Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Game tag auctions for game preservation

Most western states auction off a few tags every year, bringing in very high prices with the money going to game preservation. Idaho is the exception. Idaho's Fish & Game dept is controlled by a commission appointed by the governor. They've long held that everyone, no matter what their income, should have an equal chance at tags. It shouldn't be a rich man's game. The governor wants auctions and has recently replaced 2 of the holdouts on the commission. Here's an article about what's going on.


Idaho's auction tag controversy: Preservation money or rich man’s game?
BRYAN CLARK Post Register
COURTESY OF IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME
The subject of auction tags is one of the most controversial topics among Idaho hunters. The state currently issues only one such tag, for bighorn sheep.
Perhaps no issue has been as controversial among Idaho hunters as the idea of “auction tags,” which would give the highest bidder access to some of the most sought-after hunts in the state.

It has led to a major shakeup on the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, behind-the-scenes arm-twisting and a major division within Idaho’s hunting community.

At the bottom is a fundamental dispute about how hunting rights should work.

One side sees Idaho as the last true bastion of the “North American Model” under which game animals and the right to hunt them are shared by all, and each person has an equal shot at a coveted hunt, regardless of means.

“Idaho is unique in the Western states,” said former Fish and Game Commissioner Mark Doerr. “We are one of the only states that does not have a major auction tag program. It’s still a state where a hunter can buy a tag over the counter and go hunt.”

The other side thinks the state is leaving lots of money on the table by refusing to issue more auction tags, money that could be used to maintain the health of game populations.

“If (wealthy hunters) can contribute, I think we need to give them the opportunity,” said Doug Sayer, chief business officer of Premier Technology and a longtime advocate of expanding auction tags.

The debate over auction tags came to a head during the January legislative session, when Sen. Steve Bair, R-Blackfoot, and House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, introduced a bill that would have forced the Fish and Game Commission to issue a number of auction tags.

A bill enacted several years ago allowed the Fish and Game Commission to issue about a dozen auction tags per year, but each year the commission has decided against the idea. Bair’s and Moyle’s bill would have changed language that said the commission “may” issue tags, to language saying the commission “shall” issue such tags, forcing their hand.

That bill didn’t make it far, in part because of vocal opposition from sportsmen’s groups and few indications that lawmakers could expect support from the Fish and Game Commission.

A few months later, Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter decided not to re-appoint Fish and Game commissioners Will Naillon, of Challis, and Doerr, of Kimberly, a move that was widely seen as an effort to push them out because of their stance on auction tags.

“That’s most certainly the main issue,” Naillon said.

Otter refused to comment.

Naillon said he asked two questions of any proposal put to him as a commissioner: “What is good for wildlife?” and “How does this benefit the average sportsman?” And while he saw that a few auction tags could raise lots of money for wildlife conservation, he worries it could also be the first step down a road that leads Idaho away from an equitable model of hunting access.

“It’s a small step, but it’s a step in the wrong direction,” he said.

Utah has enthusiastically embraced auction tags, and it now sells hundreds of them every year under its conservation permit program. The program in Utah generated some $33 million between 2001 and 2014 for groups such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation which work to make sure game species are healthy.

Kenny Johnson, chief of the Administrative Services Section of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said the sale of auction tags has greatly benefited game management.

“The fear is you lose some public permits,” he said. “On the opposite end, (it’s) in trade for some of the stuff the state agencies don’t have resources for.”

The benefits can be large for species such as bighorn sheep, Johnson said. With such a rare species, the state can issue only a few tags each year. So unless those tags fetch a hefty sum, there isn’t enough money for projects meant to help the species recover. But by auctioning off those tags, the state raises a lot more revenue.

“There are very few of those,” Johnson said. “They’re worth a lot on the open market.”

Sayer pointed out that many funds raised through auction tag sales are matched three-to-one with federal money collected through taxes on guns and ammunition.

“If you sell a bighorn sheep tag for $100,000, that can mean $400,000 for conservation projects,” he said.

Idaho auctions one bighorn sheep tag for a hunt near Hells Canyon each year, and Sayer sees it as a model for similar programs for moose, mountain goat and other big game species.

“In my mind it’s a program that’s worked for almost three decades,” he said.

But where Johnson and Sayer see a success story in Utah, some sportsmen say issuing more auction tags could push Idaho toward a future in which hunting is a “rich man’s sport.”

Idaho State Bowhunters president Tad Sherman, who just returned from a bowhunting trip during which his 11-year-old son bagged a deer, said hunting is an integral part of his family life. He typically gets tags for multiple species each year.

“It’s something I have the opportunity to do every year,” he said. “In Utah you have to hope that you can draw a tag. You might be sitting three or five years waiting for a hunt.”

And for Sherman, that would mean missing out on opportunities to bond with his son. For him, hunting is really about spending time in camp with his family, exploring the woods with friends and putting meat on the table. If he gets a trophy buck, that’s a good year, but it isn’t why he loves hunting.

Naillon, too, worries that moving toward more auction tags might fundamentally change Idaho hunting culture and the nature of game management.

