Just heard the auction tag to hunt mule deer on the Antelope Island State Park sold for $265,000.00!...

what a joke.

was their only one? or more at that price, put me down for 2!


unbelievable that some people will spend so much, to go shoot a potentially big deer, rather than hunt for one. kinda takes the fun out of it. why not go to a game farm and buy a huge deer?

I'm not jealous of the guy who bought that tag one bit.. But it is worrisome that as more states get in money trouble, that they'll start auctioning off tags to the higher bidder, if they can command a price tag like that.

This particular herd has never been hunted and will pretty much be like shooting one at the zoo.

Hope the "hunter" owns a custom built .300 Mag for the extreme conditions...

These are the hunts where all the pygmies come out of the woods for photo ops right?

These deer have gold antlers, right?

I used to brag on the fact that the DuPonts had no better chance of hunting bighorn in Oregon that I did. Then we went and started auctioning tags.

Utah gives more special interest/auction type tags than any other state. There was a Sportman's Expo here last week that they give 200 permits to alone. I understand the state's desire to raise $$$, but the numbers are completely out of control.

I was at that auction it was CRAZZZY i keep track of all the auction items that night . I will look for the book and see what else sold for crazzy money.

that is beyond rediculous!..id rather miss out on a few years of hunting that animal than spend money like that..my wife to be would kill me if i spent 1000$ on something w/o kissin some serious butt beforehand, how could that guy justify to his wife that he "needs to spends 265,000 to hunt a mule deer"?lol..somme people got more money than sense i guess

Better "ride" in sitting in a brand new Lambo on 22"s for that price..

B8

Tax write off....

Cant wait to see the field pic with 22 guys sitting behind the buck.

Yes it does get crazy... and 80% of the monies paid is a tax deduction if I remember correctly...In 1994 I was at the FNAWS Convention when the Arizona Desert Sheep tag sold for something like $303,000 to an Arizona resident!! A year or so later.. can't remember..the same fella bought the Bighorn tag in Montana for over $300,000....I could be off on this but I think this same fella had $1.5 million tied up in Sheep tags in Arizona, Montana, BC, Alaska and Alberta...

Is there a buck on AI that could possibly be a WR and hence the high price?

Pay it in IRS taxes, or buy a tag. For the 'deep pocket guy's, it's a no-brainer. Nevada has auctioned tag's for over $200,000 also.

I have no doubt..... greybull

I don�t disparage a guy with the resources for spending the money any way he sees fit.

After all if you are either going to have to spend it or be buried with it the choice seems pretty clear, spend it on something you enjoy. Better a good hunt than a gambling trip to Las Vegas in my opinion.

The growing problem is the states monetizing the hunting. By offering such tags to the highest bidder the overall cost of hunting, especially trophy hunting will continue to climb.

Seems the way it is going to go and I don�t see anything that will stop it so enjoy the hunting we have today, most likely these are the �good ol days� and opportunities will continue to be more expensive and good tags harder to draw as the competition keeps getting tougher and tougher.

On a good note most of the monies from the auction tags don�t go to the state�s general fund but usually are used for wildlife conservation or nonprofit groups. Hence the tax breaks.

Even a "tax write off" only saves so much money and not nearly the amount paid compared to the deduction.

Burns is almost right this time, except I think the "good old days" were a few years back and now we're just trying to hang on.

No.

Almost right is pretty good, right??

Anybody with the resources to pay for those tags is in the top bracket so they are really only paying about 60% of the aution price with the writeoff.

That's about right.

Unbelievable. If I were looking for a tax write off I'd personally rather donate it to feeding hungry kids, families, etc.......

Skane, come clean...you were the highest bidder weren't you?

I Wonder If It'll Taste Any Better Than A Public Land Deer.. Talk about Some High Priced Tender Loins..

You know that one will be coming.

44 eyes patterning and putting the buck to bed. No doubt they already know which one it will be.

$265,000 for a hunt shoot.

Good for the State of Utah.

They'll never feel the same sense of accomplishment we feel when we finally get back to the rig, after a tough hunt and a brutal pack out. No amount of money in the world can buy that feeling.

