I'm not a Whitetail guy...but

[RadSav]

I've never been much of a whitetail hunter.  But I found out a few weeks ago that I had booked a buck hunt in Wisconsin during the rut   You'd of thought I would remember doing something like that, wouldn't you?  

Well, my buddy Del calls me up to tell me congratulations on booking the Superior Outfitters property for October 25th, 2014.  Monster Bucks In The Rut, he tells me.  I know absolutely nothing about this outfit.  Suppose to hold bucks between 140 and 190 P&Y so it could lead to my best Whitetail ever.  The companionship should be great and I'm sure the evening stories will be worth every penny! 

Not sure if they are going to try and get my hunt on film or not...I hope not!  But what the heck.  A guy has only so many opportunities to hunt with friends.  Especially ones from Connecticut.

http://www.northernwhitetailoutfitters.com/rut-archery-whitetail.html

[boneaddict]

Do you still get to take 5 deer?

Should be a fun hunt for sure

[RadSav]

Last time I hunted WI was during all the CWD scare.  We had to fill a doe tag and have it checked before we would be given a buck tag.  Dang bucks everywhere and a guy could not buy a doe.  I ended up not shooting a darn thing

I might get a bit more excited if it weren't for the fact I have to fly.  I don't mind flying, but I absolutely HATE airports since 9/11.  I'd probably hunt six or eight states a year if it weren't for airports these days. 

Maybe I'll rent a 4X4 motor home and drive there and back.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Sweeet ...wish u all the luck ...Now one question !! it is hunting season and did you ever come up with those broadheads

[RadSav]

Now one question !! it is hunting season and did you ever come up with those broadheads

    Martin Archery happened    We stopped everything while my brother and I tried to put a deal together to buy them.  Thought we had the deal put together.  Still do not know what happened.  Other than they found out we are poor and the banks think our little RAD business is a joke.

The broadheads are still in the works, just about 4 month behind schedule.  I had a meeting with the machinists yesterday about the new ferrules for that little WASP type blade we talked about.  My first two designs ended up being impossible to make and sell for less than about $35.00 per head.  Think we've finally got what we are wanting now.  Although we are having to modify tool holders on the Citizens just to make these ones.  That's another five grand down the drain.  So they still are not going to be cheap, but they won't be any more expensive than a WASP either...I hope!  We will have some more Titanium ferrules for these blades as well.  Those are just flippin' awesome!!! 

I'm hoping to get you a few to play with before late season.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I still have 8 Wasp Bosses left ...good for 8 more kills  I just can not believe how much this crap is costing us ....I wish I would have bought 4 dozen arrows a couple years ago and just stocked piled them ...Same with the broadheads .. Its just nutz...then last night I seen where cabelas had a box of bullets loaded with Berger Bullets for $ 137.00 WTH !!!!

[RadSav]

I bought some arrows shafts the other day at dealer cost.  With freight came to $637.00.  And dumb arse Easton put 7" shrink wrap on them now so I had to strip them before I could use them.  The European model is getting closer and closer.

A few years ago we thought we had an opportunity to make the Pittman Roberts act (FET tax) go away.  Mathews and the ATA screwed the pooch on that deal.  Now 11% of every gross sale dollar goes to the government.  Then 10% to salesmen.  33% to corp taxes.  Seven percent to UPS.  And who knows how much will start going to Obamacare, employer penalties, B&O tax, and all the other little government eco taxes they say don't mean or add up to anything.   Over 60% of every dollar you spend on a RAD product goes to taxes, penalties and fuel surcharges.  And that doesn't include all the employee time spent filling out all the endless crap this administration is making us do through the Census Bureau Every small business I know of that donated to the Republican party over the past two elections is absolutely swimming in Census Bureau paperwork.  And if you are late with it some dou che bag calls you up and threatens to throw you in jail

And people ask me why I sleep so much in the woods during hunting season   Flipping burgers at a choke and puke and sponging off the government starts sounding pretty dang good after a while

I better get to bed before I have another episode

[idahohuntr]

A few years ago we thought we had an opportunity to make the Pittman Roberts act (FET tax) go away.  Mathews and the ATA screwed the pooch on that deal.  Now 11% of every gross sale dollar goes to the government. 

I hate taxes as much as the next guy...but will gladly pay the 11% tax passed on to the consumer for hunting and fishing gear that supports fish and wildlife management.   

[quadrafire]

Every small business I know of that donated to the Republican party over the past two elections is absolutely swimming in Census Bureau paperwork.  And if you are late with it some dou che bag calls you up and threatens to throw you in jail

Oh good.......I thought it was just me.

[RadSav]

A few years ago we thought we had an opportunity to make the Pittman Roberts act (FET tax) go away.  Mathews and the ATA screwed the pooch on that deal.  Now 11% of every gross sale dollar goes to the government. 

