having read this whole thread I think all responses, well most, are very interesting, but only one really touched on what is most important to me about the fees for hunting on public land (federal forrest lands, etc). I believe residents as well as non residents pay taxes to support these lands and were originally designated as federal lands to protect them from privatization so that all citizens of our country will be able to enjoy their bounty. With the prices of tags continuing to climb, I fear that more and more hunters will not be able to afford to intorduce their children to the experience that we have enjoyed in the past. As their participation declines, and the non-hunter voices begin to crowd out the remaining hunter voice, we may very well end up with hunting available to the few who can afford much higher fees than we pay today, and maybe only on private land. To me, keeping the prices at levels that the average person can afford, resident and non-resident,is a must to protect all of our access to hunt. If non-residents are prioed out, why would they want to support federal land hunting in colo, wyoming, utah,new mexico, arizona,etc.