I agree Calvin but these guys are not about the hunt and getting dirty its about the brag they can afford it though. Do you think a guy that spends 265K for a deer is going to sleep in a tent.

I guess at the end of the day I hope they are as happy with their hunt as I am with mine.

As long as I get to hunt the way I want then more power to anybody else and the way they want to hunt.

The idea someone gets to shoots a big trophy with a lot of help, and I mean a lot of help, in no way diminishes my hunting, at least not in my mind.

It is not my cup of tea but nobody has to live by my rules but me.

Yes!
You can't put any amount of $$$ on the sense of accomplishment of a high mountain buck hunt.

If that buyer of the tag were to scout the area by himself and self guide his hunt. That would be priceless for him for even a lesser buck.

If he has the money to buy the tag he has the money to scout it himself.

I tapped out at $200.00.

Utah Henry mountains deer,choice of season $70,000

Utah state wide elk $50k

utahstatewide muledeer $155,000

Arizona special mule deer $200,000

Utah Henry mountains deer hunters choice $75,00

Colorado statewide Deer Tag $90,000

Maybe the lucky hunter will post up a few pics for us.

I'd Rather Have What I've Got...This One Was Killed On Coopers Creek WMA. Public Land Hunt. About mile Back In,And All Up hill.While Not a Real big Deer For Most Parts Of The Country, But A good One Around Here..Lotta Work But I Wouldn't Trade It For a 200" Bought Deer.. Other Deer Was Killed Over At My Mom and Dads. Mom Wanted To Know Why I Didn't Kill The Big One..I Just Don't Get The same Satisfaction Out Of It. If I Dodn't Find It Kill It And Pack IOt Out,,

It was me, I bought the tag and gave it to a DIY'r.

I was going to use it, but some Jabroni in a hunting chat room said it wasn't right to go on guided hunts using 300 magnum rifles.....

Tony

Well, John Burns, it wasn't the tax advice I was giving you the partial credit for. It was more the enjoying what we still have, such as it is. Not your exact words however.

There's the things in life that scratch that deep itch, really get down to the nougat of things... playing music, hunting, skiing, sex, are few of mine.

I don't begrudge Richie Rich his hunt, but I think the days I come out of the woods emptyhanded but knowing I did it right, I feel better than the day he wraps that $250k tag around the horn of his.... purchase.

However, this whole paying-more-for-better-hunts thing is a (potentially) very scary slippery slope, and THAT, I most certainly can "begrudge" about it!

The guy will probably never know what it tastes like...

A fool and his money are soon parted....

While I myself would never pay that much for any hunt, I'm glad some people are willing to shell out that kind of money. People who pay big $$$ for those tags probably keep my tag costs down.

It is hard to imagine our hunting opportunities will be any cheaper, in both effort and dollars, in the future.

This especially applies to any form of �Trophy Hunting�. Just the way it is and the way it has always been. Limited resource and increasing demand.

I wouldnt say its always been like that....this buck was killed by my dad back in the early 60's. The rack layed on top of our garage outside for many years. When I was in junior high, I grabbed it and got it restored somewhat and eventually got it mounted.This buck would easily qualify for B&C even afetr being in the elements for a long time. Not too many people payed much attention to big stuff back then like they do now. I tried to give this buck back to dad after I got it mounted and he wasnt interested. He said in his younger days that he shot lots of buck like this and many he said were bigger...much bigger.

A guy I know got a a UT Conservation Expo tag for a bighorn sheep tag; it cost him $5 to enter. The same tag sold at lottery for $58k. I wonder who will enjoy their hunt more?

Utah708

How would we measure who enjoyed their more? I hope both guys have a great hunt.

Pat,

My point was trophies in the future are going to cost more than they have in the past, in both sweat and treasure.

In the 60s very few guys had any idea about how the Boone and Crockett scoring system worked but now days a good percentage of hunter understand how deep forks on mulies affect score and how important the 3rds are on a big bull.

I think you dad�s deer is a great example of how hunters have changed over the years, to him it is just another buck but to me it could be the buck of a lifetime, and the trend is big trophies are much more in demand now than in the past.

I think it is safe to say big trophies will be more in demand in the future.

