Big Gov't at work
 

Never understood the whole govt mentality. I fully understand that they sometimes need to cull to keep populations in check but I can't for the life of me understand why they can't sell permits to the average hunter to do the trigger work. Why stick the taxpayers for something you could use to generate fees?

About 15 years ago my native CO wanted to thin the deer herd in the area around Ft Collins because of CWD. In that area was Lorry State Park. The DOW sold unlimited antlerless permits and they opened the park to hunting. You could submit the heads of any deer taken to be tested for CWD. I personally took 5 does off the state park and they all tested negative. Didn't cost the taxpayers any $$$ for "sharpshooters" and in less than 2 month they had the herd trimmed to the level they wanted it at. They could do the same type of thing here.

As long as you were in the Navy you have to ask about the Gov. doing anything that makes rational sense?

They do like to spend money.

I would guess this is partly explained by east coast anti-hunting mindset.

cause our government don't like hunters. get rid of hunters and you get rid of gun rights.

yep. government runs like the military. there's the military way and then there's the right way.

This could've been a money maker, selling cull permits for youth and disabled hunters. At least the meat will get donated to food banks.

Since these a federal lands, hunting is against the law. Congress would have to get involved. Sharp shooter are allowed since they are culling the herd. Symantics in favor of the Fed. Same thing had occurred at Manassas Battlefield. The tax payer cost is over a million dollars at manassas last year.

??????????? You do know all "public hunting lands" are State and Federally owned right? National parks open up every now and then to cull certain species and no it doesn't take an act of congress. Using hunters to cull has been a long standing tradition. It's just been recent years that they started leaning more towards "professional sharp shooters" to appease the tree huggers.

The government doesn't want to make money on anything but student loans. Many times they could turn an expense into a profit center. But they won't. But the one place they shouldn't be making money. They are.

Sounds like an end of year hurry up and spend money thing. The airport here use to have a draw hunt to help with the population but since all the terrorist crap the have hired guns now too. I do agree with the opening up it one way or another to hunters though.

Are you really sure about that? I've hunted on a lot of federally owned lands: National Forests, National Grasslands, National Seashores, BLM land, Military bases, National Monuments and I even hunted a National Park once. Congress doesn't have to get involved, just the agency with authority over the land.

They did the same thing at Valley Forge. The shooters worked at night. I guess there are too many people walking around in the park during the day. We have a township park and a prison around me that have a lottery draw for hunters. But Valley Forge (national park) was strictly sharp-shooters.

Some consider it anti hunting
 

But in truth it is a non hunting place, a military museum hat has nothing to do with hunting. Any deer problem has to be taken care of by the government. They caused the problem. They have to clean up their manicured place that attracts deer. Hunting is harder than that.