I'm done!

[Opportunist]

I started to post on the who applied for Arizona post and I realized I had too much to say and didn't want to hijack the post. So here it goes.

I'm done paying the bills for all of these out of state game agency's that screw the non-residents every turn of the corner. Every year they increase tag fees and non-refundable useless hunting licenses. Utah just created a new way to screw us with a non-refundable hunting license. They've gone 15 years
without needing one "but hey look at all the non-residents with 10 plus points, lets suck some more money out of them,they won't back out" well guess what, Utah you can kiss my nonres. ASS!

When I first started applying in Arizona the hunting license was $85, then $118 now $151 non-refundable and you used to be able to apply without buying the license you just didn't build a point. I've applied for ten years but I only bought the license 7 times. I've tried to cash in my points with less desirable archery and late easier to draw rifle hunts no draw. I heard rumor of a tag fee increase to $1000 dollars which isn't that farfetched when you consider New Mexico is $756 and Utah $700, $1500 for the premium tag. At least New Mexico is cheap to apply in. Arizona you can kiss my non-res ASS!

To build points in Wyoming for deer, elk and antelope is $120 non-refundable and the regular elk tag is $641 and the special is $1071! At least you can opt out for the points. But $641 is too much for an elk tag! About 2-300 dollars too much! Wyoming you can kiss my non-res. ASS!

Colorado is reasonable and I will continue building there, along with Oregon since I hunt there almost every year archery or rifle. Idaho will always be my fall back archery elk hunt. And of course Washington.

I am not a rich man and this out of state application game has turned it into a rich man's game. I've heard it said hunting is TURNING into a rich man's sport guess again it IS!

Other factors for my decision to pull out of these states is non-res pay ten time the cost and only get 10% of the tags, something not right there. The Teddy Roosevelt legislation  to standardize tag costs on federal lands the last I heard was shot down.

I'm going to say it and I'm sure I'll catch hell, but this state screws the non-residents almost the worst. When the western coalition of state game agencys agreed to limit non-resident tags to ten time the cost of resident tags WDFW jumped it up to ten times. That's why non-res application fees are $50 instead of $5.
It would be hypocritical to bitch about these other states if I didn't bring up Washington. Flame away.

I set goals years ago and one was to kill a 350"type bull with my bow, i killed a 333" bull with broken tines. I am totally satisfied with opportunitys to hunt and kill bulls in the 250" class. For me to kill a 375" bull it had better be the first bull I get a shot at because I can't pass on a 6 point bull. With this thought in mind is where I began thinking about where to best spend my hunting money. Washington,Oregon and Idaho are it, the blue collar states in my opinion.

This is my personal boycott!

With that being said, good luck to those that have applied!

[WAcoyotehunter]

I'm with you.  I will not buy a $100+ dollar hunting license in order to get a point.  In ten years you'll have $1000 dollars invested and will likely pay another $500-$1000 in tags fees...plus getting there and hunting...
You're better off saving up and doing a guided, guaranteed tag, hunt.  OTC hunts with a bow are pretty decent still.

[dbllunger]

I think the rates are increasing due to major pressure being put on by residents to slow/reduce the out of staters.  Also the fact that people including goverment are realizing what some people will pay.   

[Bigshooter]

I'm with you.  I will not buy a $100+ dollar hunting license in order to get a point.  In ten years you'll have $1000 dollars invested and will likely pay another $500-$1000 in tags fees...plus getting there and hunting...
You're better off saving up and doing a guided, guaranteed tag, hunt.  OTC hunts with a bow are pretty decent still.

If you want to hunt Arizona, Oregon, Wyoming, or Montana for example you have to draw a tag.  So you could never do a hunt there.  Unless you buy a governor type tag, or a landowner tag.  If you want to hunt Utah or Nevada for elk you are going to spend $10,000+ for just the landowner tag.  Colorado and new Mexico landowner tags on the top units are between $5000 and $10,000.

It seems to me a guided hunt costs a lot more money than apply in Arizona for ten years. (Also during those ten years you could be buy points for mule deer for less than ten dollars a year.) Even if it did take 10 years to draw you are looking at having spent $4000 dollars total for the entire hunt.  Which is a lot cheaper than most guided hunts with guaranteed tags.

[WDFW-SUX]

 

[COUG]

Well if the motivation is to get as much money out of the OOS licenses but also offer a chance for the little guy, they should online auction a certain percent like the EBAY model.  They would make much more monry on this program and thus be able to decrease costs for the second part which is a lottery system. 

