I rec'd my 2006 W. F. & G. book in the mail today and was surprised to read that the cost of buying preference points was raised from $7 for sheep or moose to $75 for a moose point and $100 for a sheep pref' point.

seems pretty steep. i wish i could raise my prices that much. amazing what they can get away with.

cold zero,

Did Wyoming officials explain the reason for the increase? I am very curious of the reason for such a steep increase.

This is just another step towards eliminating hunting accomplished by government using its taxing authority in discriminatory manner. It will have the de facto effect of excluding middle class hunters from participating.


Happy New Year,

Tom

tom;

i would say greed, politicians, you know the rest.

i am sure this will discourage guys from applying for the lotteries. as it is you make them an interest free loan for 6 mos. just to apply and find out if you won. they won't care that less guys will apply because that will make less app's for them to process at a higher price and they come out ahead all the way around.

as usual the non resident hunter gets screwed.

cold zero,

I wonder about the legality of this astronomic fee increase. How in God's name can Wyoming justify such an exorbitant increase?

This just pisses me off to no end. It will price me right out of the market.

Will the points we've acquired to date continue to be valid if we no longer participate? If we no longer participate, will we retain our accumulated points until used?


Happy New Year,

Tom

I feel for you non-residents. I live here in Wyoming and I really did'nt believe they would go through with it. Plain $ss robbery.

Steve

Steve,

Do you know why Wyoming instituted this draconian hunting tax increase? How will outfitters benefit by it? I know Wyoming outfitters have incredible influence on hunting issues.

Maybe I ought to move to Star Valley? You guys still hate Californians? I was one who wanted Tookie toasted, if that'll get in good graces.


Happy New Year,


Tom

It is a sad thing happening all over the United States. The days of the common hunter are coming to an end, they are going to make hunting a rich mans sport. The sad thing is all the hunters that support there State raising non-resident fee are some of the problem. While they rase the non-resident fee's the resident fee are going up as well. Greed it what it is.

I could see this happening quite a few years ago. The pricing out of the little guy. I lived in N.MN. and came here to visit friends and hunt. I left the big swamp and live in Wyoming, now I can afford to keep on hunting here. It all depends on how bad you want to hunt here, enough to move here??? We do have winter and snow, it was -28 about 3 weeks ago. I love it and will never leave except for feet first.

I am an Alaska resident who lives in Italy, and I was born in Wyoming. My parents still live in Wyoming, and I have been applying for sheep points since they started the program where you could just buy your points.

Yes I think it sucks that they are getting $75 for points. They do have the right to charge whatever they want to non-residents. It's their right as set forth in the Bill of Rights under states rights.

I hunted doe antelope in Wyoming in October with my father, who drew buck permit.

I saw more Minnesota, Michigan, and Texas plates in the hunting fields than I did Wyoming plates.

The area we used to hunt elk SW of Dubois used to be all locals. Now it's full of MN, MI, TX, and a few CA plates.

The people of Wyoming including the game and fish put up with a lot to live there. It freaking cold in the Winter, the wind blows all the time, and business will boom like crazy for 4 years then bust for 10.

Most of them live there for the solitude that few places outside of Alaska offer. If you want to hunt in Wyoming instead of your overcrowed state you will pay for the privlidge or hunt someplace else.

The Fish and Game dpt. in Wyoming is out of control. Fee raises every year, welfare for the wolves against everyones wishes and what they call game management is a joke. I lived there from 1980 to 1994 and could see the democrats taking control then now it's a virtual police state compared to what it was. The dept. of education closed as many small town schools as possible and turned the others into prison like facilities. Hard to believe what a turnaround the once free state of Wyoming has made.

I was just looking at the state Fish and Game website. The only major increases I saw were dealing with sheep moose.

$500 for elk, $250 for antelope and deer, 300 for bear and lion. Cheaper than most other western states.

quote:

Originally posted by rickt300:
The Fish and Game dpt. in Wyoming is out of control. Fee raises every year, welfare for the wolves against everyones wishes and what they call game management is a joke. I lived there from 1980 to 1994 and could see the democrats taking control then now it's a virtual police state compared to what it was. The dept. of education closed as many small town schools as possible and turned the others into prison like facilities. Hard to believe what a turnaround the once free state of Wyoming has made.

Democrats in control of Wyoming are you kidding or what? I don't think there is a state that is as solid red as Wyoming.CNN Wyoming vote maps

D99

quote:

Originally posted by D99:
I am an Alaska resident who lives in Italy, and I was born in Wyoming. My parents still live in Wyoming, and I have been applying for sheep points since they started the program where you could just buy your points.

