With regard to hunting, I personally don't want to have to wait to only hunt every other year or every third year while I save up the funds.
Are we both talking about the same thing--an $80 elk tag?
How does that compare to all the other expenses of a big game hunt? It'd cover gas, if you're not driving that far.
And if they double the price of a youth tag, it'll cost $20.
Smokepole, don't feel too sorry for me.
I can afford it if I want to. However, my point that perhaps you missed, is that once they start raising fees, they never come down and things don't get more affordable, they just get less affordable. To you or me, $80 may not seem like much. However, I know folks where $80 will definitely be too much, specifically for the reason you mention, all the other associated costs other than the license. And that doesn't include if you've got a couple or three kids that want to hunt. Yes, the youth tags are only $20 (or so) if they double (not including application fees, etc.) but try drawing a decent youth tag. A lot of kids will age out before they get one, depending on the area. And what do you think all those 18 year olds will do, think they'll all go spend $80 on an elk tag, deer tag, etc? A few diehards will, but not the majority. And what happens 3 years down the road when the hunter numbers fall off and they decide they need to double the fees again? I suppose that will still be alright with you.
Of course, unless you're ultra rich, everyone eventually reaches their limits. I quit hunting Montana a year after they raised the non-residents license fees to over $500 for a deer tag. It wasn't that I couldn't pay the $500 if I really wanted to, but with all the other expenses associated with going, I was looking at $1500-$2000 just to bring home a little deer meat. After weighing the costs and what I got out of it, I decided I didn't need to hunt Montana that bad. It was my choice. All I'm saying is that if we want to maintain or grow the hunter population, raising the fees does us little good overall and eventually more hunters will drop out.
Heck,even the Denver Post this morning is saying doubling the resident license fees is a losing proposition and that they need to look elsewhere for funding. We all know where that will lead.
