Well, I thought I was going to film a Colorado deer/elk combo hunt this year, but maybe not.
Here is the deal. I found a way to legally access some remote BLM ground. I put in for the deer tag and drew. Goodie, or so I thought. Plus, this area is an OTC elk unit, so I figured I would add the elk tag to it.
I applied for my filming permit from BLM. They spent a lot of time doing the research, and sent me back a map and a conditional approval, showing the allowed properties for which they could grant me a filming permit. All of my first four choices were denied for a reason that still has me completely aghast.
BLM must make sure that any permit they approve is in compliance with Federal, State, and Local laws. Since my permit would be for filming a hunt, they needed to make sure my hunting would be legal in Colorado. And that is where the "fertilizer hits the ventilator."
If you live or hunt in Colorado, you may want to know about this. Not many of the DOW people were even aware of this strange commission rule. It goes like this.
So, Fin is sitting on a pretty good deer tag, and since the BLM Lands I am asking to hunt/film on, are enrolled in a RFW operations, it would be illegal for me to hunt on those public lands with my regular draw deer tag.
They informed me, that as a non-resident, even though I can legally access those grounds, I cannot hunt them, unless I buy my tag through the RFW operator who enrolled those public grounds. My public draw tag is no good for my public lands. Come again
.
This probably the biggest WTH event I have ever encountered.
I called DOW, BLM, and everyone in between, and they all assure me, that is the case in Colorado. They have sent me all the fine print language that supports this finding.
So I ask them, "Let me get this straight. I apply in the public draw. I get a tag. I find a way to legally access this public BLM property, but I cannot hunt there, unless I buy a tag from the RFW operator, for $10,000+. Am I hearing you correctly?"
They reply, that I have heard them correctly.
As a US taxpayer and public citizen, it chaps me to no end that CO DOW has developed a rule whereby they have given the hunting rights on public lands to private parties. I know of no other way to say it. Yes, the operator pays some very small fee for enrolling the BLM grounds.
And, I come to find out in this process, how these public lands help the RFW operator get allocated more landowner tags. The formula works something like this.
I have 50,000 deeded acres. I convince BLM to let me enroll an additional 25,000 public acres. I now have a total of 75,000 acres for calculation of my RFW tags. My RFW tags are allocated based on what my enrolled acreage is (both my enrolled public and private ground), as a percentage of the entire elk ground in that unit. If I represent 10% of the elk ground in the Unit, I get tags equal to 10% of projected/targeted elk harvest for the Unit. By convincing BLM to let me enroll the 25,000 acres of public ground, I have increased my enrolled acreage by 50% and the number of RFW tags I have to sell, by 50%. How convenient!
So, not only does the RFW operator get to keep the public hunter off these public grounds, he gets allocated tags to sell to his guided RFW hunters, based on the public land he enrolls.
The BLM assures me that they only allow inaccessible lands to be enrolled. When I point out that I have found a way to legally access these grounds, they agree, that maybe they did not consider everything, when approving enrollment of these grounds, and other BLM grounds they have enrolled in other RFW operations.
These BLM employees have done everything possible to accommodate my request. They have been very diligent, professional, and thorough. Yet, they must abide by the rules of their agency.
So, until CO DOW changes their rule that allows RFW operators to keep public hunters with public tags, off the public lands, Federal rule does not allow the BLM to approve my permit for those lands.
Funny part is, the area in question has a couple thousand-acre pieces that they did not enroll for some reason, and though they are low on my priority list, I might just get the permit for these small sections and go in anyhow.
Just thought you guys, as owners of these public grounds, would want to know that you can't hunt the public grounds enrolled in RFW, with your pubic draw tag. You must buy a RFW tag from the landowner. Your public draw tag is no good on the public grounds I am referring to. WTH?
Not being a Colorado resident, I am not sure I can do much to change the mind of DOW, but I am going to try. If any of you guys hunt CO or live in CO, feel free to post here about your knowledge of this issue.
I know this almost sounds impossible, but it is the case. Anyone who thinks I am making this up, is more than welcome to see it all in writing.
Still numb after opening that series of emails and letters.
