Guaranteed Outfitter License

[bullbuster]

buckfvr echoes the sentiments of many hunters around the country. Unfortunately, the nonresident hunter is seen as a cash cow and state legistatures and outfitters both share the blame for their revenue problems. Tag prices and guide fees have been rising steadily, always testing the top to see "what the market will bear". Sure, there will always be high rollers willing to spend whatever it takes, but like most entitlements, eventually there aren't enough rich people to pay all the bills. Why does the Bear guide on Kodiak get $15,000 for 5 days of his time? What is he doing for me that that the $5000 Elk guide isn't? Yeah, I know he's got another $1000 in logistic expenses, but does he really need to make a year's salary in a month? Do the states need to charge nonresidents ten times, or more, the price of a resident tag? States like WY and AK even force you to hire a guide. There is no end to the creativity used to extract money from us NR dopes. Look at the carrot-and-stick lottery scams these greedy states keep coming up with. If they want to know why their monopolys are failing, they need to look in the mirror.

 

[packer]

You are right! Guarantee Outfitter tags only let holder into the draw system!

 

[brian.320]

161

My friends and I [there are 6 of us] have been coming out to sw montana for the last 5 years hunting national forest. We all buy the combo licease, and bowhunt for elk. On a average year our group spends about $6500-7500 a year counting licease,gas,food,2 nights lodging, and a few drinks at a bar. All but about $300-400 is spent in montana. This year our money is going to colorado. I know of quite a few other people doing the same. I called montana gfp with a ? on a different matter and this subject came up, the employee said that the people of montana probably compromised their budget. Time will tell.

 

[Futboler]

As of March 28th, MT FW&P have sold about 15,800 of their 17,000 Big Game Combo hunting licenses. They will know the exact # by April 18th. Licenses not sold will go to non-residents who apply online on a first-come first-serve basis. Any surplus licenses leftover will likely go into a surplus sale around the 18th of April (as reported by the Great Falls Tribune). So if you're a non-resident that missed the 3/15 application deadline, you might be able to still pull a combination license.

 

[Stringmusic]

Colorado in advertising like crazy. They are taking advantage of this change in Montana for sure.

Like Futboler said, left over tags go on sale April 18th. I have friends still willing to pay the extra money to hunt Montana over Colorado.

 

[MT21]

This might not be the most popular post here, but I don't I-161 went far enough. Outfitting is ruining hunting in Montana. I think all outfitting should be banned on public land. Public land is the last sanctuary most average hunters, and those that don't want their hands held by outfitters, have. If property owners want to lease out their property, that is their choice, and no one can stop them. But with that they should be taxed accordingly when it comes to $$ received from outfitters (there are too many loopholes in the tax system, esp. when it comes to farms and ranches). Landowners have the right to allow who they want on their property if anyone at all; however, the wildlife of Montana belongs to the citizens of the state of Montana and shouldn't be monopolized. Plain and simple, the average guy is being priced out of hunting slowly but surely.

 

[TwoBear]

The average guy is not being priced out of hunting. That is simply a slogan used by those who buy into such nonsense. Good grief there are millions of acres of public land for the average hunter to hunt on with or without outfitters. Why would anybody argue for the destruction of an entire industry? Sounds a little socialist to me. Outfitting is a huge industry in Montana and it gives millions upon millions to the state economy. Your solution is to ban parts of it and tax the snot out of the rest? Levy taxes on private landowners? How about the state starts paying landowners for feeding, watering, and providing shelter for the publics wildlife? Sheeze dude.....

 

[Shane]

TwoBear,
I am a land owner here in Montana and was wondering why you think the state should pay a land owner for feeding, watering, and providing shelter for the wildlife. We found a real simple solution for this problem and it doesn't cost anyone any money, and in all reality is the best idea out there, allow the public a little access to the wildlife they own and quit trying to force everyone except the rich people from out of state to the public land. I have seen what happens with private vs public land and I can't believe how senseless some people can be. People with private land lock it up or lease it out and expect everyone to hunt public land, so there is more pressure on public land, so the animals move to the private land to be safe, and guess what happens, the private guy and the outfitter leasing his place complain because of overgrazing and a hundread of other problems. Im no scientist but this seems like an unnecessary problem with a simple solution, just me though. And one more thing, the millions that you outfitters put into the economy really doesn't even begin to the amount the individual put into the economy. I own a pickup and camper that are extra to my daily drivers just to hunt, and that was all purchased and paid taxes here in Montana. My wages pay taxes, and property tax, not to mention the money that goes to the local archery shop and sporting good store that then is spread around even more to those workers and other businesses. And all the groceries and fuel spent for just living day to day here, plus the extra spent all summer attending archery shoots and scouting. If this is all added up it doesn't take too many as you say "average" hunters to out spend the little bit of money the out of state clients contribute to the local and state economy. Most of there money is spent before they ever get to Montana. I have friends that have gone on guided hunts and they say other than the money payed to the outfitter 98% is spent at home on the supplies needed. And just for those that don't already know all the the out of state liscenses sold out even at the higher place, people view Montana as a great opportunity for a quality hunt, we need to preserve that.

 

[TwoBear]

I don't think the state should pay landowners, I was pointing out the absurd claim that landowners should be taxed based on outfitting their lands. It seems to me there has been the development of a "populist" attitute with hunting over the last few years. I hold private property rights above all else as the conerstone of the capiltalist way of life. Private property rights trumps hunting 100% of the time in my book. Anybody can hunt private land that wants to, you just simply buy it, end of story. What we really have going on anymore is those who cannot afford private land of their own, wanting to hunt somebody elses private land for free. The above poster mentioned banning outfitting on public land! Outfitting has been around long before anybody on this board was even alive. I do not support taxation and banning of an industry because the general hunting membership doesn't feel like they are getting a fair shake. Why not ban all commercial operations on public land? Lets ban or tax anything that effects our percieved notion of what hunting should be.
Frankly, I am tired of outfitters being blamed for everybody who doesn't have the gusto to get their bull. I spend half the year on the back country trails, and a fair amount of it with boot leather on the ground. Every rifle season I can hump trails and with in a mile all boot tracks are gone. I can go over to eastern Montana and hunt private land antelope all day just by banging on doors, yup, I do it every year I hunt over there. I guess the free BMP lands are not enough, I guess the millions of acres of public land are not enough, lets go attack landowners and outfitters, ridiculous.

 

[RUTTIN]

I don't know that this thread was to become a public land, private land debate. For me the problem is for the average joe hunter, it is getting to expensive to afford the tag. I loved hunting Montana, but with the new price on the tags they will not get my money anymore.