Pig tags

[Slugblaster]

Why would the pig tags go from $7.50 to $9.20 in one year? There is no pig management program to benefit hunters. Outside of Tejon every outfitters gets you for at least $500 for just one pig and some even stick you for trophy fees. Ranchers say they have a pig problem but it's not too big a problem to work out a program with DFG. Any comments on this?

 

[smokin54]

They raise the price because they know there is not a darn thing you can do about it and you will pay it. There are alot of fees/taxes that you pay to goverment that there is zero return to you and even worse is the amount used for things that you would disagree with.

 

[SDHNTR]

Because they can. Unfortunately.

 

[MrMullen]

Taxing hunter is kinda like taxing out-of-towners in the form of hotel taxes. There is a good chance they are not going to do anything about it.

One thing I see in California is that hunters and gun owners don't stand up for themselves. Most gun owners didn't challenge the Assault Weapon Ban since they thought it did not effect them, but they forgot the gun grabbers are not going to stop with Assault Weapons. They are going to take every weapon we own unless we stop them. Hunters have to realize the same thing. They are going to lose hunting or it's going to be too expensive unless they stand up for themselves.

One day, 20 years from now, you'll wake up and hunting will be banned in California.

 

[New Pig Hunter]

Why do tag costs go up ?? My mom explained it to me when I was a youngun, "Because......"

Other than that, I reckon our favorite elected officials know that raising such fees provides an excellent revenue source to fund Kali State pay raises in 2003 for our elected and non-elected folks in all those most-valued-and-very-necessary guv'mint offices around the state.
Not to mention a cash source to refund all those deer tags due to forest closures.

 

[Dave in LB]

I was thinking it was one more way to help reduce our budget defecit. Of course the State could do us all a favor and allow the wood companied to come in and clean all the fallen and snagged trees from the forests for a fee (they would gladly pay no less) and thin some of the timber out so our meadows, and wildlife can increase. But no that make s too much snese and the money wouldn't be that good appearently. Loosers.

 

[shaginator]

Yep, same way every other tax or fee is increased, because they can get away with it.

In CA, there's anywhere from 35 to 50 cents per gallon in taxes for gasoline and there still doesn't seem to be enough money to maintain roads. The state can't seem to hire anyone that knows how to count.

As for the pig tag increase, I'd say that they're using that money to hire trappers to clear out areas like Santa Cruz island (rather than letting hunters actually fill their tags).

Once those areas get "cleared" (if it ever happens) they ain't gonna reduce the tag fee...

 

[Freedivr2]

SDHntr hit the nail on the head.......simply because they can. I haven't heard one word from the Fish and Game as to where those pig tag dollars go to. And with hogs now the #1 big game animal in California, they've got to be collecting about as much on pig tags (or more) than they do with deer tags, where they do put the money into deer herd management.

Slugblaster, since you started this thread (and now got us all riled about it); would you please call the Fish and Game and ask them and then post back their answer? It'd be interesting to know what they say they do with a million bucks worth of pig tag revenues.

P.S. to you bird hunters.......you know that little game heritage stamp you get now for free.......mark my words, it's only a matter of time before that's another stamp fee........

 

[SDHNTR]

I know one place the $$ went to. You'll all hate me for this but the funding for the Santa Cruz Island hunt came from pig tag revenue. That was the best $8 I ever spent (I know, I'm one lucky SOB, he, he he). I still take at least one or two pigs a year and 8 9 or 10 dollars is a bargain. But when does it stop. And it does bother me that we pay this tag fee to hunt an animal that is pretty much only found on private land. I wish there were more public opportunities to hunt pigs. Whether this is where our cash goes or not, who knows, but I think we'd all agree this is where it should go.

 

[Speckmisser]

Don't take this as defending the price jump or the DFG or anything else...but...

The pig tag money, according to DFG literature, is primarily used to fund the research on pig dispersion and depredation. When the document I read was written, the tags had only recently been implemented, and the revenues were barely covering the cost of tracking harvest data.

I'm not sure about the rationale for the price increase, but administrative costs and special hunt opportunities like Santa Cruz Island, Tehama, and Joice Island all require somebody to get paid. Year-round seasons require at least minimal increases in enforcement activity as well. The rapid increase in commercial hog hunting operations is also adding to the burden for DFG management and driving up the costs.

