Montana Combo Licenses

[vtec]

i'M FEELING THE PAIN!!!! I'v hunted Montana for years and since I relocaed to the west side it has added 6 more hrs to the trip, the extra funds for the tag now really blows &%%#$%!!!! I say I'm not putting in anymore but I will It's not preventable I love it too much

[Buschingc]

Its just difficult to justify spending the extra $300.00 when the entire trip is very expensive... Just adding the cost of gas and food is making it difficult.. I would love to say that Im boycotting the rate increase, but in reality, I just cant afford it.. It was tight before and now its just over the top... I guess Im in the wrong career..lol.. I guess I'll have alot more time to waterfowl hunt...

[huntnnw]

Thats just assine to say that they are screwed  sound like somebody selling kool aid to people. This is pretty much the only state that had outfitter allocated tags.. all the other states guides are just FINE, again anyone wanting to hunt MT CAN!! end of story.Any hunter that wants to hunt MT will hunt MT and somebody looking for a guide will get a guide.

[Wanttohuntmore]

Heck, with the price of the gas (around $950) for our group, and tags, it's getting to be a very expensive trip.  Did they raise the deer tag price as well?  I've always got the combo, but am really liking the deer hunting there, and hating the elk hunting.  seems like I spend too much time for elk there, and not enough on the deer.

Also, if I want to hunt antelope, do you need a deer or combo tag, or do you just do the antelope application?  Come on stock, go up, then I can retire to Montana....

[canyelk48]

I personally think that is sucks big time!  Add the extra $25 to either use your acquired points or be eligible for a point if you're not drawn, and the cost has just increased to $937 for a Big Game Combo License.  I'd boycott hunting in MT, but I already have 2 points and hate to lose them.  However, the wolf problem is weighing heavily on my mind as to whether it's even worth a trip to MT to hunt elk when all the reports and stories I've read are saying that the wolves have decimated the elk herds and hunting is poor!
Montana Fish & Wildlife is asking for comments on the new fee increase, so I would recommend everyone flood them with emails.  You can email them at:  hworsech@mt.gov 
Use the subject "$912 B-10 for the Nonresident Elk Combination License"

[canyelk48]

Oops, misread the MT Fish & Game news.  They want comments on the "$812 B-10 Elk Combination License".  This is different then the $912 Big Game Combination License; which they don't care about because they said the fee increase is "SET BY LAW".  I emailed them anyway and told them what I thought about their BS rate hike and how I hoped they see a significant reduction in revenues from the loss of NR hunters since we're not gaining anything from this increase.  Especially considering their wolf problems and poor harvest rates of elk because the wolves are decimating their elk herds.  I'm sure it'll fall on deaf ears though.......

[Fletch]

In the area I hunt in Montana and just returned from, the residents are very nervous.  Their small community relies on the hunters for income, bar, food, gas etc and with the price increase they are afraid of the outcome.  Almost everybody we talked to had a worried comment about it.   One guy said they did it because the MT fish and game were poor game managers and the state was overhunted.  So they are raising prices to eleviate some of the NR hunters. I dont know all the details but cant help but see the economical impact this will have on the small communities there.

[bobcat]

I emailed them anyway and told them what I thought about their BS rate hike and how I hoped they see a significant reduction in revenues from the loss of NR hunters since we're not gaining anything from this increase.

Well, non-residents are gaining SOMETHING- better odds of hunting there every year. That ought to be worth something. The prices do seem a bit high but when you compare to other states, Montana isn't much higher.

[Bigshooter]

"The prices do seem a bit high but when you compare to other states, Montana isn't much higher."





Most states are already to high.  Now is it ok for them to catch up to Montana?

[tip]

Man, this sucks...

What really pisses me off is that they raise prices because of budget shortfalls, yet in a couple years when everything is dandy again, do you think they will LOWER the prices???  Hell no... they will be considering another rate hike to cash in.

The average joe can't win anymore... its all about the f***ing $$$.

[bobcat]

"The prices do seem a bit high but when you compare to other states, Montana isn't much higher."


Most states are already to high.  Now is it ok for them to catch up to Montana?

It's ok for states to do whatever they wish. If people think the prices are too high, then they don't have to hunt there.


For comparison, Oregon is $516 for deer, $641 for elk, and $1017 if you hunt both deer and elk.

Idaho is $456 for deer, $571 for elk, and $873 for both.

Washington charges $434 for either deer or elk, or $674 for both.


The new Montana fees sure don't seem excessively high when compared to Washington, Oregon, or Idaho.   

[Tony 270]

So when one state decides it will be $2,000 for the combo license are people going to complain when others raise theirs to the same, or just use the excuse that "it is comparable to the other state's prices..." argument? It is getting too expensive for many people.

At some point, and on a consistent basis, they will lose money every year compared to the past because the higher fees cause fewer sales and less revenue.

[Tony 270]

Was just thinking maybe this will be good (or horrible) for the economy. If you don't like the TSA and their rules, you don't have to fly. Money saved. If you don't like the fees to hunt out of state, you don't have to hunt, money saved. If you don't like... money saved. Can spend it on other goods or pay bills, or save it.

That is if you have extra money for any of that stuff to begin with.

[bobcat]

It's the law of supply and demand. If people are willing to pay the asking price, then obviously the price is fair. If Montana's revenue from license sales decreases drastically, you can bet they will either lower non-resident fees, OR raise resident fees, or both.

I think that's what they should be doing anyway, is raising resident fees by a substantial amount- say 25%. Then the non-residents' increases could be lessened somewhat.

[Tony 270]

Supply and demand, sure. But if people are willing to pay it, that does not mean the price is fair.

If there were a sudden shortage of X at the store and prices went from $5 (for example) to $10,000 and only the super rich could afford it, it does not mean the price is fair.

Did you think gas at $4 a gallon was fair? You were still buying it, did you like it? Did you agree with it and the record profits big oil was making? Was it really fair?