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Who deserves a tag?

Wouldn't be surprised either way but I believe it should be the people who developed and financed the resource to decide. Not the bunny huggers and people sucking out the last nickle from it.

The problems with hunting and hunters today, I believe, all are the result of hunters convincing their selves they have to beg anyone they can convince to take it up, wether they want to hunt or not. I like to hunt with people who like to hunt. Not people who need special days, bonuses and enticement or want all the regulation re written and bent around their own personnel self.
Well in PR money hunters lag way behind so I guess all the recreational shooters are going to be making our management decisions from here on
 
IF it weren't for hunters here in Indiana, there wouldn't be anything here to hunt the last 75 years.
No argument there.

If it were left up to resident hunters in each state to vote on season structure, tag allotments, bag limits, etc. starting this season, before the end of the decade many commonly hunted game animals would be all but gone from the landscape. That is a guarantee.
 
You bring up some interesting thoughts and highlight a problem. "I deserve a tag because..." is an issue.

Easiest one to pick apart is the landowner. The animals did fine before you took it over. Just owning it entitles you to nothing. Managing or allowing it to be managed for wildlife may open a door. Allowing hunting should open more. If an owner leaves a lot of acreage thus increasing the carrying capacity by hundreds and allows harvest maybe we should recognize that. If his actions are allowing 100s more harvest than his inaction I have 0 issue with giving the guy a tag.

The others kind of fall in line with that. If what you are doing is showing exponentially higher numbers and harvest because of that then we can talk about tags.

As far as veterans, I have no issue giving them a leg up on a few tags. Civil service in any form is a sacrifice few understand. THE DAY it becomes a requirement to the niceties of our society I will stand against it.
 
I guess I should feel like a dick for getting my DAV moose tag.....
I don't think that's what he's saying. I think what he was arguing was feeling like you should automatically get any tag you want.

I know I personally hate it when guys I work with say they are "owed" more than those around them. There's a difference between an occasional thank you perk and a only you get this opportunity.
 
No argument there.

If it were left up to resident hunters in each state to vote on season structure, tag allotments, bag limits, etc. starting this season, before the end of the decade many commonly hunted game animals would be all but gone from the landscape. That is a guarantee.
The we are pretty much wasting our time here talking about it.
 
I guess I should feel like a dick for getting my DAV moose tag.....
Yes you should John. The entire time we are eating jalapeño poppers and looking for bulls and packing meat and sitting around the fire with your Dad and the rest of us guys…😉😂. Especially when we are eating moose heart and fried taters and onions the morning after you shoot a big one.

I hope the entire trip you are as happy as a trapper named Richard looking at a lodge full of beavers.😄
 
Who deserves a tag? Easy: Nobody. this whole "deserves" thing has gone way to far. Deserve does not equal "wants", well to some it does.

How many tags should be determined by local biologists.
How they are given out determined by funding models to support the biologists.

Landowner guaranteed tags: Nope, not unless, they allow public to hunt on their land.

Outfitter guarantees: Nope, that's a business, they need to factor tag drawings into business model.
 
Doesn't the point system encourage entitlement? If I have 10 points for a species and you have 1, isn't the state "confirming" I deserve it more than you?? I can go to a website and see a number and actually "prove it"...
 
Doesn't the point system encourage entitlement? If I have 10 points for a species and you have 1, isn't the state "confirming" I deserve it more than you?? I can go to a website and see a number and actually "prove it"...
When there’s enough tags for everyone to eventually draw, it’s more like buying a place in line. I have little issue with that. When a state sells far more points than can ever be cashed in it breeds frustration and infighting among point-holders, and entitlement rears it’s head.
 
When there’s enough tags for everyone to eventually draw, it’s more like buying a place in line. I have little issue with that. When a state sells far more points than can ever be cashed in it breeds frustration and infighting among point-holders, and entitlement rears it’s head.
Nevada has several which could go pure random for this reason alone.

Rocky mountain bighorn, mountain goat, bear for sure.

Desert bighorn for residents? Not sure because there are some areas that are relatively easy to draw compared to very difficult to draw areas.

Antlerless critters, I see no point of a point system.

So basically, in NV,

Buck deer
Buck antelope
Bull elk
Desert ram

Should be the only ones with a point system.

Everything else, phase out points. Freeze them where they are and everyone reverts to 0 when they draw. Raise the app fee to account foe the lost points. And eliminate being able to apply for Buck and doe, bull and cow, etc.

Too many hunters and not enough game, so make the hunter be more selective in their apps.
 
Here's a novel idea. Bury every and all point schemes with the grey hairs that invented them.

One person, one chance. No points.

That makes youth equal to everyone else so you can end carve outs. Ends land owner and guide carve outs as well.

Pick a single species for apps, no more shotgun approach.

Residents should be highly favored, at least 90/10, if not more.

Very small pile of "conservation" tags should be made available for auction. However, no guarantees on them either. Any group is free to bid on them, but the F&G gets paid first. For example, RMEF can bid on a tag, or all the tags, but they front the money, then are free to do what they wish with tags.
 
The quickest way to lose my attention is to start talking by saying "I deserve...".

I don't think any person deserves a tag more than anyone else. In fact, that's one of the biggest problems with preference/bonus point programs (in my opinion). It creates in the participants some sense of entitlement. "I have been participating and putting money into this game, so I DESERVE a good tag." And then once the coveted tag is drawn comes the attitude of "I DESERVE to have an amazing hunt where I have the opportunity to look over dozens of B&C bucks/bulls, etc. and shoot a monster." Inevitably people are disappointed. Harvest success rates on premium hunts are not 100%.

I agree with many that have said that we should do away with tag allocations for special groups. I like the idea of discounted prices for tags/licenses for youth, etc.
 
It also irritates me that people living outside the West seem to think they should have a larger say in my States wildlife than the people that live here...in particular when they enjoy that same level of management and control with the wildlife where they are residents.

This. Tag priority and management decisions should heavily lean to residents, that's a perk of being a resident of a given state, just like any other reason you'd choose to live there-taxes, schools, work opportunity, weather, etc. If I loved looking at skyscrapers I'd move to New York or Chicago. If I loved fishing in saltwater I'd move to Florida. If I loved brain damage I'd move to California. I love looking at mountains and rivers, being close to friends, hunting, fishing, and skiing, so I live here. People vote with their feet too, and that's why many are leaving certain states and moving to others right now, folks' priorities were given a serious shakeup over the last two years.
 
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Doesn't the point system encourage entitlement? If I have 10 points for a species and you have 1, isn't the state "confirming" I deserve it more than you?? I can go to a website and see a number and actually "prove it"...
The irony of this that each and everyone “deserves” a tag is asinine. Residents that have been patient, some..not all, do not all deserve a tag. Some who have been trying for years, buying points may or may not ever draw a tag. So this “I deserve a tag” nonsense is a nonstarter. Seems everyone these days want instant gratification. Hey, it doesn’t work this way! So, grow up! Damn, don’t get started on the entitlement BS.
BTW, I currently have 18 bonus points, plus the one I purchased this year AND my application. But, who knows if I will ever draw a Montana sheep tag. Do I “deserve” a tag. I say hell no! If I am fortunate enough to draw that would be great. NO one “deserves” at tag. No one! Wake up, grow up and wait and hope that one day you will draw. My opinion only. MTG
 
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