RE: Tag prices, Draws, and hunt costs.
Colorado resident price is $30.25 and nonresident is $490.25. Right at 16X the resident cost. Deer is right at 15X. Right now costs me just less than $1000 to hunt a bull. I can live with that. However, there is no end in sight to the yearly increases. I may still be hunting when it tops $1000 for just the tag. I think that is a shame because it drops too many people out due to finances. Reduce our numbers, but don't let it become just a sport for the rich.
The "I pay taxes all year long" is a common argument, and it does have some validity. However the Colorado DOW DOES NOT receive any of that money. They get 70% of their license revenue (which I believe is over 85% of their budget) from nonresident license sales and that % is climbing every year. How much is enough? The sad part is that residents are willing to pay more and an increase was shot down this year by the legislature.
I am totally ok with limiting nonresdent numbers as long as the common man is not priced completely out of the experience. I think reducing our numbers strictly by raising prices higher each year is bad for hunting.