Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting NM Draw Credit Card Hit

I sort of lied its actually the west end, not the SW end of the unit. It is actually called Baldie Mountain I believe.

Santa Fe Baldy

I'm stationed in New Mexico and have found the hunting to be the one redeeming characteristic of living here. It certainly is frustrating not being about to go out and buy a deer license (or five) over the counter like back in MN but by applying for everything that moves I've been able to do a lot of hunting. Last year i was able to get a pronghorn tag (Military only hunt), archery mule deer in zone 34, depredation oryx hunt on McGregor range, and javelina. This year I drew barbary sheep, pronghorn (military only again) and javelina and my friend who has never applied drew archery elk in 34, rifle deer in 34, and javelina and my dad drew a muzzleloader elk tag in 34. I think the key is to look at the odds and choose wisely. I also pick two hunts I really want and then pick a high probability hunt for the third. Another good strategy is to pick up bow or muzzleloader hunting to give yourself better odds. But I'd rather hunt just about anything then nothing at all.

schmidty
those antelope hunts on mcgregor?

Yep.

16B is an Q/HD hunt. Those are $760, not $547, and speaking as a man of average means, that is a lot to pay for an elk tag! Don't get me wrong, I think it's worth it, but it sure isn't easy to justify to my wife!

It's an addiction! you gotta pay to support your habit.

hell i'm sittin here twitchin and chewin my nails waiting for fall!

Yep, it is a Quality hunt. Complaining about the price is akin to ordering Filet Mingnon and complaining about that it's too expensive. A quality hunt costing more? Whodda thunk it?

As a matter of fact, I have ordered Filet Mignon that I thought was too expensive (more often than not)! Last year, when gas was $4+ per gallon, I'll bet you still bought gallons and gallons of it, and I'll bet you thought it was too expensive, just like 99.9% of all Americans did. If you want gas, you pay the price, but that doesn't mean you have to agree that the price is reasonable.

Same deal with western big game tags. As a law-abiding citizen, if I want to hunt, I have to pay the price, or I don't get to hunt. For many people, $760 or even $547 is out of reach (especially in this recession), and that has profound effects on hunting in America.

The current prices for tags are hurting hunting in the long run. Our sport needs the next generation in order to keep it strong. Many 20-somethings simply cannot afford these prices. There is safety in numbers. As the hunting population ages, the number of hunters drops, and gradually, the anti-hunting crowd gets its way. Incidentally, many of those 20-somethings that would have gone hunting go to the other side because our media and our higher-education system is full of anti-hunting "mentors" to "show them the way". We simply miss the opportunity to convert them into ethical hunters when their minds are still open.

And that is my issue with high tag prices. But, I digress...

Regards,
Scott

I agree with just about everything you wrote, but my point still remains. There is a difference in any quality product. As for the gas analogy, it's a product we all want, not need. But thats more of a philosophical issue.

As for the elk hunt, as a nonresident you had a choice to pay $550 or $750. You choose to pay $750. You have no basis for complaining on that note because you CHOOSE to pay more. Gas can be argued to be a necessity of life but hunting in a state other than your own that you don't pay taxes in is a luxury.

Iowa is a good example. NR is deer tag (license included) is $550, residents are OTC for, I think, $16. I didn't apply for a tag in Iowa this year because I have other hunts planned and just couldn't fork out another $550. Do I think thats wrong? Not really. The residents pay the taxes, work the land and put up with the deer eating their crops. They are just guarding their natural resource. The only issue I think is wrong is, like a few western states, charging you for a $250 hunting license before you can even apply.

Teaching a young person to hunt is very important to continue with our way of life, but that doesn't mean we have to take them on the most expensive hunt! We also need to teach kids to drive, but I'm not going to buy them a Ferrari for their first car.

I'm just arguing the justification for the fees. NM fees are pretty close to what most other state charge for NON residents. You yourself wrote that you thought it was worth it.
A resident pays state taxes that support the habitat which in the long run most likely add up to more than a NR tag, a non resident doesn't, hence the difference in prices.