I hate taxes as much as the next guy...but will gladly pay the 11% tax passed on to the consumer for hunting and fishing gear that supports fish and wildlife management.   

I don't buy the position we should be happy because it supports  fish and wildlife. Each individual tax has an important aspect associated with it for someone or some oranization.  But the collective accumulation of all these noble taxes add up to a crushing disability of American business and jobs.  What is the role of government?  Does going outside the roles of government become acceptable because it benefits "ME"?  What about when it benefits "Them" we disagree with?  Is it then justified to eliminate jobs when it helps "Me" and no longer justified when it eliminates jobs for "Them"?

Wildlife and wildlife habitat are things we as sportsmen and outdoor sports manufacturers should support in some way.  But when does gooberment intrusion and restriction stop?  When did we get to a point where 11% of gross revenue became acceptable?  When did the "End" justify the misuse, bribery and wasteful "Means" of government?  We had a chance to slay a monster and replace it with a reasonable solution.  But solutions are not what the government is about. Instead we fed it and made the monster stronger. 

[Smossy]

[idahohuntr]

A few years ago we thought we had an opportunity to make the Pittman Roberts act (FET tax) go away.  Mathews and the ATA screwed the pooch on that deal.  Now 11% of every gross sale dollar goes to the government. 

I hate taxes as much as the next guy...but will gladly pay the 11% tax passed on to the consumer for hunting and fishing gear that supports fish and wildlife management.   

I don't buy the position we should be happy because it supports  fish and wildlife. Each individual tax has an important aspect associated with it for someone or some oranization.  But the collective accumulation of all these noble taxes add up to a crushing disability of American business and jobs.  What is the role of government?  Does going outside the roles of government become acceptable because it benefits "ME"?  What about when it benefits "Them" we disagree with?  Is it then justified to eliminate jobs when it helps "Me" and no longer justified when it eliminates jobs for "Them"?

Wildlife and wildlife habitat are things we as sportsmen and outdoor sports manufacturers should support in some way.  But when does gooberment intrusion and restriction stop?  When did we get to a point where 11% of gross revenue became acceptable?  When did the "End" justify the misuse, bribery and wasteful "Means" of government?  We had a chance to slay a monster and replace it with a reasonable solution.  But solutions are not what the government is about. Instead we fed it and made the monster stronger.

The 11% excise tax has existed since 1937 and supports habitat improvement, hunter access, wildlife research, and hunter education.  I agree that many, many taxes, government programs, agencies, bureaucracies could be reduced and/or eliminated.  In this case the tax is only paid by sportsmen and it largely benefits sportsmen...not sure it gets much more fair when it comes to taxes   Without this tax the cost of wildlife management would just shift to tag and license fees which would have a huge impact on the little guy who would struggle immensely to even buy a resident deer tag (more so than at current prices).  Remember where game populations in the couple of decades prior to Pittman-Robertson...virtually depleted. 

Just curious...when you mention this tax was nearly eliminated...what are you referencing?  A certain batch of archery products were going to be exempt from this tax or the whole law was going to be repealed??

[earlmarne]

thats sweet,good luck

[snowpack]

A few years ago we thought we had an opportunity to make the Pittman Roberts act (FET tax) go away.  Mathews and the ATA screwed the pooch on that deal.  Now 11% of every gross sale dollar goes to the government. 

I hate taxes as much as the next guy...but will gladly pay the 11% tax passed on to the consumer for hunting and fishing gear that supports fish and wildlife management.   

I've read before that USFWS oversees the distribution of that money, usually giving a lot to states for their state agencies.  But they also withhold that money if states aren't doing projects that USFWS 'approves' of.  Heard that is how they got some of the rocky Mt states to go along with the wolf introduction.  In addition, the USFWS used something like $70 million from PR monies for the fed part of wolf introduction.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

A few years ago we thought we had an opportunity to make the Pittman Roberts act (FET tax) go away.  Mathews and the ATA screwed the pooch on that deal.  Now 11% of every gross sale dollar goes to the government. 

I hate taxes as much as the next guy...but will gladly pay the 11% tax passed on to the consumer for hunting and fishing gear that supports fish and wildlife management.   

I've read before that USFWS oversees the distribution of that money, usually giving a lot to states for their state agencies.  But they also withhold that money if states aren't doing projects that USFWS 'approves' of.  Heard that is how they got some of the rocky Mt states to go along with the wolf introduction.  In addition, the USFWS used something like $70 million from PR monies for the fed part of wolf introduction.

