ZEN

Well, unfortunately stupid people are out there breaking the rules and god knows what else, but neitheryou babysitting ormorerules, regulations, and enforcement officers are the answer.Think hunting is too expensive now...hire 10 or 20 more game wardens and see what your taxes and fees go to. Their salary has to come from somewhere.I understand that some people do work harder for their dollar than others have to, but who's fault is that? Not the states. Hunting should not be about how much it costs for you license and tag. If that is all that is going through someone's mind whiletheyare outhunting, how much fun are they really having? I would rather see those people go to the grocery store where there is food ready to eat. I dontwant to see hunting become a rich man's sport anymore than the next guy, but i really think that is were it is headed with all the guided fishing and hunting outfitters popping up, and all the lazypeople who actually hire these people get them a"trophy".I have never killed a trophy anything, but i will not hire someone toshow me where one is either.Just look at states like Wyoming, where out of state hunters are required by law to hunt with a licensed guide when hunting in that state. Bottom line, $165 is damn affordable to hunt three to four seasons for elk or deer, anyway you look at it. Compare that, to roughly the $550 just for license and tag it costs to go to Idaho and hunt for elk, and probably the same in Oregon. That is a bargain. Not counting gas, lodging, food and everthing else.

Brush hunter

ZEN, do you work for the WDFW?

trapper T

The steep price was to deter everyone from getting the tag,thus keeping down over crowding problems. Now I'm not totally for a $170 on top of my other fees, but about six years ago at the public imput meetings, we(the people) brought up the idea of gettinr rid of the weapons choice crap, like so many other states have. We( and I was there) told them that as most hunters do,"we just want to be out there", and that harvesting was the number one priority. So through the last six years of talking with the dept on this matter, this is what they came up with. And with it being a raffle I think that'll leave the choice up to the individual if they're willing to pay the fee then they put in for it. Like Zen said the funding we give them is how they pay for the wrdens and such, and while I am against giving the Goobermint endless funds, I do hope maybe this will help fund a couple more Wardens to help police the CRAP that goes on out there....my two cents