OK, I have not really weighed in on this whole thing other than to say I don't like it and to warn a few na?ve souls that it is coming to their state. But here?s my 2 cents, and worth every penny in my opinion.
First of all, Nemont is correct. USO?s lawsuit had nothing to do with costs. That's next go around.
Secondly, Nemont is right again. If NR prices are too high why are so many willing to pay it? There?s a saying in business that goes something like ?The price will only reflect what the market will bear?. It's supply and demand baby. As long as there are people willing to pay the price someone will be willing to take their money. Look what you pay for a pickup truck these days for hell sakes. Look at the price to go hunt Stone sheep in Canada. Locals can hunt them every year in some places for what may seem like a mere pittance. A NR needs a guide who charges 18 or 20 grand. Worth it? Not to me but they sure as hell have no problem selling them. Zim, you say your state only charges 8 times the resident fee for NR. But who the hell wants to hunt in Indiana?
Not nearly as many as want to hunt Montana or Arizona I'll bet. Supply and demand, pure and simple.
I have no say over ?public? land in Indiana, nor should I. I don't live there. If you don't live in _______ (insert the name of any state here) I don't believe you have any right dictating to those who do what should be done there. I am so sick and tired of hearing a few on here say ?it's our land? and the states are only renting, blah, blah, blah. Bull$hit! If it's our land let's see you go out there and try to do something on it for yourself. Something that's not permitted, licensed, regulated, etc by the government. Build a little cabin on ?your? land. Grow a few vegetables. Put up a sign. The land belongs to the government. And before some pseudo-patriotic, head-in-the-sand, idiot starts in with the ?government of the people, by the people, blah, blah, blah?? spare me. More BS. It belongs to the machine we call our government and the lawyers who file lawsuits like USOs.
I apply for big game tags out of my state. However, I apply by their rules, whatever they may be. If their rules say I can only apply for certain hunts, at certain times, in certain areas, that's what I do. If it costs too much in a state for me to apply I just don't do it. If the rules say I am only eligible for a certain percentage of tags, I understand that. If there are animals I am not allowed to hunt as a NR, so be it. I don't go running down to my lawyer?s snivelling about it. If I want to hunt there just like a resident, I need to move there.
Nevada is a popular place to hunt these days. I know people who have lived here their whole life who haven't had a deer tag in years. Can?t draw one. So why should some guy who lives in BFE (sorry B_F_E) have the same or better chance as them? I don't believe they should.
Kingfish, I guess I agree in a way that we can't let hunting become a rich man?s sport. But I don't know what you do about it. Where else should the state game agencies get their money if not from license fees? Pull it out of the sky? Yes they could raise the resident's fees too and most are doing it yearly. But all that really accomplishes is leaving the kids of their own state home instead of hunting. That only compounds the problem. Hunting will die if that happens and at a faster rate than if it becomes a rich man?s sport. I don't think the states are ?greedy?. They are just trying to feed the machine that I referred to above. Their costs have gone up just like yours and mine. The employees want to make a decent living too. They want competitive wages. And the vehicles the agencies drive all cost way more than they once did. And helicopter time, insurance, retirement, boats, trailers, office buildings, etc, etc, etc.
Now think back to the old days (maybe I'm the only one old enough) but when I was a kid, not everybody and their brother went out of state to hunt. Only a few that could afford it did. Wasn?t it a ?rich? man?s sport then too? Rich by the standards of the poor local guy working to eek out a meager living to raise his kids. Now there are too many ?rich guys? guys living in $200,000 homes, driving $45,000 pickups and $7000 ATVs, demanding $25.00/ hour to pound nails, whose wives have $50 finger nails and drive the $40,000 SUV, taking the family to Hawaii or Disneyland every few years or going to Canada to pay $20,000 to hunt. It's not the states that have become greedy. It's that the ?average joe? has become greedy.
I've said it before. USO doesn't give a big rats a$$ about you or any other NR do-it-yourselfer. They don't even care if it's fair or not. They don't care if you ever hunt out of state. They don't care if you ever hunt your own state. They only care about the money they can make. Nonresidents may temporarily benefit from this movement but it won't last long. That's not USO?s goal.
I guess that oughtta do it.
Maybe I'll make it be my new signature.
HUNT IN YOUR OWN DAMN STATE