Question about governor's tag for Elk

[Sorefeet]

I was just reading the link "The biggest bull in the State" and I started to get a little irritated.

Does anyone have a problem with the "Governor's Tag" being auctioned off by the RMEF? I know that the money probably goes to elk habitat but could they not offer the same deal in a raffle in the state and collect as much money?

The poor working class of the state have to spend money and years hoping to get drawn for a tag of any kind. Some dude from out of state with deep pockets can come out of state and just buy THE DELUXE TAG. Not meaning to sound bitter as I did get drawn for a bull tag this year but dislike the idea of rich guys buying tags that we should all have a chance at!!!!!!!

[GoldTip]

There is a raffle tag for the East side elk that would be equally as good as having the Governors tag, and it costs $5 to try for.  Personally I have not one single problem with their being a "Governors" tag auctioned off by the RMEF, as long as it goes into providing help to Washington state elk.

[Woodchuck]

i would say that i dont think the same guy should be able to buy it twice, i have been told that 'ol Agnew bought it again this year

[jackelope]

It happens in most states in the west. The guys that had the tag the last few years were residents of this state and the money goes to habitat. If it weren't for that money, it would come out of your and my pockets if we wanted habitat and conservation improvements.

I'm gonna venture this will be a 10 page thread soon.

[BLKBEARKLR]

i would say that i dont think the same guy should be able to buy it twice, i have been told that 'ol Agnew bought it again this year

Too bad they are in it for the money, and not the common hunter.

[jackelope]

i would say that i dont think the same guy should be able to buy it twice, i have been told that 'ol Agnew bought it again this year

Too bad they are in it for the money, and not the common hunter.

Where does the money come from if not from these tags? If the money came from them raising our license fees again, then everyone would be bitching twice as much as they do about auction tags.

If someone would come up with a logical response to this question, I'd love to hear it.

[Houndhunter]

the rmef doesnt handle the money and decides what to do with it do they? i just thought they held the auction at one of the banquets or somethin

[Pathfinder101]

i would say that i dont think the same guy should be able to buy it twice, i have been told that 'ol Agnew bought it again this year

Too bad they are in it for the money, and not the common hunter.

Where does the money come from if not from these tags? If the money came from them raising our license fees again, then everyone would be bitching twice as much as they do about auction tags.

If someone would come up with a logical response to this question, I'd love to hear it.

Gotta agree with Jackalope on this one.  It's ONE elk tag, it raises a ton of money, and there are other chances for the rest of us to basically hunt the same tag.  There is already a raffle tag out there that is more or less the same as the auction tag, and if we just threw another one of those into the raffle, it wouldn't raise any more money than the auction already does. 
I don't really think that you should be able to buy it twice, but I don't have a problem with the auction itself.  As long as the $$ goes to elk habitat, I am OK with it.  Who knows, maybe I'll be a "rich guy" one day...

[jackelope]

Is there negativity towards the mule deer, sheep, mountain goat, whitetail deer auction tags too? Or is it just the elk tag?

[julzzz]

I was in Reno and watched as this tag was auctioned it was bought over the phone by Dan Agnew for somewhere around $42,000, cant remember the exact amount.

[jackelope]

There must be a big bull running around somewhere down there.

[gasman]

Personally, i don't care. It's one tag and the money goes to the right place.

And who cares if the same guy buys it year after year, I'll take his money/ Let teh rich battle it out and raise the cost of teh Gov tag up so we can get as much money from them as possible.


Maybe one day i wil have the money to bid on the tag  NOT..................


 

[norsepeak]

it's a good deal, the dollars per tag ratio is way better for helping out elk, and hunting in general for  this state.

[Caseyd]

There must be a big bull running around somewhere down there.

Dont where 

[Pathfinder101]

By the way Sorefeet, I dig your Avatar.  Not a lot of people know what that means, or where it came from...

[Sorefeet]

First I would like to reply to Jackelope. Yes I do have a problem with all the auctions. I think that these tags should all be raffled so everyone has a fair shot and not some guy with deep pockets.

Does anyone know the conditions of the Governor's tag? I have heard it is quite liberal on the hunting conditions but I admit to not knowing the details.


I saw in this thread that the same guy bought it for $42,000. We pay 6.50 for a permit now and with thousands of applicants for the most popular gmu the money might be there from the average joe hunter. The peaches ridge tag brought in over 20,000 dollars last year. I know that this is for a lot more tags but I would pay more for a raffle chance at and elk hunt like this.

I do not have the answers to all this is raising but it just irks me that rich guys can come in and buy tags like this that most washington hunters could never afford. Charge every hunter a buck extra on all the tags in the state and leave them to raffles and fair play


Thanks
Sorefeet

[DaveBTS]

I think it's good for raising money. I just wish it was through a different organization. I used to support the RMEF; I even did some habitat work for them. I went to the annual Rendevous and they gave an award to one of the biggest poachers in the state.

[TheHunt]

Dave,
If the RMEF is a 501.C corp. then anyone paying for that tag would be able to write it off their taxes or a portion of it.

[MtnMuley]

Personally, I could care less if Dan buys this tag every year for the rest of his life and kills 420" bulls every year.   More power to him.  That's what he lives for, and that's what he's going to do.  'Hunting' is veiwed differently by everyone.  What means something to somebody else might not mean a thing to me, but that's what makes our sport what it is.   A decent buck during the high hunt means a lot more to me than a big buck with a rut tag hunt.  Don't get me wrong, I love hunting the rut, but personally, it means a little more when the odds are stacked against you.  