Exactly... I don't need the government to decide how to put my money to good use towards fish and wildlife management. There are plenty of private organizations that I could give that money to who would do a much more effective job and actually use it towards something important to me ( wolf reintroduction would not make that list)

[Bean Counter]

Rad,
So sorry you got stuck with this hunt. Feel free to assign it to me and I will choke down my distaste for airports and hunt it for you. No need to thank me--I don't mind an occasional act of self-sacrifice
BC

[RadSav]

The 11% excise tax has existed since 1937 and supports habitat improvement, hunter access, wildlife research, and hunter education.  I agree that many, many taxes, government programs, agencies, bureaucracies could be reduced and/or eliminated.  In this case the tax is only paid by sportsmen and it largely benefits sportsmen...not sure it gets much more fair when it comes to taxes   Without this tax the cost of wildlife management would just shift to tag and license fees which would have a huge impact on the little guy who would struggle immensely to even buy a resident deer tag (more so than at current prices).  Remember where game populations in the couple of decades prior to Pittman-Robertson...virtually depleted. 

Just curious...when you mention this tax was nearly eliminated...what are you referencing?  A certain batch of archery products were going to be exempt from this tax or the whole law was going to be repealed??

Sorry!  In my usually rant form I did not clarify very well.  I have a habit of doing that

The FET on archery goods has only been around since 1975.  And really it had no chance of developing until Fred Bear got behind the project.  His involvement peaked when an agreement was made that 50% of all funds collected by the government from archery manufacturers was to be used for the development of public range acquisition, construction and bowhunting safety education.  For the first few years after the archery manufacturers amendment to the P-R act was approved everyone involved thought this was a given.  But, in fact it was not!  As usual some little pee-on bureaucrat changed the wording from "Shall' be used" to "May' be used".  As a result just a modicum amount actually made it for the purpose it was intended.

It took until the late 90's for the issue of misuse and misrepresentation to hit law makers.  By this time hundreds of millions had been taken from the intended purpose of the 50% with little or no accountability. As such the archery manufacturers found themselves in the unusual situation of having a little power in the direction going forward.  We could have reduced the 11% FET an appropriate amount, or we could let it ride and expand the things it was used for.  And of course we let our money ride 100%.  Using a large portion of the allotted money for the "Archery In Schools Program (NASP)"  where a handful of manufactures make an absolute killing and the rest of us fund the project.  I don't know about you, but I have not seen any new archery ranges appear in my neighborhood, few Washington schools allow the archery program, and I have seen very little improvement in bowhunting/archery related education locally.  If this portion of the Archery tax had been eliminated bowhunters and archers from all over the country would see it in slower rates of pricing growth and/or increases in archery related jobs.

The last meeting I went to the discussion came about how to use all the money we were receiving from the archery portion of P-R.  I walked out after not being allowed to speak when the discussion started progressing about adding Jungle Gyms and other playground equipment to the proposed range sites so parents of multiple children could have a place for the whole family to play while one or two used the archery range.  Is this really what bowhunters money should be used for?  If their is so much in the coffer we can waste it on Jungle Gyms I think we could reduce the amount of FET collected.  Maybe Easton and Mathews can start building those items so they can continue to have their monopoly on more FET purchased items   Bob Eastman was the only guy who really went on the attack to make some sense of it all.  And for his efforts he was basically booted out of the organization
 
There was some positive movement in correcting some wrongs related to archery FET during the add-on to the American Jobs Creation Act of 2005.  That was a positive for all as it closed loop holes in the importation of arrow shafts balancing the playing field with domestic manufacturing a little bit.  It also relieved the tax burden on youth arrows and bows that would not be considered appropriate for hunting.  May be the only good thing that came from that legislation.  I think Paul Ryan had a large hand in helping with this!

It is true that manufacturers are technically just collectors' of the FET taxes.  But just like most taxes that is just a shell game to make the slaves of government feel less like the slaves they are.  When is enough enough?

[RadSav]

Sorry this became a political thread.  I think Bowhunter45 baited me   Bass Turd

It was suppose to be a thread about a friend who told me I had bought something just so we can hunt together.  Good friends sometimes have to go to extraordinary lengths to keep friendships close and enjoyable.  I will be the first to admit I am not the easiest guy to be friends with.  I'm temperamental, grumpy, at times lazy and getting away from work often seems impossible.  My friend Del understands all these things and has remained a solid friend in spite of all my short comings! And this was his extraordinary effort to bring us together.  I'm not a whitetail guy, but this hunt is bound to be special because of our friendship.  Even if he had to trick me into it

[Russ McDonald]

Whitetail are a blast to hunt especially out there.  Good luck I bet you have a blast. 

Sent from my BNTV600 using Tapatalk 4

[idahohuntr]

RadSav...thanks for the explanation, very informative.  I understand your frustration with that tax much more clearly now.  Good luck on the whitetail hunt!!