Some years back while living in Idaho I wrote a lengthy letter to the F&G about auctioning off more tags; I see it as a good thing. The way I saw it, there is already a big business of selling trophy hunt tags under the current regulations - I know, landowners can't sell tags but they can charge trespass fees and give away their landowner's tags. The trophy mule deer property I wanted to hunt near Fairfield was getting $7500 per deer tag. Why not let the state government get in the business? The way I laid it out was to select an area that is known to produce big bucks/elk and auction off the trophy tags: still allow hunting for forked horns in the general hunt. Then take the very funds from the auction and specifically target range improvement for that herd. Of course some called foul because it kept the "poor" from hunting trophy animals.
Hunters draw tags and don't appreciate them and in many cases don't even go a field - per my discussion with game management officers. Had a guy here on this site draw a coveted Bighorn tag, I met with him and shared all of the scouting intel from my successful hunt - He never went. Had a second guy contact me and again I shared my intel and he hunted one day, complained he didn't see any sheep. I didn't help the third guy who contacted me yet he successfully harvested a small ram, shot out the truck window.r
The point I attempted to make in my letter was there are many hard core hunters who would love, and be willing to pay, for the opportunity to hunt trophy animals and why shouldn't the state offer the service.
