’ve heard all the responses before, move, hunt in your own state, and stop whining it’s the price we pay. I ask why! Why is it OK that just because I don’t live in the state it’s OK to rape me?
Some of you may think of this as just another rant from an “out-of-stater” complaining about being gouged. To some extent you are correct. Mostly it’s the frustration of a FELLOW HUNTER that is coming to the realization that hunting may become a thing of the past for him. In the very near future, either through lack of access or cost, he will not be able to spend time in the woods with friends and family doing what they love most. Why is it OK for fellow hunter to accept and defend a system that prevents his hunting brethren from enjoying the same activities they do?
Enough of my complaining, good luck to you all in this years draws!!!