OK, now my opinion...

It always sucks when something that was free a relatively short time back begins to increase in price. But everything is increasing in price these days, and it's probably unrealistic to expect anything to stay the same. Five pig tags for under $10 is still a pretty good bargain, especially considering that most of us will never need a second book of tags. I mean, honestly, think about it.

Of course, it's easy for me to look at it with equanimity ... I have a lifetime license which comes with deer and pig tags every year. No price increase for me.

 

[Slugblaster]

I heard from John Updike form DFG and said there was a cost of living increase which affects all tags and then there was the "Guide to hunting Wild Pigs in CA" publication which is produced and printed with these funds and the Santa Cruz hunts this past year like SDHunter said. Thats it. My reply is The pig guide seems a bit outdated and the Santa Cruz hunts will never happen again. While a book of 5 seems like a good deal, someone like myself who has 2 young hunters has to buy 3 books for $27.60. 15 POR hunts is $4500. Plus the license and Deer tags. Well I don't consider myself a cheap bastard, just a hard working stiff who always expects his moneys worth. 1 book of 5 for a hunting family with the same last name seems a little more resonable.

 

[BLASTMASTER]

I don't know, so far I've only hunted public land and shot only one pig in about a dozen trips out over a few years. So if I was calling the shots and needed to raise more revenue, I might do away with the book of 5 and charge $3 or $4 for an individual tag. It wouldn't bother me, I can't eat 5 pigs in one year. Besides, one's enough if you're out lookin' for deer, bear, and what-have-you the rest of the time...in fact...I'd be happy if they charged like $10 for 1 tag if it would help them develop more public land opertunities (oportunities, oppertunities, oh well).

 

[RIFLEMAN]

I remember hog hunting before the implementation of the tag program. The DFG legitimized the use of tags and their nominal cost in order to, "collect the information necessary to accurately map the distribution of the state's feral hog population." They indicated that it was intended to be a temporary program.

BUT...with the feral hog being our state's #1 game animal, they saw a perfect opportunity to raise a large amount of revenue. I resent the cost of the tags...yeah, $9.20 is cheap when you only need 5 tags, but I end up spending about $100 or so on hog tags a year. I hate the thought of having to spend money on the management of what I perceive to be illegal to manage.

 

[Herb D]

I also protest any fee hikes the DFG manages to put over on us.

If you think the price of pig tags are high consider for a moment what we gold dredgers have to put up with in dealing with DFG.

We never used to have to get any permit from anybody. Our "season" was May 15th to Sept. 30th. One year the DFG said they had some permit forms for us - free of charge! Like suckers we went for it and got the free permits. Then next year (you guessed it) the permit was suddenly not free andy longer but cost $3.50. No big deal we thought. Then it was $7.50 and a couple of years later and the season was reduced by a month. The the fees went to $15.00, $22.50 and now that permit is $37.00 (You all know the frog story). Also, our season shrank from 18 weeks to 10 weeks. How nice of them!

Are we gold dredgers getting any service from DFG? "HELL NO" They don't seed the rivers with nuggets or provide us with access. Instead the harrass us with ridiculous rules. They are gauging us and would like to see us go out of business altogether.

Personally, I'd like us hunters to boycott DFG for one year to send them a message. DFG is a cancerous money wasting growth in this state!

 

[muskeg]

I just got my license and pig tag yesterday in the mail from Sacramento.
I mailed the money in about a week and a half ago. I think that was fast enough (but would be better if it could be done over the net).

Non- res license $103.75
one Pig tag $13.25

I don't think that is out of line. Some western state rates for out of state hunters have gone wild in the last few years.

I'm looking foward to my pig hunt. Even if it will only be 1 evening or the next morning. And if you figure the cost per pound by the time I get it back to Ketchikan believe me it don't compute !!!!!

Now what your F&G does with those funds is up to you guys.

Here in Alaska public opinion does matter and make a difference.

 

[RIFLEMAN]

muskeg,

You won't have to wait long...e-business technology has finally made it to the CA DFG. They should be implementing an online transaction system in the not-too-distant future.