Here is the deal. I found a way to legally access some remote BLM ground. I put in for the deer tag and drew. Goodie, or so I thought. Plus, this area is an OTC elk unit, so I figured I would add the elk tag to it.
I applied for my filming permit from BLM. They spent a lot of time doing the research, and sent me back a map and a conditional approval, showing the allowed properties for which they could grant me a filming permit. All of my first four choices were denied for a reason that still has me completely aghast.
BLM must make sure that any permit they approve is in compliance with Federal, State, and Local laws. Since my permit would be for filming a hunt, they needed to make sure my hunting would be legal in Colorado. And that is where the "fertilizer hits the ventilator."
If you live or hunt in Colorado, you may want to know about this. Not many of the DOW people were even aware of this strange commission rule. It goes like this.
If you draw a public tag such as mine, you cannot use that tag on public lands, if those public lands are enrolled in a Ranching For Wildlife operation.
So, Fin is sitting on a pretty good deer tag, and since the BLM Lands I am asking to hunt/film on, are enrolled in a RFW operations, it would be illegal for me to hunt on those public lands with my regular draw deer tag.
They informed me, that as a non-resident, even though I can legally access those grounds, I cannot hunt them, unless I buy my tag through the RFW operator who enrolled those public grounds. My public draw tag is no good for my public lands. Come again
.This probably the biggest WTH event I have ever encountered.
I called DOW, BLM, and everyone in between, and they all assure me, that is the case in Colorado. They have sent me all the fine print language that supports this finding.
So I ask them, "Let me get this straight. I apply in the public draw. I get a tag. I find a way to legally access this public BLM property, but I cannot hunt there, unless I buy a tag from the RFW operator, for $10,000+. Am I hearing you correctly?"
They reply, that I have heard them correctly.
As a US taxpayer and public citizen, it chaps me to no end that CO DOW has developed a rule whereby they have given the hunting rights on public lands to private parties. I know of no other way to say it. Yes, the operator pays some very small fee for enrolling the BLM grounds.
And, I come to find out in this process, how these public lands help the RFW operator get allocated more landowner tags. The formula works something like this.
I have 50,000 deeded acres. I convince BLM to let me enroll an additional 25,000 public acres. I now have a total of 75,000 acres for calculation of my RFW tags. My RFW tags are allocated based on what my enrolled acreage is (both my enrolled public and private ground), as a percentage of the entire elk ground in that unit. If I represent 10% of the elk ground in the Unit, I get tags equal to 10% of projected/targeted elk harvest for the Unit. By convincing BLM to let me enroll the 25,000 acres of public ground, I have increased my enrolled acreage by 50% and the number of RFW tags I have to sell, by 50%. How convenient!
So, not only does the RFW operator get to keep the public hunter off these public grounds, he gets allocated tags to sell to his guided RFW hunters, based on the public land he enrolls.
The BLM assures me that they only allow inaccessible lands to be enrolled. When I point out that I have found a way to legally access these grounds, they agree, that maybe they did not consider everything, when approving enrollment of these grounds, and other BLM grounds they have enrolled in other RFW operations.
These BLM employees have done everything possible to accommodate my request. They have been very diligent, professional, and thorough. Yet, they must abide by the rules of their agency.
So, until CO DOW changes their rule that allows RFW operators to keep public hunters with public tags, off the public lands, Federal rule does not allow the BLM to approve my permit for those lands.
Funny part is, the area in question has a couple thousand-acre pieces that they did not enroll for some reason, and though they are low on my priority list, I might just get the permit for these small sections and go in anyhow.
Just thought you guys, as owners of these public grounds, would want to know that you can't hunt the public grounds enrolled in RFW, with your pubic draw tag. You must buy a RFW tag from the landowner. Your public draw tag is no good on the public grounds I am referring to. WTH?
Not being a Colorado resident, I am not sure I can do much to change the mind of DOW, but I am going to try. If any of you guys hunt CO or live in CO, feel free to post here about your knowledge of this issue.
I know this almost sounds impossible, but it is the case. Anyone who thinks I am making this up, is more than welcome to see it all in writing.
Still numb after opening that series of emails and letters.
