Tag Allotments

[CA Karen]

I will vote for 15% to go to non-residents. Remember when they hunt they also spend money in the area they hunt adding to the economy of the area. When the general deer hunt in utah got cut back and you had to pick your area and draw, the small town that we went to just about died, due to the lack of non-resident and out of area (resident) hunters. The main street is still 1/3 empty and it has been damn near a decade since that happened. It is a double edged sword that needs to be handled carefully.

 

[Hoback Hunter]

At initial glance, I vote 0% - hunt your own damn state! Or, move to the state you want to hunt and be a positive contribution on that economy... all year long.

But with a little more thought behind it, I think the percentage should depend upon the state's game resources and resident hunter population.

Personally, I think its terribly unfair when a state resident has to compete against non residents for their game. Residents pay taxes to support the local game management agency and should be given first priority for 100 percent of all tags available. If there are some tags unsecured by resident hunters, only then should the state offer them to nonresidents to meet herd management objectives, generate revenues, etc.

Some of us are lucky enough to live in states with abundant game resources and our state game agencies can offer non-res tags with little impact on us, while increasing revenues for continued game management (which actually benefits both res and non-res hunters). But for some states, this is not the case, and setting any number of 'set-aside' tags for nonresidents is just plain wrong in those situations. (That's the primary reason I just turned down a good promotion in Southern Utah - terrible draw odd for residents... 2-3 years for a deer?!? - 8-10 for an Elk?!?!?! - No thank you!)

When I lived in CA, I only hunted CA. I knew that deer was dependent upon my skill as a hunter, and not luck of the draw. I knew that pronghorn and elk were fantasies to be chased most of my lifetime, and that other big game was literally non-existant. So, I moved. Now I have over the counter deer and elk, and a 1 in 3 chance of drawing a sage goat each year. Moose, bighorn and mtn goat are now my fantasies to chase, and I do... (at darn high costs)... I am OK with nonresident tags for deer and elk - but I am bothered that a percentage of the few moose, bighorn and mt goat tags availble are going to non-residents...

 

[jlostrander]

If it takes 2-3 years for a resident to get a deer tag in Utah. Then why do I read that some residents are hunting deer in bow, muzzle loader, and rifle season in the same year. It would seem to make sense that if people can't get a tag, then how are others getting tags to hunt in each seperate type of season.

I confess that I am not an expert in the system for utah residents, but I know what I have read in articles for example in Mule Deer Crazy. Also, when I was hunting in utah (2004), the same Utah hunters who were hunting the rifle deer season, had hunted the bow season. This does not seem fair to those residents waiting 2-3 years.

Someone explain if possible.

Thanks, Logan

PS> I respect your opinion. Good for you for moving out of the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia (It just isn't my peoples).