“Idaho manages to get as many people out in the field that they can,” Naillon said. “Utah manages for trophy hunters.”

I agree that the auction is a rich guys option. If they want to buy 1000's of lotto tickets to increase their odds that's fine, but all the lotto tickets should be the same price for everyone.

It's disturbing that they auction off a tag for a million bucks in Alberta for big horn sheep. It's the same few people that bid for them. In effect it's selling the animals to the rich.

It's also hard to say that they use this money 100% for the game animals and management. Speaking for this state and Oregon, that money all goes into the general fund to pay for every degenerate social program they can dream up.

When fish and game of this state was forced to put all the license fees into the general fund, the writing was on the wall for the sportsman. All you have to do is drive along the Columbia river from Portland to Wallula, hundreds of miles of nets in the river every hundred yards. And we have a two fish limit if you can even catch two!

I was rather proud for years that the Duponts and I had the same chance at one of Oregon's bighorn tags. Not that way anymore, and some of the past buyers have had some rather seedy game related issues.

Washington State auctions off governors tags for sheep and elk. The majority of the elk tags are bought by rich douche bags who think they are above the law and the rest of us who get in their way are pests. There are a couple of them that win the elk tag on a regular basis and break just about every game law there is and the game dept. just looks the other way or slaps their hand and ask if they would like to buys next years tag.

I'm all for it. Full disclosure is I've won the Vermont Moose auction in the past so I can hardly oppose it elsewhere. It's a lot more money for conservation and really helps the species.

Totally against auctions and totally for raffle tags. Buy as many as you want, but they cost the same for all Americans. Wildlife should not go to the highest bidder.

Sounds like Gov. Otter and mr. Peay are getting close..That should scare Idaho residents.

Totally against the auction tag idea in Idaho. I think the "may" statement is sufficient. Especially when the sportsmen of Idaho have made it clear that we want the current system maintained.

if it were for conservation rather than preservation I"d be ok with the use of the tags.

In fact if it helps the budget, I woulnd't mind loosing a few tags, and at that point, I could care less how the animals are harvested even. Its about caring for the game in the future. If you can pay big bucks, and want to shoot it at night with a thermal scope I could care less.

Mind you this is just my thoughts on issue that would not involve anything other than a single tag type of thing.

Lord knows there are way more than singles poached every year that are never caught.

Auction em off as long as the money doesn't go into the general fund.

Question for you auction guys. If they could raise as much or more by selling raffle tickets, would you agree that a raffle would be acceptable?

The Governor's tag for sheep here actually helped some hunters here. They opened a small piece of ground for the tag but by law the area had to have at least one general season tag winner, also. So now they give an extra tag for a rarely hunted area and some folks have killed incredible sheep in there.

They could extend the same offer for the raffle winner, that sounds like a great win/win. Great for even the peons to be able to dream of a hunt like that.

Kind of thought they could average the last 5 prices for governors tags and set the raffle sales to end when that average was hit. Then the lucky winner could be drawn. With no loss in revenue to the state.

Colorado has one auction tag and one raffle tag for each species. I'm ok with that. If Idaho doesn't want to auction/raffle tags, I'm ok with that too.

Watch4Bear,

For states I'm aware of license revenues goes to the general fund (like all other fees agencies collect) and the legislature appropriates the money back to the state wildlife agency. The elected legislature writes the checks, and that's the way it should be. Appointees writing the checks isn't a good idea in my opinion.

Casey

I'd say allowing the Division of Wildlife to handle their own finances has a history of working poorly. Like when they lost $32 million in money back in 2012.

http://www.denverpost.com/2012/06/08/editorial-the-colorado-division-of-wildlifes-messy-accounting/

But just raise the fees a bit and all will be good. Sorry for the thread hijack.

Actually the CPW has done pretty good. What the Post didn't mention was the merger of wildlife dept and parks dept was not easy, and resulted in plenty of accounting errors.

Casey

Actually these accounting issues started back in 2007, well before the merger. Not sure how poor accounting practices and losing $32 million is considered pretty good. Nothing raising some fees can't help.

DOW was flush with cash until the raid. Plenty of wardens and biologists. After the raid, less wardens, mandatory retirements, and way less biology. I guess if you like more park service its a plus. Extra fees, the never ending "we're broke song", along with added rules and regulations. Anti-hunting governors have their own special say also. Figured you to be on this side of the fence. Your a big government type of guy.

W4b,

CPW revenues have ALWAYS gone to the general fund in Colorado, and appropriated back to the agencies. That hasn't changed.

Are you aware parks and wildlife were combined until the mid 70's?
But I'm wondering if the combining of the two may be the reason they are looking for a increase in license fees.

The largest and most rapid increase in regs came during the late 90's and early 2000's--that carpetbagger from Texas was governor then--a Republican.

Don't know if our governors are pro or anti hunting--never seen any of them actually hunt.

Coming from a flaming NeoCon, calling others "big government" don't hold a lot of water.......geeeeze.....

Casey