Those out there that think that "Their" federal tax dollars are supporting the AZ elk herd simply don't know what they are talking about.

Federal dollars coming in for the game and fish come from the Pittman/Robert act which was enacted by hunters to tax themselves thru purchases of guns ammo etc. in order to manage wildlife. Later the Dingle/Johnson act was passed to tax fishing products to promote and foster fishing in each state. These monies are divided up by the amout of supplies sold in each state and are used by the game and fish. I don’t see NR money in large quantities supporting the Arizona game and fish. The out of state fees at 10% of the tags is not even 1% of the budget.

Either way you look at it, AZ G&F meet in less than 2 weeks to discuss proposals on how to deal with this issue. One idea that I have heard floating around is removing all bonus points for non-res. Another idea that I have heard is to make it illegal to sell antlers and illegal to transport game meat out of the state. If that were the case, AZ could legally not allow any NR the opportunity to hunt. Before you pound your fist on your desk at AZ, keep in mind that several other states currently have hunts (moose, turkey, etc) that are not open to NR.