Thoughtful replies everyone.. Thanks. Exbiologist I appreciate your perspectivev on the history of LE units. I hope that some changes come about that tackle the underlying issues more effectively. But I do fear the only one that will get much serious support however, is charging NRs extra hundreds or thousands in fees. Sadly, that will just kick the can further until one day that burden falls on the residents too. I think fees charged should defensibly reflect the management costs and recognize the secondary benefits of the hunting economy. All it will take are a few politicians to see NRs spending huge increased tag fees while residents fees increase much more slowly and it won't be long before they move to "harvest" all that untapped potential from residents too. I mean, if the tag is "worth" $2,000 to a NR, it must be "worth" that or at least represent that "value" to a resident hunter too. I understand that residents pay their taxes and shouldn't be charged twice for managing their own wildlife but no matter the state, hunters make up a minority of the population, and pretty soon even resident hunters could stand accused of benefitting or gaining a "subsidy" at the expense of their resident non-hunting neighbors' claims to those same game animals (photogs, hikers, elderly, young children, even anti-hunters are all legally residents too). Best we stick together (even loosely together) on fees or the rich-man's game it will truly become if it has not already.
