1. Today is Jan 11, 2022 and Idaho is sold out of nonresident general elk tags except for 90 or so tags in the Lolo (Lowlow) where there are no elk. Most of the least desirable tags didn't sell out until late last summer.
2. I hunted Montana every year between 2014 and 2018. They were technically on a draw but you could just show up and be assured of a tag. Now you have to have at LEAST 1 point to draw.
3. When I started building points in WY 14 years ago the general tag was something you could expect to get most years 100% guaranteed with 1 point. You need 4 to guarantee a tag now.
This is hardly news to anyone that has been in elk hunting over the past two decades. Everyone blames celebrity hunters, youtube channels, and Joe Rogan. I haven't seen anyone discuss a solution. I think resident elk tags should be $200-400 and non resident tags should be $1500-3,000. Before you get your pitchforks out, think about it. I see several obvious benefits:
1. This is the most obvious, tags would be available! Instead of hoping to get a tag, you could reasonably plan on one being available.
2. Hunting would be better. Take Colorado for example. They sell OTC unlimited tags for branch antlered bulls. If you buy one of those tags you may be hunting VERY VERY few legal animals. Take a hypothetical unit with bull:cow of 15:100 and a poplution of 1000 elk. Out of those 150 bulls lets say half are legal, that leaves 75 elk out of a thousand AT THE BEGGINING of the season available for harvest. Here is another way to think of it. Every state out west could offer unlimited OTC bull elk tags for elk with 6 points or more per side, and the elk populations wouldn't suffer, so few of the elk meet the criteria.
3. Increased revenue for conservation, tags sold would dip, but revenue would soar, without increasing fixed costs.
Arguments I expect to hear are that we don't want to turn hunting more into a rich mans sport, decreased opportunity to get outside with a tag and experience, yada yada. First elk are not an 'opportunity' species. Just not. More deer are shot in Pennsylvania every year than LIVE in Idaho. Probably two or three counties in Texas could post higher harvest #s than population #s of elk up here. Second, for the Ma or Pa coming from out of state I would strongly attest are better served going on two succesful hunts per decade than a string of 10 unsuccessful ones. Lastly, have you looked at Texas lease prices that y'all are paying for 130-160" run-of-the-mill deer? Just yesterday saw a lease advertised for $9,000 that the biggest buck taken was 160s... that may be on the high end but folks are still paying $3-6K per year on glorified meat leases, albeit with friends in some cases.
Edit: Used the wrong to,too,two in title and noticing several other grammar errors. sry.
2. I hunted Montana every year between 2014 and 2018. They were technically on a draw but you could just show up and be assured of a tag. Now you have to have at LEAST 1 point to draw.
3. When I started building points in WY 14 years ago the general tag was something you could expect to get most years 100% guaranteed with 1 point. You need 4 to guarantee a tag now.
This is hardly news to anyone that has been in elk hunting over the past two decades. Everyone blames celebrity hunters, youtube channels, and Joe Rogan. I haven't seen anyone discuss a solution. I think resident elk tags should be $200-400 and non resident tags should be $1500-3,000. Before you get your pitchforks out, think about it. I see several obvious benefits:
1. This is the most obvious, tags would be available! Instead of hoping to get a tag, you could reasonably plan on one being available.
2. Hunting would be better. Take Colorado for example. They sell OTC unlimited tags for branch antlered bulls. If you buy one of those tags you may be hunting VERY VERY few legal animals. Take a hypothetical unit with bull:cow of 15:100 and a poplution of 1000 elk. Out of those 150 bulls lets say half are legal, that leaves 75 elk out of a thousand AT THE BEGGINING of the season available for harvest. Here is another way to think of it. Every state out west could offer unlimited OTC bull elk tags for elk with 6 points or more per side, and the elk populations wouldn't suffer, so few of the elk meet the criteria.
3. Increased revenue for conservation, tags sold would dip, but revenue would soar, without increasing fixed costs.
Arguments I expect to hear are that we don't want to turn hunting more into a rich mans sport, decreased opportunity to get outside with a tag and experience, yada yada. First elk are not an 'opportunity' species. Just not. More deer are shot in Pennsylvania every year than LIVE in Idaho. Probably two or three counties in Texas could post higher harvest #s than population #s of elk up here. Second, for the Ma or Pa coming from out of state I would strongly attest are better served going on two succesful hunts per decade than a string of 10 unsuccessful ones. Lastly, have you looked at Texas lease prices that y'all are paying for 130-160" run-of-the-mill deer? Just yesterday saw a lease advertised for $9,000 that the biggest buck taken was 160s... that may be on the high end but folks are still paying $3-6K per year on glorified meat leases, albeit with friends in some cases.
Edit: Used the wrong to,too,two in title and noticing several other grammar errors. sry.
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