Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game New Colorado Application requirement

Good stuff nj.

It won't result in less not resident hunters.

It will result in wealthier non resident hunters.

-Jake

Well, that changes my plans dramatically. I have never put in for Colorado, but was intending to start this year, in hopes of drawing a mule deer in a decent unit in about 5-7 years. I don't know that I will spend $90 a year just for the privilege of a chance at paying the state more money later.....I don't know that I wont yet..but its sure frustrating.

I appreciate all that you said NJ and agree. If hunters could stick together instead of always bickering between ourselves, we'd be a powerful force to reckon with, that's for sure.

As you said, we're all only a resident of one state and NR in the other 49. Hunting anywhere as a NR is truly a costly endeavor these days and the bottom line is to do it, you can't just be scraping by financially. For certain hunts in certain states, I'm sure people will sacrifice to make it happen if they truly desire it. However, I doubt it will ever be like it was in the "old days" when it didn't take much financial commitment to hunt out-of-state.

The other thing to remember, as NJ touched on, is that once the price to play hits the extreme for the NR hunters and their numbers tail off, it doesn't take long before the states start looking at the residents to make up the difference.

Small game + Habitat stamp will be just ove $100

Well said NJ. My son in law would like to hunt elk, but when you add the travel costs and time to the license which will be:
Small game $80
Habitat $10
App fee $9
Elk license $660
Actual cost: $759. For a 5 day season.

It’s not trivial, and is slipping away from some income levels. Do that to enough people and they’ll no longer care as much about those public lands.

I don’t know the answer, but I wonder how much of the fiscal pressure is tied to DOW being merged with parks.

I still think the requirement to purchase a small game license in order to apply is complete BS. Their reasoning is “The qualifying license is intended to ensure hunters are not accumulating preference points without otherwise making a financial contribution to wildlife conservation in Colorado.”. Explain to me why the mere act of a PP requires making a financial contribution to conservation? The $660 license and $10 habitat tag aren’t enough of a contribution in the years you actually use the resources?

It’s really not that hard to understand what is going on here.

1. Supply and Demand.......the demand is greater than the supply. Colorado cannot provide every hunter in the other 49 states a opportunity to harvest an elk or deer just because they want to.

2. Money........the state cannot afford to stop selling tags or vastly reduce the number of tags sold to non res hunters because it needs their money to fatten the Parks side of CPWD. Therefore while they know some guys will stop putting in for tags they will be able to make up the difference from those that don’t wince at an extra $100 to apply.

3. Residents hasty responses.....we’ll isnt that a natural reaction? If you live somewhere so that you can enjoy the resources that location offers your not likely to be real excited to see hoardes of non residents showing up once a year where you intend to hunt, or have been hunting and have it ruin your hunting or make it much more difficult due to excess pressure.

That’s it in a nutshell. Too damn many people and not enough public land in the country plain and simple!

Yet every single study shows hunter numbers are way down across the Nation.

I'm 38 years old, and make enough money to get by and be comfortable, but far from well off. To many folks, I'm barely getting by. I've always wanted to make at least one Western hunt, and had dreams of making it many more. Sadly, the closer I get to the point where I thought this would be a reality, the more the goalposts seem to be moving.

I'm not at all suggesting I deserve a damned thing...just somewhat disheartened at the prospect of never being able to do what I always figured I would eventually get to. Such is life.

CPW claims that they need the operating funds and want everyone who gets in the drawing process to contribute. I’m not particularly thrilled to be forced into buying a small game license to apply for deer since elk is otc in the unit that I hunt. The $89 extra is a steak dinner and a few good whiskys so I guess it’ll be less of that in Steamboat or in Boise on the way home. Nowhere decent in Craig to do that anyway! Hello Mickey D’s! I’m already planning my 2019 hunt. Actually, it’s just a “Groundhog Day “ sort of event. Rewind last year and hope the weather cooperates. Happy Trails, y’all

Maybe next year we'll have to buy a ski pass to go hunting?

Thanks Handwerk, got a chuckle out of that one this am. Hope all is well there. Don't give this guys any more ideas, next it will be a mountain bike and kayaking tax.

Money, yes they want more money. I'm more than happy to pay my share for what I do. It's less about the money to me than it is the BS nature of the fees. If they feel they need $759 from me the years I'm there to hunt elk for 5 days, then charge that. Don't randomly charge me $80 for a licence I won't use saying it's needed for conservation. What's the Habitat fee?? How many non-residents are going to come to CO in years they don't draw a big game license? Roughly zero. Yet CO is charging them for a small game license. That's bad policy. Call the fees what they are, charge what you need.

Who wants to talk about the auto registration/license plate/ownership tax? 683 bucks for year on a 2-3 year old SUV? Are you kidding me?
You guys are lucky to NOT be residents!

By selling more licenses, the state gets to leverage more Pittman & Robertson dollars on top of the money they make on selling the license. I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner in states will large pools of applicants. I also predict this will become the norm for states like Colorado.

That said, the only way to get to hunt some species in some places is to play the games. I plan on playing as much as I can afford for as I long as possible.

We in WA beat that $600 car tab crap at the ballot box for a $35 car tab fee years ago. They found innovative ways to add weight fees, etc to the basic cost but still not taxed per value. Of course they keep fuggin’ us with higher gas taxes! LOL! Face it, the governments will continue to milk us dry to support the non-productive elements of society and illegals. Hunters will continue to support parks and other stuff they don’t need or use. Happy Trails

I don't think it applies to OTC tags. Only the drawing

Can you return the small game tag before season starts and get your money back is my question?

I'll let you call the DOW to confirm either way, but my strongest guess is that there is no returning the small game license. Its not Walmart lol.

Man that was the biggest shock I have ever experienced in moving to a new state. I had 3 vehicles to register and literally about fainted when the lady at the DMV told me what the total was for all 3 vehicles. After living in Texas and Alaska for the last 25 years I had never been faced with a absolute abuse of a taxation state like I did with moving here. The really good news was when she told me that I had to pay almost the same amount next year too, it’s not a one time tax, it’s every year! People have asked us if we plan to retire here since we’re so close to retirement and I’m like are you [bleep] Crazy, no way. I think it’s only going to get worse with the Uber Liberal new governor too, he is itching at the bit to add new laws and taxes and make this place California’s little sister..

Can't you return a normal big game tag as long as you do it before the season starts? I was thinking maybe it's along the same lines... Not that the $80 will stop me from coming, it's just the thought of it..Why not make you get a furbearer tag? makes more sense to have a tag to shoot coyotes with during elk/deer hunt, than a small game tag!!

JFC..... what do you think the small game license allows you to do? read the regs before opening your puke hole.