Just my opinion,

Dion

P.S. If you need a note for your wife (or some pictures of the unit to convince her it realli IS worth it) let me know!

I respectfully disagree. I certainly do have every right to complain about the cost. I chose to pay more, but I don't have to like it! We're still a democratic republic, aren't we? I know our president is trying his best to change that, but I don't think we're quite there...



Thirty years ago, elk hunting was not an expensive hunt. It's only recently become expensive. I'm also not talking about children - I'm talking about young adults. I have young co-workers that would love to try elk hunting, but they flat out can't afford it. Thirty years ago, that was not the case. Why do we accept it now?



NM GMU 16B is nearly 100% federal land, as is a good portion of elk habitat in the west. What about the (excessive) taxes I pay to Uncle Sam? Don't they count, too? I'm all for the federal government staying out of the states' business, but when the land is owned by the feds, the state residents are not the only ones footing the bills...



And I respect your opinion. I just happen to disagree with it.



LOL - Somehow, I don't think a note or pictures will help. She just doesn't "get it" when it comes to my obsession with hunting. She puts up with it, but she'll complain that it's too much money!

Regards,
Scott

I do not complain when I pay for NM tags. Just got the hit last week on my card for one. I filled out the application and knew what it was gonna cost if I got drawn, so I ain't gonna gripe about it. Would I like it to be less? You bet! But then there'd be more applicant's, and odds would be longer to get the tag.

In our group this year there is a 20 something young man, my cousin. Myself, 38 years old. My B.I.L. 47 yrs old. And my Uncle, 56 yrs old. My cousin grew up hunting (like so many of us), but he hasn't gotten to Elk hunting until now because my uncle wouldn't pay for his tag. He felt that is something you need to earn. I agree. I never got to go until five years ago, when I made the decision that I WAS GOING TO AFFORD IT.

Paying $550 for a tag sure stretches my hunting budget to the limit. I already hunt whitetail and pigs religiously. And spend plenty doing that. Not to mention the money I spend fishing. Then there's shooting. And to top it off, my hotrod. I personally manage all this on a tradesman's salary. I also have a wife and 1.5 yr old little girl. So if anyone is gonna complain, it could be me. But I ain't gonna, cause if I couldn't afford it I wouldn't apply.

As for what it cost 30 yrs ago? I bet a lot of things were cheaper 30 yrs ago. As was the avg income. My father financed a house 35 years ago for $13,000.00, and sold it last year for over $100,000. In 1965 a new Mustang (optioned up) probably cost about $2500. Now you spend closer to $20k, if not more. But the bottom line is, technology has made Elk hunting more accesible to the regular joe now. GPS, online applications for tags, internet forums (like this one) for gaining knowledge, sattelite phones for emergencies, all the little do-dads and thingy-majigs that provide more comfort in the field, and the list could go on. All these things contribute to more and more people taking to the woods in search of Elk. So there's a higher demand. And I won't even pretend to know the stats on Elk numbers compared to thirty years ago. But I bet there was more of them then simply based on available habitat.

The unit we drew in this year is Santa Fe Forrest, Carson Forrest, and Pecos Wilderness. I think all of these are National Lands. But I bet the Fed's don't kick in squat for habitat maintenance, herd counts, harvest data, etc.. We're lucky to even see a park ranger most times. So we foot the bill, and I'm glad to so I can have the opportunity to kill an Elk.

I have plenty of grown friends who are jealous of me every time I draw a tag. They don't apply because they either can't afford it, or more commonly because they won't sacrifice other activities to go Elk hunting. That's their decision. The avg person could take their lunch to work enough in one year to afford a DIY Elk Hunt in NM. Cut back on sodas. Buy coffee at 7-11 instead of Starbucks. Refill bottles of water instead of buying new ones. The opportunity is there more than some know. It's really just a matter of them wanting to go bad enough. Where there's a will, there's a way.


Sure, anyone has the right to complain, just don't be surprised if it falls on deaf ears. After all, we all filled out the application.

Jay