$6.4 Million Dollars

[NiceRack]

As of todays count $6.4 Million dollars is the amount of money Idaho F&G has lost in potential sales of Non-resident Elk and Deer tags and licenses. This does not include the additional millions in lost revenue to over the counter sales of goods and services.
Is this the drop in sales due to the ever increasing Wolf population that has steered hunters to other states? Or, is this drop in sales due to Idaho F&G mis-management? Either way the state is losing vast sums of money.

Elk Deer
Quota 10415 12015
Avail 4730 8213
sold 5685 3802

Tag cost $416.75 $301.75
License $154.75

Elk tag lost Revenue $1,971,227.50 License $731,967.50
Deer tag lost Revenue $2,478,272.70 License $1,270,961.70
(assuming a license was purchased for each Elk and Deer tag)

Total $6,452,429.40

Paul
"Nice Rack" Taxidermy

 

[7mmgilbert]

sounds about right, as a resident I no longer buy the 2nd leftover tag

 

[coyotebuster08]

I came up with about the same amount.
As always, the quality of the product, and consumer demand determine sales of any product.
In this case, I suspect problems with both contribute to the decline. Either way, I love Idaho and look forward to returning in a couple of weeks for our annual deer hunt.
We will spend our money, pickup our trash, respect private land, and maybe kill a buck or two.
Good Luck All,
CB08

 

[IdahoSmitty]

I would say it is a little of both. I moved from Washington around a year ago but have paid for the out of state deer tag for the last 3 years. It seems as though the deer/elk population has gone down (from what I can tell) since 2007. (I have no previous idea what it was like prior to 2007) I knew quit a few hunters in Washington that would not return due to the hunting situation. I still have some friends coming over t hunt this year. We were very excited about the wolf hunt last year and gladly handed over money in order to be able to hunt a wolf. I like to be optiomistic about hunting here in Idaho, I still see a few big ones come out of the 39 unit and the Idaho lanscape is quite a site. (it's a big reason why I moved here)
I think that the wolves need to be kept in check and I also believe that the unit I hunt could be managed a little better. I would like to see how the wildlife would react if they made the unit a 3pt or better unit. It could just be a 2 year trial and see what happens. Anyway, good luck to all on Sunday!!

 

[jaburn]

they rasied prices in the middle of a recession,the wolf thing,maybe they are trying. mismanage ,yes... they distroyed 39,maybe its the sacrafice unit... with all the 1a,ers and non res. they don't care to listen to anybody.they hunt that unit from aug15th to nov. 30th with a small break in oct. over 1200 people hunt that late archery . that was a good hunt now all you see is wolves and people and deer run when they see you @ 1000yds. Oregon is gone, nevada is tough. I laugh when i look at the non res. quota ,they got greedy now they paying for it. face it or not they need the non res. money. they (fish and game) need to listen to the people. I've hunted Idaho for 18 yrs.I have plans for wyoming next year and looking @the dakoda states. Igave up on oregon and now Idaho.

 

[hornetcreek]

I think you'll see residents buying alot of those up in the next few weeks as we start dropping animals and need a second tag. With the cost and this economy it's smarter to see what I get with the first tag before deciding on the second whereas in the past I'd just pick up the extras to start with. Coyotebuster-great attitude-non residents like you are always welcome around my camp.

 

[cabuck]

hornetcreek,

What you mean to say is you plan on harvesting a deer, then purchasing a second tag, then hunting for a second deer. Just sayin. A crappy system that lets you purchase tags after the season has started leads straight to trouble. Idaho seems to be ok with this idea. Wonder how many people hunt then buy a second tag, resident as well as nonresident? Just sayin.

Cabuck
p.s. hunting Idaho with a general deer tag this year

 

[muzzhunter]

If that is the case that you can buy a tag after the season has started, then I bet there are a lot of people killing animals if they see them and have the chance, then buying the tag after the fact. I hope I'm wrong, but I've heard it used to happen in Utah in the past, and would guess it'll happen in Idaho too if that is the case.

 

[hornetcreek]

I guess I could have worded that better. Let me make this simple for you guys: buy a tag, shoot a deer, if you want, buy a second tag and then hunt for another deer. I think if your intentions are to break the law, you probably won't wast your $300 on the second tag.

 

[Daxter]

Wolf numbers are way up
Elk and deer numbers are down
People are buying fewer tags

IDFG says "I know, lets raise the price of tags, that will make up for the lost revenue!"

Oregon says, "Yeah, great idea we'll do it too!"

I guess neither Idaho nor Oregon fish and game have any employees that took high school economics and understand the concept of supply and demand.

 

[GSJ]

>hornetcreek,
>
> What you mean to
>say is you plan on
>harvesting a deer, then purchasing
>a second tag, then hunting
>for a second deer. Just
>sayin. A crappy system that
>lets you purchase tags after
>the season has started leads
>straight to trouble. Idaho seems
>to be ok with this
>idea. Wonder how many people
>hunt then buy a second
>tag, resident as well as
>nonresident? Just sayin.
>
> Cabuck
> p.s. hunting Idaho
>with a general deer tag
>this year



The thumbsuck is strong with this post...........
the artist formerly known as "gemstatejake".