[Pathfinder101]

In answer to Sorefeet's comment on what the "conditions for the Auction Tag are".
Basically, The way I understand, it is an any weapon tag, to hunt any open unit in the state, from the day the first elk season opens in September until 31 Dec.  Same as the raffle tag.  If I am wrong here, anyone who knows can feel free to chime in and correct me. 
In the case of elk, that generally means that you can hunt the rut, with a rifle, in the unit with the best genetics.  If it makes you feel any better, lets just pretend that Agnew paid for 6,462 raffle tickets, and he got drawn....

[B.G.hunter]

I do think the governor's tags to have a place, things like the governor's tag allows the RMEF to purchase such lands as the "Black Ranch" over here in Asotin county so us "average joes" can hunt more prime elk country on public land.  Just as others say there is a raffle tag which costs 6.50 anyone can put a ticket in for and pretty much have the same tag as the auction.

[jackelope]

First I would like to reply to Jackelope. Yes I do have a problem with all the auctions. I think that these tags should all be raffled so everyone has a fair shot and not some guy with deep pockets.

They do raffles for us regular guys too...they carry the same liberal rules and the auction tags.

[Woodchuck]

I will say this, it does gall me a little that basically this oppurtunity can go to the highest bidder, you could get that tag every year if you wanted to i.e. Dan Agnew. however as i sit and ponder it a bit, i think it is mostly jealousy because he has the wallet for it and i dont, because if i did , i would stand right next to him bidding away

[Pathfinder101]

I will say this, it does gall me a little that basically this oppurtunity can go to the highest bidder, you could get that tag every year if you wanted to i.e. Dan Agnew. however as i sit and ponder it a bit, i think it is mostly jealousy because he has the wallet for it and i dont, because if i did , i would stand right next to him bidding away

Yeah, that's the way I see it.  I mean, this isn't England in the 1700s.  You don't have to be born a Noble, we all have the same opportunity to strike it rich.  If he wants to use his money that way, that's cool.  As long as it doesnt' go into the "General Fund"...

[Sorefeet]

Thanks for the reply pathfinder and jackelope.

I also see that some of the money has improved hunting areas as noted by BG hunter.

I have more to learn on the subject I admit but I still feel strongly that we are the backbone of the WDFW with our funding and that these tags should be open to all at a reasonable price

[coachcw]

I'm a bit jelous i guess . I just hate to see monster go to the highest bidder , I guess I'd be bidding against him if I have the funds . I realize that he has a passion foe elk hunting , but not any more than many of us . The reason he buys the tag is because he Can . It still sucks a bit though.

[BLUEBULLS]

if all of  the money goes to support elk then it's great. The only downfall is that he might be going after the same bull you are it would suck to have a guy buy an elk that you'd been scouting all summer.

[TheHunt]

I would agree with others that if I had the funds I would be be standing next to everyone bidding on that tag as well. 

[Hill]

Go back and smack your guidance counselor for sending you  in the wrong direction to make money we live in a country that was founded on free enterprise system.  The only problem is our schools don't teach it,  Agnew just took advantage of it so he could hunt elk when and where he wants!

[grundy53]

Personally I have no problem with it. The its one bull and the money goes to help elk. Besides if they didn't have the governors tag then agnew could just buy 7000 raffle tickets and probably have a pretty good chance of winning it every year. Then you would not have a chance at all.

[NWBREW]

I don't have a problem with some guy that wants to spend 42 k on a elk tag. It's just one tag...one elk. I do know if I had 42 K burning a hole in my pocket I would'nt spend it on a washington elk tag.

[hunterheinz]

People who have enough Indian heritage get to hunt Elk and deer in December too that I don't. That shouldn't upset you either, Elkpiss, I'm sure if you had enough Indian ancestry, you would do that too.

[DOUBLELUNG]

i would say that i dont think the same guy should be able to buy it twice, i have been told that 'ol Agnew bought it again this year

Too bad they are in it for the money, and not the common hunter.

Where does the money come from if not from these tags? If the money came from them raising our license fees again, then everyone would be bitching twice as much as they do about auction tags.

If someone would come up with a logical response to this question, I'd love to hear it.

If you want rich folks to subsidize the cost of your tags, it's ok.  Personally, I prefer the increase in tag costs, and everyone with an equal chance at everything.  That's tough on the poor, and I think everyone should be able to hunt.

No complex problem has good easy solutions.

[Elkpiss]

People who have enough Indian heritage get to hunt Elk and deer in December too that I don't. That shouldn't upset you either, Elkpiss, I'm sure if you had enough Indian ancestry, you would do that too.

well the governor tag is 1 elk with the money going to help elk conservation indian elk hunting, well that's another topic I don't even want to mess with.. you no what I mean man?

[bucklucky]

Hey Elkpiss, when are you gona take me to Dans House , Id sure like to meet him 

[wa.hunter]

I sure support the Auction tag, and it takes 2 to bid,  you take Dan out of the picture and who knows what the tag will sell for. He does a good job of supporting our state and the tag. He could buy land owner tags in several states and come up with some really nice bulls too. My big grip is why is the tag or other tags are being sold out of the state, if it was kept in one of the local organizations in this state it would do just as well and we could all go to the event and see it sold. Usually 90% of the selling price goes back to the state, and the organization that sells it gets to keep 10% to spend on other projects. The 90 % is really no longer dedicated funds, with way to much of it going to salaries, and miscellaneous expenses.

[predatorpro]

did anyone watch the christianson arms show when he got the governors tag for muleys...the day before they sit in the house watching videos of deer and he picks which one he wants and the next day he goes out to where the deer is exactly and shoots it....sorry thats not hunting to me....thats just shooting....id rather get drawn for a normal bull tag and go hunt my butt off for one, thats what its all about

[haus]

Good grief there are some crybabies on here. 

It's just one tag!