Another tag fees rant...
#13
RE: Another tag fees rant...
There is only 1 reason that NR licenses are so expensive and that is b/c they can be and we still pay for them.MT determined the price of their NR guaranteed licenses by raising them until they didn't sell out, and that is where they left it. I am sure many other states have done similar things to determine their prices. IN did that for their deer licenses and turkey licenses. They are rediculous as well, so it is not all western states.
#14
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: MN USA
Posts: 1,392
RE: Another tag fees rant...
If the states really wanted to increase the amount of money brought into their fish & game for their project to better manage the game, they'd lower their non-res. tags, not to the level of resident, but to a level where the average hunter could make it happen more often.
It may seem counter intuitive, but it's like lowering certain taxes that encourage more to invest in capital improvements, buy new equipment, start more businesses, etc., which results in higher total revenue to the gov't.
But the real driving force is the nature of man to prevent this that thinks I want to keep things all to myself, raise non-res. fees,resulting in less total money for such game enhancing projects and less game for all to hunt.
It may seem counter intuitive, but it's like lowering certain taxes that encourage more to invest in capital improvements, buy new equipment, start more businesses, etc., which results in higher total revenue to the gov't.
But the real driving force is the nature of man to prevent this that thinks I want to keep things all to myself, raise non-res. fees,resulting in less total money for such game enhancing projects and less game for all to hunt.
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: WV
Posts: 4,485
RE: Another tag fees rant...
ORIGINAL: MinnFinn
If the states really wanted to increase the amount of money brought into their fish & game for their project to better manage the game, they'd lower their non-res. tags, not to the level of resident, but to a level where the average hunter could make it happen more often.
It may seem counter intuitive, but it's like lowering certain taxes that encourage more to invest in capital improvements, buy new equipment, start more businesses, etc., which results in higher total revenue to the gov't.
If the states really wanted to increase the amount of money brought into their fish & game for their project to better manage the game, they'd lower their non-res. tags, not to the level of resident, but to a level where the average hunter could make it happen more often.
It may seem counter intuitive, but it's like lowering certain taxes that encourage more to invest in capital improvements, buy new equipment, start more businesses, etc., which results in higher total revenue to the gov't.
Now, your example may hold some water when it comes to fishing/bird-hunting and other unlimited licenses for NRs.
Let's not even go into the fact that many of these animals are found on FEDERAL land, meaning EVERY US citizen should have equal access to it....logically?
#16
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,395
RE: Another tag fees rant...
I like the way the tag fees prices are set up.
I will gladly pay what ever your home state is asking for a deer tag. Just as soon I get tired of hunting deer in my home state of Montana.
I will gladly pay what ever your home state is asking for a deer tag. Just as soon I get tired of hunting deer in my home state of Montana.
#17
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 90
RE: Another tag fees rant...
I kinda think it's crappy that western states get to charge non-residents over 10 times more for licenses; especially considering that most non-residents will be hunting on national forest land, and will have dramatically lower success rates when not using a guide.
#18
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 1,408
RE: Another tag fees rant...
While I just paid well in excess of $600 for a MT big game combo tag (which I am happy and feel fortunate to have drawn for a second year), I also understand why it is the way it is. Sure, residents pay like $12 for that tag and I hunt federal land. However, despite being federal land, the support to MANAGE that federal land is STATE, not federal. Additionally, that same federal land I hunt it the only land all the local residents have to hunt.
Now, MT has a very small population compared to many states. If they charged, say, $50 for NR tags and did not limit them, so many NR would come in that the residents would be overwhelmed and not have a chance. I understand that MT has to take care of MT residents first. I am very happy they let me draw a tag and come in and enjoy the great state. I chose not to live there so I could have a better paying job and afford not jus the $600 tag but other things in life. It was a trade-off between that and the hunting/beauty of MT and I'm ok with that.
If they slashed the price but kept the same number of tags, they kill their revenue. I was told that the huge area of MT I was hunting had only 1 patrolling conservation officer -- we're talking an area bigger than many states. Apparently MT fish and game is not rolling in cash to hire tons of conservation officers, so I can see why they do what they do.
Now, MT has a very small population compared to many states. If they charged, say, $50 for NR tags and did not limit them, so many NR would come in that the residents would be overwhelmed and not have a chance. I understand that MT has to take care of MT residents first. I am very happy they let me draw a tag and come in and enjoy the great state. I chose not to live there so I could have a better paying job and afford not jus the $600 tag but other things in life. It was a trade-off between that and the hunting/beauty of MT and I'm ok with that.
If they slashed the price but kept the same number of tags, they kill their revenue. I was told that the huge area of MT I was hunting had only 1 patrolling conservation officer -- we're talking an area bigger than many states. Apparently MT fish and game is not rolling in cash to hire tons of conservation officers, so I can see why they do what they do.
#19
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Carbon County Pa.
Posts: 601
RE: Another tag fees rant...
ORIGINAL: Wolf killer
I like the way the tag fees prices are set up.
I will gladly pay what ever your home state is asking for a deer tag. Just as soon I get tired of hunting deer in my home state of Montana.
I like the way the tag fees prices are set up.
I will gladly pay what ever your home state is asking for a deer tag. Just as soon I get tired of hunting deer in my home state of Montana.
Come to Pa. A hunting tag will cost you $101 and you can buy it over the counter. I paid 1500 for the combo this year out your way.
#20
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 1,408
RE: Another tag fees rant...
ORIGINAL: pats102862
Come to Pa. A hunting tag will cost you $101 and you can buy it over the counter. I paid 1500 for the combo this year out your way.
ORIGINAL: Wolf killer
I like the way the tag fees prices are set up.
I will gladly pay what ever your home state is asking for a deer tag. Just as soon I get tired of hunting deer in my home state of Montana.
I like the way the tag fees prices are set up.
I will gladly pay what ever your home state is asking for a deer tag. Just as soon I get tired of hunting deer in my home state of Montana.
Come to Pa. A hunting tag will cost you $101 and you can buy it over the counter. I paid 1500 for the combo this year out your way.
1) If you paid $1500 for a MT combo tag, it was not a regular one but outfitter-sponsored or something, so you can't compare like you're doing. A MT combo tag is about $650 or so.
2) How many deer can you shoot each year in PA? Even residents in MT can only shoot 1 buck. Their deer populations are much smaller and their are far fewer hunters than the densly populated eastern states. You can shoot dozens of deer in Indiana if you get permission in enough counties (1 buck) and many midwestern states allow you to shoot multiple bucks. So the DNR is raking in money from many, many more tags and can allow virtually unlimited non-resident tags to go out. MT limits non-residents to 10% of tags.
It's very hard to make a legitimate comparison between eastern and western states. I think a $650 combo tag in MT is a better value than the $120 whitetail tag in MI.