The Governor tag is similar to this but this would be open to the nation via a large auction site such as EBAY. 

There will always be people that will pay anything, the auction will now set that price and move the money to the lottery system to keep fees down.

Thoughts?

Coug

[Ironhead]

Opportunist, If you have 10 pts in AZ you would be plumb crazy to get out now. You are only about 450.00 away from the max pool and an almost guaranteed tag in one of the greatest Elk hunting areas in the world. I would hate to see you give up now when you are so close. If you are done, can you figure out how to give me your points ? With your 10 I would be sitting on 17 and looking good for 9.

[bear]

Opportunist, I'm with you.  I'm sick and tired of how expensive the out of state hunts are.  By the time you might actually have a chance to draw a tag, you'll have a thousand bucks invested and then have to buy the tag on top of that, then spend $4 gal for gas to get there!  The more that I hunt the more that I realize that its all about the experience and that killing an animal is not a requirement for a good time.  Good company + good camp = good time.  So for now at least I'll hunt Washington and maybe Idaho on occasion.

[Opportunist]

Ironhead, I have 7 points not 10, I didn't buy the license 3 times. Max points as of this year is 18 when you include loyaly point and hunter education point. Which is another one of my bitches with arizona. They are the only state that does not recognize other states hunter education courses. You have to take THEIR  hunter education class to get the extra point! I have no chance to reach maximum points in my lifetime by the numbers, I am eleven years behind as of right now. Even with max. points it is not a guarantee, I believe only 20% are set aside for max. points, I could be off on the percentage but it is not 50 % like Utah.

I know it sounds crazy, but it's just not that important to me anymore to be wasting money on points. I would rather spend my money on actual hunts in Or, Id, and WA. I've killed 8 six point bulls in these three states archery and rifle and am completely satisfied with the hunts I do. My hunting partners think I'm crazy too but they understand my point. My one buddy has a $ 1,000 in licenses tied up in Nevada for a deer tag he hasn't drawn yet. He's satisfied so I say to each is own.

I am a little crazy!

If they made it where I could apply without buying the license and fronting the money for all applied species I would reconsider but as of right now they can bite it! They have priced me out! They got what they wanted, RICH MAN'S sport!

[Ironhead]

I hear ya Opportunist we are being priced out.
 One thing to remember in AZ is that the guys with 18 and 19 bp's are all rifle guys putting in for 3,9,10 early.
Archery guys are maxed in the 13 bp range.

[lemondog]

It is not going to get any better or cheaper. I am out of Utah now with it's new fee and I didn't do Arizona 5 years ago when I started my points building plan. Nevada is a reasonable deal as well as Wyoming and Colorado. We better start getting something in place for "quality" here at home in WA or many will never be able to go on a true "Trophy Hunt" due to the costs involved.

[Slider]

I have dropped out of two states the last two years!!! The sad part is the States you think are cheap now will follow suit after they get some of your money!!!

[tmike]

Opportunist you could probably draw a late rifle now. I drew unit 8 a few years ago with 8 points and some of the guys in camp drew with 3 and 4 points. I agree it is a killer to put up the tag fees on top of the license. Utah at $65 or whatever it is, is still cheaper than a lot of western states.

[boneaddict]

You have mirrored every thought I have had opputunist.

[Opportunist]

Tmike, I've applied for late rifle hunts second choice the last three years. I could draw this year or five years from now. Their point system is worse than Washington in that it's not a preference system and it has no multiplier like Wa or Nevada.

Ironhead, Arizona points are not weapon specific so I don't know how that would help archers draw if the max points is 18. The max point guarantee would only affect those with 18 points. At least the way I understand it. The problem with it is the fact it's basicly *censored*house luck up to the point you have max points which I will never attain. I do not have sour grapes about not drawing, I can wait to draw, I'm just tired of the costs.

 I fully understand I will draw eventually it's just that I'm done getting screwed by these game departments.   Utah has always been a no-brainer apply state. What started it this year for me was the increase by wyoming on  their elk tag of $200. Then I find out from Arizona I have to front all my tag fees let alone purchase the $151 hunting license which almost forced me out last year. Then Utah creates a useless non-resident hunting license, granted its only $65 then $20 for elk and sheep. Utah dwr keeps giving away the non-resident tags out of our allottment to the Sportsman for Wildlife for auction and raffle. In order to claim the raffle tag you must be present in Salt lake city. What a joke!

I purchased the Wyoming preference points the last two years for deer/elk  and antelope. Then they increase the tag fees by 30%. I'm done.