>It's not the cost of a
>license or anything. That's not
>what this bill is about.
>It's not that they just
>want me to pay a
>yearly fee. What the outfitters
>want is to eliminate me
>and anyone like me from
>providing information to others. The
>bill is written however to
>allow them to provide the
>information if they want. The
>general public guys behind the
>bill just want to stop
>me and others like me
>from sharing information most likely
>to reduce competition for them,
>but represent that it's for
>the good of deer. I'm
>sure the general public guys
>don't want the outfitters to
>do it either, but allowed
>that excpetion in the bill
>in hopes it would have
>a better chance of passing.
>
>That's what I believe.
>
>Outfitters and the state control who
>gets into the club, so
>in the end, they'd control
>who gets to share information.
>
>
>Heck, I would have no problem
>paying for a license, permit,
>whatever (within reason) if that's
>all it was about. (Although
>I still don't think the
>state should restrict my speech)
>
>But that's not what it's about.
>It's about protecting business for
>one group and reducing competition
>for trophy bucks for the
>other. Those two groups are
>usually against each other, but
>the enemy of your enemy
>is your friend sometimes.
>
>This bill has nothing to do
>with protecting a resource, it's
>all about eliminating competition, especially
>from some guy from Utah.
>
>The folks I help still have
>a deer tag and will
>still go hunting whether I
>help them or not. Their
>success rate is most likely
>going to be the same
>whether I help them or
>not. So, the herd as
>a whole is not hurt
>at all. The only affect
>my information has is that
>the average 5-8 year old
>buck doing the breeding come
>winter might have smaller antlers,
>as my client may have
>killed a larger antlered 5-8
>year old buck because of
>my intell.
>
>I think it's clear what the
>bill is all about. It's
>all about, "shut up Founder
>about where the best bucks
>live, cause we don't want
>other people messing up our
>chances".
>
>
>>What are we actually talking here
>>in cost if the bill
>>passed and guys were made
>>to be licensed?
>>
>>Is this an expensive, onerous process?
>>Or are we talking $65
>>and fill out an application?
>>
>>
>>Just trying to weigh the reasonableness
>>of the requirement.
>>
>>Grizzly
>>
>>-----------------------------------------
>>
>>
"It's time to revisit the widely
>>accepted principle in the United
>>States and Canada that game
>>is a public resource."
>>-Don Peay, Founder of SFW, as
>>quoted in Anchorage Daily News
>>
>
>
>Brian Latturner
>MonsterMuleys.com
>
LIKE MonsterMuleys.com
>on Facebook!
I'm sure everything you describe above is accurate...you know the inside baseball far better than I do. What I've read of the WYOGA...I'm not a big fan at all. Seems they are always trying to screw anyone who isn't a paying client. However...2 points:
1) Why not just link up with an outfitter as an employee offering this service? If there is demand (i.e., $$$) - and you know as an outfitter your competition may offer this - why not work out an arrangement? If this bill passes I would think your phone will be ringing with licensed outfitters wanting to hire you to manage this new endeavor.
2) While I'm sure there are many less than fair reasons this legislation is proposed...there are some legitimate concerns with needing to regulate this activity.
Safety is a big one - sending some uninformed non-resident into remote country with a dot on a map could turn out poorly. I'm not suggesting you do this...but without regulation, and with a profit motive - less responsible or caring people could end up enabling a scenario where someone not prepared to handle the elements is injured/lost/dies as a result of relying on some gps coordinates to find an animal...hunting an area they never would have gone to on their own. Heck - look at how many people get in trouble following there car gps on remote roads to get to some destination!
Managing pressure is another legitimate concern. Most states and federal land managers limit how much commercial activity occurs in an area or on a forest. An outfitter does not have free rein to guide clients anywhere in the state or country. In that sense, I can understand wanting to license people doing what your doing so there are not 1000 commercial outfits operating in Region G/H.
Anyways - just some thoughts. I will admit though - I'm not a supporter of the direction WYOGA tends to lean nor do I support the further commercialization of hunting...this bill puts a limit on the commercialization aspect (by at least regulating it in some fashion) so I am inclined to support the bill...a lesser of two evils from my perspective.