It boggles my mind that how deep the forks are on a buck matters so much to people, but I guess the world is full of people keeping score of everything from pedicures to the car one drives to the size of their peckers.

Not a shot at you or anyone here, John. Just an observation on humanity.

I sure hope that "trophyism" doesn't permeate the sport any deeper than it has already. It's poisonous IMHO.

Guess my bid of $265,001.00 never made it there in the mail...

darn it!!!

Jeff,

�Trophyism� only is a problem if you also want big trophies and wish there was less competition.

In my opinion a lot of hunting opportunities open up for guys who really just want to hunt and don�t care about horns. Getting access to hunt doe deer or antelope or even cow elk is pretty easy around here but if you want a big set of horns to go with your meat things change pretty quickly.

Seems like a lot of guys want to get the big horns but then complain because the increased demand they are a part of makes the cost go sky high.

If you really don�t care about trophies then I think the hunting is great and only going to get better and maybe cheaper.

If you want that big mulie (and you have said you are going to use some points for a good tag) then accept the fact quite a few other guys want it to and there is going to be some competition, of which you are a part, and most likely it will increase in the future.

I remember when I got back home from Idaho after killing my first B&C mule deer and drove over to dad's to let him have a look....the first thing he said "Geez, you drove all the way to Idaho just to hunt mule deer?" I handed him the antlers and all he could ask was how much meat I got off him....laffin! A 218" buck didnt mean as much to him as how he was going to "eat". It was a different era...

Your dad sounds like a man after my own heart. How many tender vittles will this critter make

I've not problems with single tags being sold.... it does the state agencies a world of good monetary wise to be able to do more good... but I sure hope somewhere in there its limited to one tag for each species per year basically.

I like our state option better though... a grand tag so to speak, and its done by lottery tickets basically... for a few bucks anyone can have a shot at a 300K tag so to speak.... though I'm sure the lottery doesn't bring in as much.

As to whether its hunting or not, thats off topic and a can of worms... as long as its legal and you can sleep with yourself at night, I could care less....thats actually what ethics are.... your call at whats fair or not...as long as its legal.

And I thought the $85,000.00 winning bid for a Desert Bighorn Tag here was crazy high a couple of years back. Sounds like a bargin now, since I've shot a nice Mulie and haven't ever shot a Desert Bighorn.

I dont care how much $$ a person has.
Thats STUPID.

Plus ONE.. as the old saying goes.. a fool and his money are quickly parted....

If you didn't have a wife you could probably afford a $265,000 tag

Really? They were all in bidding processes, where at least two people bid for them. Eventually one person won each one, over howevermany else were bidding. It was a fair competetion amongst adults, in other words. Don't suspect that puts it in anyone else's business...

There are plenty of other tags at Mule Deer Foundation, Elk Foundation, and others that you can pay a (very) small price to enter the drawings. Friend of mine got one that way this time -- a grand event coming up this fall.

This has been going on for 20 or 30 years...it's nothing new. At the first RMEF national meeting I went to, in 1991, I watched a fellow who owned a string of magazines buy an elk hunt in AZ for over $300,000. That was a long time ago... .

Dennis

Sho' are some jealous dudes around the fire. That's a lotta bucks that will go a long ways to improving hunting for us poor folks.

Jeff: Then why on earth would you bother with that special unit mule deer tag? There are a million places in the west that you can go and easily knock off a forkhorn...I'd back off and let someone pull the tag who will appreciated it.Just trying to understand the contradiction.

Yep, I don't understand the frustration here...or should I say jealously. If a guy can afford that kind of $hit than more power to him. If I could afford it, I would do it DIY, but that's just me.

There is an almost an unlimited demand for some of the most coveted mulie tags in ID and MT (among other states), but truth be told, if it was just a drop in YOUR bucket, I'll bet that most everyone here would pay to do it at least once. Maybe not the whole 20 guys watching it all summer thing, but the hunt itself, which might be what the bidder has in mind. Who knows till it happens...

I'm thinkin a fella who can afford to cut a quarter million dollar check for 'recreation' is probably not too big a fool. Likely all but the actual cost of the deer tag itself will be deductable, non-profit donations. It's not a hunt/shoot I'd enjoy much, but I won't condemn someone else who might.



