Just read in the local paper that Pennsylvania is considering the possibility of holding auction(s) for elk license for next year.
What does anyone know about this? All the licenses? Gender specific?
Sounds like a plan to get more money for the elk program...Why not just raise the license fee?? Puzzled...........

Never happen for 2 reasons.

1.They would loose money because it would not be a 25 dollar per person raffle any more.

2. All he!! would come down on the pgc. These elks are for everyone including the poor to havea chance at one and not only the rich.

If they auction off an elk tag I hope some one sues ther a** off. That is a bunch of horse puckey. All hunters have paid their share through license fees and such. The tags should be a draw so every one would have a chance at the tags. The sound of that makes me sick. Tom.

They auction tags off in Utah, and from the looks of the way they do it thay are makeing big bucks, check out this link, I hear the guy that killed this big bull bid 200,000 for the tag.
http://www.mossback.com/

Nice bull for sure, but if that's the kind of thing that is going to happen if we go the auction route, it's sure going to be the end of the average PA hunter's chance for getting a tag. It will become a rich man's sport. I really think it's totally unfair if it come about that way.
The way it stands now, non-residents are permitted to submit applications for the drawing along with the PA residents. An equal chance, be you rich or poor.
Should it go the aution route, the plumber from Anywhere,PA, probably is out of the mix.
I haven't seen the official work-up of the proposed change yet, and couldn't find it on the PGC website, so I guess we'll wait and see..........

This is all I could find on this, look like it passed the house, they may be thinking of just auctioning off just a few I am not sure, looks like a good money maker but I think it would be too salty for my wallet.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



CONTACT: Nicole Reigelman
House Democratic Communications Office
Phone: 717-787-7895
Fax: 717-783-6839
Email: [email protected]


State Rep. Marc Gergely
D-Allegheny
www.pahouse.com/gergely















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[/align]Gergely’s elk hunting conservation license clears House
HARRISBURG,May 22– Legislation introduced by state Rep. Marc Gergely that would auction off elk licenses to hunters and serve as a fund-raiser for the state Game Commission is one step closer to becoming law.
The bill (H.B. 747) was passed in the state House this week by a sizeable margin, 196-1.
Gergely said the legislation would allow the Pennsylvania Game Commission to offer a special elk hunting license through an auction every year in which 95 percent of the proceeds would go toward improving elk habitats in the Commonwealth.
Both residents and non-residents would be eligible to participate in the auction.
“Pennsylvania currently has a limited number of elk licenses while the number of interested applicants far eclipses the total available,” Gergely said. “Since these licenses are a hot commodity I saw it as a way to spark national interest as well as generate money to help our elk population.”
Conservation tags in other states have fetched upwards of $80,000, Gergely said. Currently, 40 elk licenses are available in Pennsylvania; 15 antlered, and 25 antlerless.
Under the bill, an organization independent of the Game Commission, such as Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, would conduct the auction and receive 5 percent of the proceeds.
The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.

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What's wrong with it if theystill offer the same amount of tags in the lottery system. PGC needs money, so I have no problem with it.

I don't have a problem with it either as long as they only auction off one are two licenses, but I would if they did it for all of the licenses.

That much for a tag? I would go to a pen and hunt them for alot cheaper and get bigger also. If I had that much to spend on an elk tag,I would take the chance to poach one maybe. It would be alot cheaper.A LOT CHEAPER.

The PGC does not need any raises in licenses or auctioning of elk lic. What they do need is for half of them to get off their arses and do some work. We do not need all the game protectors that the PGC[:'(] employes because there is NO GAME to protect.