JFWRC- You're wise to be flexible on pricing for the upcoming season. Folks who draw a tag will need to get their hunt in, but may have a lot less disposable income to pay for any extras. You have a fine reputation from all accounts I've read and assume you will work as hard as ever to show your clients a grand time in New Mexico.
Of course the economy is going to affect the hunting community in 2009 and going forward. Two more "bubbles" are in the process
of bursting, the commercial real estate market and default of many consumers holding financial institution credit cards, whether they be individuals, small businesses or corporations.
So much of what many hunters have in the garage,parked in the driveway or locked in the gun vault is tied up in consumer credit be it ATVs, UTVs, RVs, trucks, hunting equipment like high-end optics and pricey "shooting-systems". It is likely a significant percentage of these purchases were not made with cash, more likely most were purchased on VISA-MC-AMEX or similar OEM plastic. That credit is getting strickly curtailed or called and interest rates are climbing as the banks look for more cash to strengthen their crashing bottom lines.
Hunters will still hunt in '09 but I suspect much of it will be DIY activities with a limit on out-of-state hunts. We'll all still buy bonus points/preference points and surely put in for a few affordable hunts in neighboring states. That being said, as an example, my family of four is looking at $1372 in license and tag fees to hunt deer during the general season in southern Utah, if we draw. Of course, that doesn't include any of the associated expenses of traveling to and participating in the hunt. That $1372 may not sound like much to some but our current political leaders are talking stimulus packages that could result in far less than that going to families and it's supposed to be a help in curing our financial ills. Pardon me for saying, "I don't think so!" Our generation has been fixing for a financial wake-up call in this era of easy credit, inflated real estate values and, in some cases, inflated wages and salaries.
Brine's post about the unemployment check not going towards hunting expenses is spot on as which out of work hunter is going to convince their spouse that's the best use of those funds?
Personally, I'm going to hunt plenty in 2009 but it may end up being coyotes, turkey, small game, upland birds, waterfowl and archery deer. I just do not see a pay-to-play hunt in my plans for this year or next.