Yes I think it sucks that they are getting $75 for points. They do have the right to charge whatever they want to non-residents. It's their right as set forth in the Bill of Rights under states rights.

I hunted doe antelope in Wyoming in October with my father, who drew buck permit.

I saw more Minnesota, Michigan, and Texas plates in the hunting fields than I did Wyoming plates.

The area we used to hunt elk SW of Dubois used to be all locals. Now it's full of MN, MI, TX, and a few CA plates.

The people of Wyoming including the game and fish put up with a lot to live there. It freaking cold in the Winter, the wind blows all the time, and business will boom like crazy for 4 years then bust for 10.

Most of them live there for the solitude that few places outside of Alaska offer. If you want to hunt in Wyoming instead of your overcrowed state you will pay for the privlidge or hunt someplace else.

The Tenth Amendment does not condone legal discrimination.

I live in So Cal, and I have to put up with a lot. The freeways are parking lots during peak commuting hours. People are rude. There are at least one hundred (probably two hundred) languages spoken here, so often it is frustrating trying to obtain services. There are well over twenty thousand state laws alone, so freedom is a long forgotten concept. The state is controlled by disgusting liberal democrats who have absolutely no regard for the Second Amendment.

Because we live is such a damn harsh environment, does it give us a right to enact higher service fees for nonresidents? Why shouldn't we force Disneyland to charge nonresidents a thousand dollars per entry so that residents could continue to pay lower fees? How about a nonresident fee to use parking in Santa Monica? Y'know, you nonresidents have it too easy at the Getty Museum...raise the rates for 'em! Why do nonresidents get to pay the same fee when crossing the Golden Gate bridge as us? Maybe we ought to enact a visual tax on every celebrity a nonresident sees while here!

We who live in CA are so damn stupid, we ought to invoke the Tenth Amendmend and force tourists to support our living here.

I think you're getting the point. If we make it so damn costly for nonresidents to vacation here, we residents will be able to enjoy what we have with a lot less inconvenience, especially from pesky fellow Americans who happen to live in other states.

BTW, CA charges nonresidents grossly higher nonresident tuition at its UC and CSU schools while allowing illegal aliens living here to obtain a college education at resident rates. In other words, should you desire to attend UCLA, expect to pay 10 times more than an illegal alien living here. This is disgusting, and I hope to God nonresidents sue the hell out of the disgusting, pandering politicians who have allowed this travesty to occur. Y'see, I consider myself an American, a dying breed. I think discriminating against other Americans is harmful.

Happy New Year,

Tom

Unfortunately what 99% of folks don't realize, is that in WY, the game and fish is a self sufficient governmental agency. They receive no money from a state sales tax, all their funding is from the sale of hunting/fishing licenses and some federal exise tax money that is put on hunting/fishing supplies. No tax payer puts one red cent towards this agency unless they purchase a hunting or fishing license. There is no state lottery system that puts $$ towards wildlife management, or wildlife license plate that a resident can purchase to put $$ towards wildlife conservation.

Everyone bitches and moans about a $75 preference point. Yea, it sucks! However, wildlife management is not cheap. Flights, population monitoring, habitat manipulation/restoration, fish stocking, and the like are all very expensive. Add to it, all the wildlife issues in this state that need to be addressed:wolves, delisting the grizzly bear, oil and gas development, habitat destruction, subdivisions, migration coridoors shrinking/lossed, brucellosis in wild elk, endangered species management, CWD, whirling disease...the list goes on and on. We blow the doors off the rest of the nation with complex and controversial issues. All this takes $$$ to deal with. You all want book sheep and 30" mule deer...these don't come cheap.
This is not some political agenda to wipe hunting out of Wyoming. The Govenor is very pro wildlife and an avid hunter. I do not know of one legislator who is against hunting or hunters. This comes down to dollars and cents. What people demand costs money. If there isn't enough money to meet demand, things either get cut or prices go up.
I guess for those of you who cannot afford to pay $75 for a preference point, I'm sorry to hear that. On the other hand, it cost me that much filling my truck today! What I can say, is that I would be willing to pay a lot more than that to hunt sheep or moose in some of the last wild places that can be found in the lower 48. These licenses are in HIGH demand for residents and nonresidents alike.

