MT Mule Deer over $600?

Gr8bawana

Veteran member
Aug 14, 2014
2,634
518
Nevada
You can always hunt mule deer in your home state if you don't like the price in Montana.
:ROFLMAO:
Supply and demand. If every state in the country had mule deer they wouldn't have thousands upon thousands of applications for the chance to hunt them regardless of the cost. I'm sure they could charge more if they really wanted to.
 

Alabama

Veteran member
Feb 18, 2013
1,381
177
Sweet Home Alabama
Why do we keep buying them? I told someone at work how much it costs me to apply for tags in the west and he looked at me like I had 2 heads! We love hunting and they have figured out that we will pay for that opportunity, so they are taking advantage of it.
 

Rich M

Very Active Member
Oct 16, 2012
758
566
We all have that cut-off - If it is gonna cost over $500 for the tag I'm not as likely to purchase one.
 
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mallardsx2

Veteran member
Jul 8, 2015
3,811
3,011
I may continue to pay for the high dollar tags in my lifetime but know this, in our kids lifetime, they will not pay the price. Its just isn't going to be worth it to them.

The die hard hunters are doing just that, pricing ourselves our of a sport and dying off while we do it.

I have a bunch of friends who make good money but cannot justify the tag costs. Its sad to not be able to hunt with them.
 

Hilltop

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2014
3,796
2,161
Eastern Nebraska
I think Montana has stayed on that upper end of pricing for quite a while. It's actually very good business- may as well charge what people are willing to pay. I think we will all see significant price increases on tags in the coming years. While this will price some people out of the hunts, the data indicates they will continue to sell all available tags. When people are having to wait years to hunt in many cases, you can bet a good portion of them would pay a considerable amount to hunt more frequently. The special price tags already prove it. All of that said, I don't like it one bit but I will continue to hunt out west as long as I can afford it. In all honestly, I would work a part time job if I had to just to afford it.
 

HuskyMusky

Veteran member
Nov 29, 2011
1,321
172
IL
I just was shocked when comparing other states, namely NM and CO which mule deer tags are closer to $300.

Epic outdoors had a good article recently, I thought 1 line was particularly telling, something like... You're a non-resident in 49 states! and he was speaking of himself in particular.... getting sold on the points game in the 90s or so.... and now kind of being locked in to it...
 

AKaviator

Veteran member
Jul 26, 2012
1,819
1,082
I've applied to hunt deer in Montana this season, mostly because I committed to do so with a friend. I also committed to him that this would be the last time for me to hunt Montana due to the cost. I'm sure Montana won't be disappointed to see me leave, they will sell their tags regardless. But there are other places to hunt and I just can't rationalize the excessive cost just to kill a deer.
 

Kevin W

Member
Jan 26, 2013
136
16
I've applied to hunt deer in Montana this season, mostly because I committed to do so with a friend. I also committed to him that this would be the last time for me to hunt Montana due to the cost. I'm sure Montana won't be disappointed to see me leave, they will sell their tags regardless. But there are other places to hunt and I just can't rationalize the excessive cost just to kill a deer.
Cont-rare' AK cont-rare' The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks will absolutely be disappointed to see you and your $ leave!!! They may even send you a questionnaire a year or two after you stop applying asking what went wrong. It's the fellow applicants in your favorite hunting unit that won't be disappointed to see you leave!!!!
 
Aug 5, 2012
102
0
West & East ND
There’s definitely still people out there who probably shouldn’t be able to afford it that make it work. I hunted in eastern Montana while going to college in western ND, my bank account said absolutely not but I somehow pulled it off. Would have went elsewhere but I was 2 hours from MT and it’s such a long season, it seemed worth it at the time. I still have friends who are in school and broke as all get out that fork over the $718 to shoot a smaller to average mule deer since it’s different than whitetail back home.

I went last year and saw a lot more orange than I did bucks. Did a lot of competing for small parcels.
 

lostinOregon

Member
Mar 12, 2013
86
0
Canby OR
It wasn't that long ago you could buy leftover tags for deer hunting through the summer. It was after a few bad years and folks bailed on the price over quality. The deer numbers have increased, but not near what the good old days were and definitely not enough with unlimited pressure. I think it is the ability to get information on the net that has changed. I have seen the massive shift of deer hunters from the western Montana to eastern Montana at the same time. I expect that the demand will continue to surge as folks look for places to hunt mule deer as opportunities continue to shrink throughout the west.
 

kidoggy

Veteran member
Apr 23, 2016
9,581
10,279
56
idaho
I think Jim nailed it.
There are plenty of people who will pay the higher costs so that mean's they can charge it … and still sell all their tags.
yup. till that changes it doesn't really matter how many disapprove . it is their right to disagree but states get to make their own laws and set there own prices , in accordance to the constitution .
 
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BuzzH

Very Active Member
Apr 15, 2015
909
951
yup. till that changes it doesn't really matter how many disapprove . it is their right to disagree but states get to make their own laws and set there own prices , in accordance to the constitution .
Not in accordance to the constitution...IN SPITE of the constitution.

The commerce clause it what USO used to sue (successfully) the State of Arizona and why Arizona had to redraw a bunch of NR tags in around 2004.

This law had to be implemented to change the way the commerce clause was applied, and reaffirmed the States Right to manage wildlife within its borders:

S. 339 Reaffirming the authority of States Regulate hunting and fishing activities

A BILL
To reaffirm the authority of States to regulate certain hunting and fishing activities.

  • Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  • This Act may be cited as the `Reaffirmation of State Regulation of Resident and Nonresident Hunting and Fishing Act of 2005'.


SEC. 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY AND CONSTRUCTION OF CONGRESSIONAL SILENCE.
  • (a) In General- It is the policy of Congress that it is in the public interest for each State to continue to regulate the taking for any purpose of fish and wildlife within its boundaries, including by means of laws or regulations that differentiate between residents and nonresidents of such State with respect to the availability of licenses or permits for taking of particular species of fish or wildlife, the kind and numbers of fish and wildlife that may be taken, or the fees charged in connection with issuance of licenses or permits for hunting or fishing.
    (b) Construction of Congressional Silence- Silence on the part of Congress shall not be construed to impose any barrier under clause 3 of Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution (commonly referred to as the `commerce clause') to the regulation of hunting or fishing by a State or Indian tribe.


SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS.
  • Nothing in this Act shall be construed--
    • (1) to limit the applicability or effect of any Federal law related to the protection or management of fish or wildlife or to the regulation of commerce;
      (2) to limit the authority of the United States to prohibit hunting or fishing on any portion of the lands owned by the United States; or
      (3) to abrogate, abridge, affect, modify, supersede or alter any treaty-reserved right or other right of any Indian tribe as recognized by any other means, including, but not limited to, agreements with the United States, Executive Orders, statutes, and judicial decrees, and by Federal law.


SEC. 4. STATE DEFINED.
  • For purposes of this Act, the term `State' includes the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
 

Wogger

New Member
Jul 17, 2014
4
1
I have no problem paying Montana for an opportunity to hunt their state. Lots of places to hunt and an opportunity to have a great time. I live in N MN or the Land of 10,000 wolves and that has made me appreciate what Montana has to offer.