At least the money is staying in the wildlife management end of things, hopefully.

Maybe Utah will drop their non-resident elk tag a few bucks now..............bwaaahaaaahaaaahaaaa

I'm glad there are people that have that kind of excess to pump into conservation and its smart of Utah to be able to take advantage of it. Congrats to him and whoever else was bidding with/against him. None of my business what his motivation is. Thanks for the contribution.

There are some people for whom 300000 dollars is like a cup of coffee that I buy at Dunkin Donuts. So Fish and Game auction a tag to raise revenue. It seems to me that we all don't like were prices are going for licenses and tags. Yet we want the Fish and Game folks to make sure we have plenty of game to shoot and fish to catch. It costs money to chase down poachers, and Stock trout in steams. What I find interesting is that in a very down economy, there are people that can pony up that kind of cash. To put 300000 in your pocket to spent you would have had to have a gross of at least 500000 K a year depending on where you live, and people who make that kind of money work in places were I would not want to live.

I've seen some pics of 40+" bucks on Antelope Island from a couple of years ago. My boss has some connections and was allowed to photograph there under strict guidelines. He has all the good gear and brought back some amazing pictures of truly HOG class bucks. He was there in the early fall and really struggled to get close to the big bucks. Contrary to what you might think, they are WILD and wary on there. It isn't a "fish in a barrel" hunt...and it will be a hunt. They won't let a pile of guides on there to "guide" the hunter. It is highly regulated. There are other critters hunted on there and the game doesn't like people. There isn't ONE person here that would turn down the tag if given to them, nor if they got it for a reasonable price. It is an amazing sanctuary and you will see more and more hunting on there. They have finally realized the money potential it can generate. Same with the land around Kennecott Copper Mine. They gave a tag to an employee last fall for the first time. They had a company drawing for it. If I remember right, it was a 38" 7x9 buck. Flinch

The most "difficult" aspect of this hunt will be picking out the deer you want to kill. If you compare the deer on the island to other bucks of the same age in heavily hunted areas your comparing apples to oranges



Not one? I'm not trying to be argumentative in any way, shape or form but an Antelope Island tag wouldn't interest me at all and I am absolutely addicted to big mule deer. Arizona Strip or Henries Mountain and I'd take as many tags as I could get



Employees of the mine have been given tags for over a decade now. They give employees more than one tag a year. No employee killed a buck this year like the one you described.

I have been thinking about this for a few days because I have been conflicted about it. If a guy up and gives 265,000 to the state of Utah for land conservation/game management we would call him a hero and name something in his honor. If he gets to hunt huge deer because of it we ridicule him or hate him. For me I have decided to say thank you and good luck - hope you kill a big one.

first of all the state parks people that run antelope island are A holes, they view the island as their SANCTUARY, which means don't bother them and most of all don't make them have to do any extra work.

a few years back they were going to open the island to hunting and the state parks people flipped out and got the media all whipped into a frenzy. for one thing the island isn't exactly small and I wouldn't say the hunting is going to be like shooting fish in a rain barrel. I am surprised the state is even allowing hunting there. The parks department is idiotic in their rules out there and will not even allow people to shed hunt out there. much of the island is closed to access its all a bunch of BS and frankly I think the state should just sell the darn thing. the state parks is run by a bunch of tree hugging a holes, as if there is any other type of tree hugger.

the other topic is the conservation tags give at the expo this is another joke. utah took 15% of its tags and gave them to the SFW mule deer foundation and a few other groups, this took the tags OUT of the draw. this was supposed to raise money for the wildlife, the only problem is the hunting continues to suck more and get worse every year, the once prestigious wasatch limited entry bull elk unit is a joke now compared to 7 or 8 years ago, and every year they just issue more tags. since the expo tags started being given out I have seen my hunting experience and satisfaction go down, not to mention all the people still in the draw that would have drawn and been on the waiting period.

You have to excuse flinch, he's consistently full of chit.

And cummins, the Wasatch produced some of its biggest bulls last year..

I've only ever read one post of his and I had that figured out