I guess if you nonresidents, or residents for that matter, don't like it you can try finding a place to hunt WILD bighorn sheep along the east coast or mule deer in the south east, or shiras moose somewhere in California.

If you don't like the cost of gas, ride your bike.

MG

Tom1911,

Last time I checked Southern CA residents got in about 20% cheaper at Disneyland than the rest of the world does.

I lived in California while stationed in Lemoore. I like solitude, I like speaking English, I hate stupid pointless state laws and Diane Fienstein. So I won't be living there by choice in the future.

You choose to live there. I don't hate California, or Californians. I hate those New Yorkers that moved to CA and tried to make it New York.

When Ronnie was in charge CA was a pretty conservative place.

It's still a western state. Has the countries biggest agriculture industry, and some damn fine hunting.

Hopefully it will get better for you guys there. I doubt it though.

i was pointing out about the increase in fees since i have not seen anything on here about that and i posted this news the same day my w.f.& g. 2006 book came. i have 4 sheep and 4 moose points already, a good start as drawing a permit takes many years.

madgoat;

i am not sure i understand what you are saying as the outfitter fees are basically unchanged and the only thing to change are the points and license fees. so the cost of the hunt itself stays the same while the associated costs go up some.

the cost of this hunt is far cheaper than going to b.c. and taking a big horn. this will not stop me and i will keep applying until i draw and hopefully fill the tag.

who cares how much it cost you to gas up your truck. if gas went from $2 / gallon to $20 a gallon, i think you would notice it as well. since you don't know me, i can tell you that when gas does go to $20/gallon and you can't afford to gas up your truck it will be you taking the bus and a guy like me who buys your truck and keeps going.

Cold, when gas reaches $20/gallon, give me a call and I'll sell you my truck. By that time I will have already killed my sheep and moose...you'll be in need of a truck to take your big game applications to the post office.

MG

now that we have gotten transportation considersations out of the way.

how about a roll call of who has how many preference points for the sheep and the moose and how many points it is likely to take to draw an area that has high quality trophies.

i now have 5 sheep and 5 moose points.

Can someone explain what the points system is?

We don't draw tags here so I'm quite interested in learning more.

Thanks,
FB

Fallow, basically the way it works is that you have to apply with the state to get (draw) a tag for a particular species. If you are not drawn, you get a "preference point" which puts you a leg up the next year because the drawing is done by highest points first. In Wyoming they modified this so that if you know you are not going to get drawn, you can just buy a point instead of applying and paying the application fee as well.

Tom1911, I don't see it as discrimination any more than out of state tuition is. Don't they charge all non-residents the same? Discrimination is what Missouri does by charging non-residents differently based on what state you live in.

you pay the license fee and apply for the lottery. when you don't draw the tag the state issues one preference point to you. the license for the sheep is like $1,913 and about $1,213 for the moose. it is like a $3k interest free loan to the state for 4-5 months. my refund usually comes around may. they then deuct the cost of the prefernce point and send you the balance. $75 moose, $100 for the sheep.

quite a racket they have going. i wish someone would make me an interested free loan.

larry;

how many points does one need to have a high likelyhood of drawing a high quality trophy area?

many thanks.

I've got 6 for each and my wife has 3 for each. i was quite honeslty shocked and amazed with thsi decision. IMO it was a very poor one when it comes to the hunter.

It will not affect the outfitters one bit, and it will most likely give the state fewer apps to process and yet it will give them more $.

I really wish that they would not of done it, if money is the issue believe me I've been around enough budget cutting stuff to know that there are always opportunities.

This in my opnion is a very bad move on the part of the Wyo game and fish.

Just my 2 cents.

Mark D

Oh and by the way I will find a way to send my money but we've decided not to for the misses. Money is too tight right now. So, the will have one less ap to process from the Dobrenski house and will still make $147 more to boot.

Not a bad scam eh...

cold zero, in Wyoming I don't know except what I read, and the last thing I read for deer was up to 6, can't say for sheep or moose. For antelope, it is easier just to go with someone like 88ranch and get one of their trophy hunts with 100% draw if one can't wait.

If you are asking about Missouri, no points, all tags are over the counter, or internet.

quote:

Originally posted by cold zero:
tom;

i am sure this will discourage guys from applying for the lotteries. as it is you make them an interest free loan for 6 mos. just to apply and find out if you won. they won't care that less guys will apply because that will make less app's for them to process at a higher price and they come out ahead all the way around.

as usual the non resident hunter gets screwed.

mark;

sound like you and i are seeing this the same way.