Tradewind
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2015
- Messages
- 5,224
Exactly. It's all about the Benjamin'sI doubt I have the connections to change anything. When you say "Fix it," what is the the fix you are seeking?
If it is getting rid of these point schemes, that isn't happening. I have a video about to drop that explains why that won't ever change, no matter how much I dislike these schemes.
Let's take just one state and one species, Wyoming elk, which is the subject of this thread. Those elk points cost $50 each. Multiply that by 140,000 point buyers. That's an easy $7 million, without putting any additional pressure on elk, without selling one more tag beyond the 7,250 statutory non-resident limit. If Wyoming can generate that much money, from one species, in one year, with no additional hunting pressure placed on elk, it is not changing. Nor is it changing for other species in Wyoming or in other states where point selling is an alternative manner of raising funds without any pressure on the wildlife resource.
There will be tweaks and changes, but the systems are here to stay. I may not like them, but they are a reality, so I produce a lot of content around those systems in hopes it helps people who aren't inclined to hire a "tag consultant" to do their apps for them.
In that video, I give other ideas that I am sure will cause me to get lit up. Fine, light me up in the YT comment sections. Even with the push back I'll get, the ideas below are worth throwing out for discussion, as they would have an impact on the amount of point buying/collecting that currently exists. Here is a summary of the changes I think would be easiest to implement and have the most impact on "point collecting." And yes, I've "collected points" for species in states, so these ideas would also impact some of my applications.
1. No more point buying. You have to apply for a hunt code. I know a lot of folks buy points "Because you never know when you'll need them." That's fine, but allowing such is why we have states where more applicants have been buying points than actually apply for a hunt. This would sort out who is serious about hunting. This suggestion might not be necessary if the items below were adopted.
2. Adopt the Colorado system for party apps. The party gets assigned the same point total as the lowest point holder in the group. I get that point averaging has some reasons behind it. But, when you see people online seeking strangers to share points, maybe the Colorado system is the best route. And if that was adopted, maybe #1 above wouldn't be necessary.
3. No matter how you acquire a tag, your points get reset for that species. Doesn't matter, draw tag, auction, raffle, landowner tag, whatever; you get a tag, your points go to zero. Not sure why states wouldn't allow this one. Seems to have the least negative impacts with the greatest positive impact. Again, this might eliminate a need for #1.
4. Adopt the Nevada system for hunt choices. No matter what hunt choice you draw, you burn your points. Want a general tag, an OTC tag, draw your second choice hunt, get a leftover tag, receive a returned tag or get a tag awarded to you as an alternate, you use your points in the process. Imagine what that would do in Colorado OTC elk hunting pressure or how much it would reduce point creep from folks who do OTC while also building points. Imagine what it would do in MT for the limited entry hunt codes if you lost points for using a general tag.
The videos I've done for this season are to get people to think about these systems and how they are headed down a terminal path. I doubt it will change any minds. I'm sure this next video with the four ideas above will get even more comments, almost all will be complaints, given how much heat I got from my first video when I suggested people burn their CO and WY points before the big changes coming in the next five years.
I think there have been some threads here on HT that discuss some of these ideas I mention in the video.
Anyhow, back to your comment to "fix it." What do you want to see as "fixed?"