I don’t disagree with any of this but facts are facts. The people pumping western hunting and tag applications the most are the same people whom are set up to make money off of an audience interested in that very subject. People who used to say they only got Huntin Fool to know where not to apply have turned around and told everyone exactly where and how to apply.
I’m glad I have built up points across the west, not so I can draw a great tag but so I can just hunt. Hoping next year I’ll be able to cash in some of my points.There you go this hunter recruitment business is really paying off.
Tag Demand Skyrockets in the West - Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals
If you have been patiently waiting for that tag of a lifetime, don’t get your hopes up. There is litblog.eastmans.com
Some are for sure. Some have seen dollar signs and ran with that, we can point to plenty of those people. Welcome to the land of the free where we are free to chase opportunity.
As much as I want to agree with this I think this is a naive thought process. The reality is the increases in applications we are seeing is huge in terms of getting tags but in terms of percentages of total voters in states to control policy it is meaningless (Colorado wolves as an example). The reality is no matter what we do there is a limit to our resources as human populations and development expand. If hunter numbers increased by x% I can guarantee public land and resources would increase by a fraction of that % if at all. More $ does not equate to more opportunities for hunters as we have seen and will continue to see.
This right here it really is this simple people. I told a friend of mine for the last several years this. Every year all I hear is how the Deer and Turkey populations are crap on his hunting ground. However every year you can bet he tags out on both animals along with his child hunting every day possible just because the State says it's okay in the regs. My hunting grounds flourish with Deer and Turkey and we have 1,200 acres versus 10,000 my buddy hunts. The difference between the two are we have self imposed limits we have put in place 1 mature animal each versus 3 on his and hunter numbers on each piece of property.
There's some truth to what you're saying. But this last part I disagree with. It's just a matter of fact that habitat and public access cost $$...lots of $$. Look at the CRP program. In its prime it was absolutely a opportunity creator. Birds, fawning, cover, waterfowl nesting. It was good habitat and it wasn't free. We had millions and millions of acres more than we do now and there were more critters on the landscape because of it and there was far more "opportunity" for hunters to hunt. Look at the American Prairie Reserve....millions of dollars of land purchases to preserve habitat and prioritize wildlife. Habitat costs $$$ and one of the reasons the North American Model has been successful is because we've taken money from the like of Pittman Robertson, license sales, etc and invested that into the resource that sustains the critters.
The outfitter might have applied the 29.52% increase in NR permit applications, since last year, and that would equal about 30,000 combo licenses. I'm glad I'll have 3 points when i apply for my deer and elk combo!
If you put in the sweat there are quality bucks to be had in there.
I don't see that having a significant change in drawing odds, especially in states with points systems.