 

[OregonDan]

I previously hunted Idaho for several years. My son and I did not go back this year because the area we previously hunted was full of wolf tracks. We saw no deer and very few tracks the last year we hunted.Wolves were howling not only at night but at times during the day. This is an area that had been very good in the past. Due to the increase in tags and the recession we decided it was just too expensive. It was always a very long trip but we always found the people of Idaho to be first rate. I love Idaho and will return when F&G get the wolves under controll and if the license and tag fees are ever again reasonable.

 

[burgerman]

It's because Idaho, like all western states, have continued to abuse non-resident hunters to the point they say, keep YOUR deer and elk and pay for them yourselves!

I'm a resident of Colorado but have applied in states all over the west for the last 20 years. I had a pile of preference points in every state that gave them. However, all these states increasingly abuse non-residents with extravagant fees 10-30 times higher than residents with fewer possibilities to draw each year. I'd have to buy $1000 worth of licenses in states I'd never set foot in unless I drew one of the few tags offered to non-residents at odds over 1 in 500. I'd have to up front $15K just for the privileged of entering a drawing for a tag where I had the same odds of winning lottery. Then my kids got older and wanted to go with me and I wanted them to have the opportunity. I finally said screw it, keep your critters! You just lost me and my kids!

States are loosing hunters because it's just to expensive... Not only have I stopped applying but what would have been income from my kids is now lost. Yes, the older rich guys will continue to apply, but when they are gone "we" will have lost a generation of young hunters. Why would my son stand up against a ban on sheep hunting in New Mexico when he knows he will never go there? Why would he join an organization that spends his donated dollars to put elk in a state where he will never be allowed the opportunity to enjoy the resource? The "MY DEER" attitude most hunters have is starting to show it's effects...

My points in Arizona, Montana, California, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Wyoming and Idaho will all expire soon, and I say good riddance! This is gonna get some action I'm sure

 

[tagsoup]

Good for you. But i still believe that there are plenty of good tags out there that can be drawn or bought every year. If it's to expensive to hunt every year why not do it every other year or every third year. Why is it that people think they have to have a tag every year? If you want your kids to hunt then go hunting. If you want to come up with reasons not to hunt then stay home.

 

[grizzly]

You guys are both right.

States are taking advantage of NR, and if it bothers you...stay home.

But the problem with Idaho is...you don't have to look very hard to find reasons to stay home.

The hard part is finding a reason to go.

Idaho is in huge trouble. And they know it.

Grizzly

 

[hornetcreek]

>My points in Arizona, Montana, California,
>Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Wyoming and
>Idaho will all expire soon,
>and I say good riddance!
>This is gonna get some
>action I'm sure
>

You must have Idaho confused with another state, we don't have preference points, the tags are over the counter and it's set up this way so everyone can hunt. You are right about the cost associated with preference points in other states, some people just don't add in the cost of all the preference points and licenses they pay for over the years in addition to the tag when they draw it and look only at the flat permit fee in Idaho and think it's expensive when they have probably paid twice as much over the years putting in and not getting drawn in other states.

 

[brymoore]

It's my understanding that the Idaho legislature (Siddoway) pushed through the NR price increase w/o the consent of IDF&G.

 

[burgerman]

I hunt every year, but only in Colorado.

Your missing my point. I'm not making excuses, I'm just stating the facts. I applied in 7 or 8 states for 20 years, I don't anymore because these states spit in my face. I will not apply out of state because the odds of drawing a tag are not worth the cost. My kids will not apply in other states because of the same reason. All these western states lost the revenue from me AND my kids, that's 4 hunters. Am I the only one? If some National or international anti-hunting group decides to start a movement to outlaw wolf, dove, moose or whatever hunting, in Idaho, I say it's Idaho's problem... Am I the only one?

If the cost and odds were not so lopsided compared to residents, my kids and I would all be applying and supporting Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, New Mexico, etc. Not any more... Those are the facts, not excuses... So I guess you are all happy I'm staying home, am I the only one?

This thread was stated asking why Idaho was loosing so much NR money... This is why... I can buy a landowner tag, hunt in Canada or even Africa for what it used to cost me just to apply in 8 or 9 states every year for a tag I stand no chance of every drawing... I knew a guy that owned an application service, don't talk much any more... A few years back he told me he made applications for over 500 different non-residents in Montana for sheep, moose and goat and not one drew...

 

[Moosey69]

The price alone is not enough to keep myself and alot of other guys I know who used to hunt Idaho from coming back. It's increasing prices while decreasing the overall product.
The idiotic game management along with the wolves, increasing fees and not having any better chance to draw (Points) then the previous 10+ years of buying licenses to apply for controlled hunts are the main reasons there are 7708 out of 12015 non-res gen deer tags + the 1500 whitetail and 4521 out of 10415 A&B Elk tags left + only 2 of the 13 zone elk tags sold out as of Oct 8. And residents are not going to buy all those tags.
All of the "Idaho is doing fine" club either have their heads in the sand (or where the sun don't shine) or have some private property. Because I have hunted Idaho the same way (hard) since the 90's and it has definitely gone down hill in quantity and quality.

 

[treedagain]

only time will tell, get the quality up...