Getting ready to leave for CO elk hunting and started thinking whether or not I can justify going every year with the new price increases.
Is anyone else really "ticked off" about the increase in license fees for next year. Or the limit on non-resident hunters. I think that the whole thing is a bunch of BS. While I will grant that the price increase may just get CO fees in line with other states, I have a problem with the motivation behind it.
Last year I received an in depth survey from persons working with or for the DOW. The overall feeling that I got while taking it was that the purpose of it was to determine how to reduce hunting.. Several choices were given as to preferred management strategies and hunting. You were to decide which you preferred or not and respond as to whether or not you would hunt given these rules. When I contacted the individuals responsible for the survey, I was told that essentially the intent was to thin out hunter density/ lower numbers. Part of the reason was due to the large number of complaints from in-state residents who wanted preference in the lottery, regardless of preference points. Statistically, non-residents only hunt once every three years and thus have preference points to draw in the "best" areas. While I understand this,(I dont get a deer tag in my county each year) it comes down to being politics disguised as management. With the CO elk herd on the increase and reports of low harvest, a decrease in tags doesnt make sense. The price increase will likely keep the overall dollars the same. They probably didn't consider the dollars that non-residents spend in the state...I hope the merchants raise H___ with the DOW for the loss in revenue which will come as a result.
Is anyone else really "ticked off" about the increase in license fees for next year. Or the limit on non-resident hunters. I think that the whole thing is a bunch of BS. While I will grant that the price increase may just get CO fees in line with other states, I have a problem with the motivation behind it.
Last year I received an in depth survey from persons working with or for the DOW. The overall feeling that I got while taking it was that the purpose of it was to determine how to reduce hunting.. Several choices were given as to preferred management strategies and hunting. You were to decide which you preferred or not and respond as to whether or not you would hunt given these rules. When I contacted the individuals responsible for the survey, I was told that essentially the intent was to thin out hunter density/ lower numbers. Part of the reason was due to the large number of complaints from in-state residents who wanted preference in the lottery, regardless of preference points. Statistically, non-residents only hunt once every three years and thus have preference points to draw in the "best" areas. While I understand this,(I dont get a deer tag in my county each year) it comes down to being politics disguised as management. With the CO elk herd on the increase and reports of low harvest, a decrease in tags doesnt make sense. The price increase will likely keep the overall dollars the same. They probably didn't consider the dollars that non-residents spend in the state...I hope the merchants raise H___ with the DOW for the loss in revenue which will come as a result.