LAST EDITED ON May-07-09 AT 04:04PM (MST)[p]
LAST EDITED ON May-07-09 AT 03:55?PM (MST)
This is a round-about way to help the deer and elk herds. Raise the prices to impact the demand so fewer tags overall will be sold. Those who have hunted here in the past 3 years know that the wolves, winters, and abundant general tags have had an impact. There might be some 2nd tags purchased by residents this year, but no doubt that the price increase in a cruddy economy will have an impact. My bet is that this will be the first year they don't sell out. However, if they get $50 more per tag and sell 20% less nonresident tags, this will balance out in the long run as an equal value. Plus, with fewer deer to hunt and fewer hunters, this has the potential to be a good thing in a few years.
Sure there will be sacrifices along the way. When you have an ever-increasing demand with limited supply, something has to change.
Is it ideal? Probably not. Is it fair? Maybe not totally, but residents pay income tax on their 20k wages, sales tax on groceries all year long, property taxes on their 1200 square foot house, misc. taxes for schools/libraries/etc... we buy cars here, etc. etc. etc... Non-residents come for a week and no doubt, spend an average of $1000 / person but 80% of this goes to goods (food gas), where the remiander is tax or service $ (tips/motels/profit that can be "re-spent"). Spending $1000 here doesn't put $1000 into the economy. The real value of the $1000 is that portion which covers wages or profits (maybe 20%). The gas bought at the service station had to be bought in Wyoming, so other than the 10 cent profit, that money paid the refinery in Wyoming and really isn't a benefit to Idaho. The food NR's buy at the grocery store is the same food you could have bought in Winnemucca on your way here. It came from the same distribution center (not generally in Idaho). Other than some milk, cheese, or "taters", the money moves right on out of state since we don't grow much else here. Thus, again, Idaho only gets the value of the tax you pay and the small profit on grocery goods.
In comparison, the value of the tags helps pay wages for IDFG and service programs they have (helicopter rental for example).
Not intending to ruffle feathers, but I don't like Nevada's odds and systems, so I don't give them my money. I like OR and UT and WY, so I participate there. Do I feel like I should get more for my $----ALWAYS.
That's my 2 cents worth. I will hunt something, somewhere as long as I can walk and see and have the opportunity.
I'm interested in other opinions. You don't have to agree with me to participate.
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