How will fees affect elk hunting--two articles

[fireweed]

http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/oct/30/not-typical-elk-season-hunting/

http://tdn.com/lifestyles/southwest-washington-elk-hunting-faces-new-complications/article_4ca01eb6-607a-11e4-ad7f-5f879307d601.html

From 15,000 hunters to less than 4,000 is a big economic hit for small towns.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Just the reduced amount of gas sold will be a hit to the economy. But add in sales tax on hunting gear and gas taxes and this is going to be a pretty big hit to the State too.

[longstevo]

thanks for the post

[longrangehunter338]

It will mean more trespassing and poaching and more people hunting the public areas. I'll pay morefor a quality area without the *censored*es and maybe less trash

[longstevo]

It will mean more trespassing and poaching and more people hunting the public areas. I'll pay morefor a quality area without the *censored*es and maybe less trash

 

But how much would you pay?  I fully believe that once these permits start selling out (and they will) the price will continue to rise.  And then ALL the timber companies will follow suit.  "WEYCO is charging for access and making all this money for nothing, why don't we do the same thing?" 

And then in addition, we've got to pay our $80 for resident tags and licenses, $30 Discover Pass, our National Forest pass (for St. Helen's area), and then the $150 for the timber company permit.  How much do we have to pay just to enjoy our public lands?

I understand that technically, timber lands are private.  However, it is my understanding that through an agreement in the early 1900s with the government that allows timber companies to be exempt from property taxes, they were in exchange ordered to allow the public to enjoy their lands as if they were public.  If this agreement was in fact real, the timber companies are in direct violation of that agreement and therefore should be charged 100% of property taxes. 

[motg9_6]

get with your county and see if the agreement does exist for that county if it does then press the issue if not your SOL. i believe some counties have the agreement and some dont.

[deerhunterdes13]

I have a Green Mtn. cow tag I'm not going to use. I just hope that cow I saved poops and steps on a few of their trees!!!

[fireweed]

Lot fewer hunters this year in town.  Hunters (even though some paid the Weyco ransom) were leaving campgrounds after a week of no elk.  Hoof rot, Weyco's last few years of pushing for more cow tags, and lack feed have knocked the herds down in the woods.

[TheHunt]

I agree with Fireweed