Auction tags

[GreyGhost85]

I’m ok with it. Guides and outfitters are the ones crying about it because they’ll lose a lot of money. Raffle hunters aren’t going to pay 100k in guide fees. Most of the people screaming about it on social media are people that have a monetary interest in auction tags. Bump up application fees a couple bucks and eartag that money for conservation of that species and it’ll more than cover the lost revenue of the auction tags. 

[runningbird]

I agree with the hurting the guides.  This could be one of the unsaid motives.   If I can go awhile without running into 30 guides/helpers chasing and keeping an eye on one elk, I would be thrilled. 

[wildwoody]

2 hours ago, bonecollector said:

Wrong! The money goes into a HPC fund which can only be used for certain things, like water catchments and such

I highly respect you, but don't believe everything you here. Can I ask why it matters so much. And I am surprised for once its not money first with the Game and fish. There's plenty of money just mismanaged by people who don't care about hunters or animals. Jim G.  has help a lot. Again nothing but respect and I'm normally wrong.

[forepaw]

2 hours ago, wildwoody said:

     I care which doesn't matter, the rich get the auction tags and the guides who block off roads and have 30 none hunting gumbies on every point .  I have 28 points for antilope and 25 for Bighorn and will probably never get drawn, but being I'm poor I will keep trying and buying raffle tags I know ill never win. And you really think this money goes to the animals , I say it goes to administration and lawsuits. So in my opinion only Jimmy John and Gallo can donate the money if they love the animals that much, and put in like the rest of us. On that now bring the HATE. Im ready

No HATE but discussion always good to try to understand a thorny topic.  Remember, the auction tags started in 1984.  It was a different world then, different problems, different values, different recent memory of events that seem ancient history now to many of the younger members.  Computers were rare.  There were no cell phones.  The country was recovering from high interest rates and high unemployment, and other problems thanks to the social and economic programs of the Carter administration.  The war in Vietnam was a recent memory.  The conservation-minded critter groups (mainly ADBSS and a few others) thought that the money brought in by auction would benefit not only the species auctioned, but all wildlife, and would also eventually provide opportunity for all hunters due to habitat improvement, translocation, research on wildlife diseases, better access to public land, etc.  This all turned out to be mostly true, since there were so few tags, they were out of reach of almost all hunters. 

Fast forward to 2024, and raffles look more attractive as they are available to everyone (residents), and don't require justifying why some ultra-rich person was just allowed to buy one of the most coveted tags in the country, maybe in the world.  This has become socially unacceptable, and there is some justification for that.  The tradeoff is, in return for equal opportunity to acquire a super scarce lifetime tag (which are now more plentiful than ever thanks to the auction system of 40 years ago), we may need to tighten our belts in terms of programs for wildlife (some not all).  It is what it is, and history will refresh our memory.  

[wildwoody]

40 minutes ago, runningbird said:

I also think getting rid of the auction tags will really decrease the value of the big game banquets.  I have only attended a few, but they do bring in a lot of money.  

Your right, but it sucks to sit there for 4 hrs waiting for the online auctions to end, just to be reversed 2 hrs later. But I will be at the desert Bighorn banquet again in May.

[wildwoody]

22 minutes ago, forepaw said:

No HATE but discussion always good to try to understand a thorny topic.  Remember, the auction tags started in 1984.  It was a different world then, different problems, different values, different recent memory of events that seem ancient history now to many of the younger members.  Computers were rare.  There were no cell phones.  The country was recovering from high interest rates and high unemployment, and other problems thanks to the social and economic programs of the Carter administration.  The war in Vietnam was a recent memory.  The conservation-minded critter groups (mainly ADBSS and a few others) thought that the money brought in by auction would benefit not only the species auctioned, but all wildlife, and would also eventually provide opportunity for all hunters due to habitat improvement, translocation, research on wildlife diseases, better access to public land, etc.  This all turned out to be mostly true, since there were so few tags, they were out of reach of almost all hunters. 

Fast forward to 2024, and raffles look more attractive as they are available to everyone (residents), and don't require justifying why some ultra-rich person was just allowed to buy one of the most coveted tags in the country, maybe in the world.  This has become socially unacceptable, and there is some justification for that.  The tradeoff is, in return for equal opportunity to acquire a super scarce lifetime tag (which are now more plentiful than ever thanks to the auction system of 40 years ago), we may need to tighten our belts in terms of programs for wildlife (some not all).  It is what it is, and history will refresh our memory.  

Thank you well put. I agree with it help organizations like adbss , mule deer butt, a some others. Conversation is good.  Only thing that stinks which is of course but yes there is much more hunter opportunities due to this effort, but now there are so many applicants thats its just like when Dean Peterson and Gary Barcom held there records there were only a few tags. Great post

[CatfishKev]

At the end of the day if game and fish ends up losing a lot of money they will undo it and go back to how it was.  I got mixed emotions on it personally. Although I don't love the idea of an amazing animal essentially being sold to the highest bidder I accept the reality knowing it goes towards conservation as a whole.  It's a blade that cuts both ways I guess.  

[HuntHarder]

I am for the new change.  The select few outfitters will probably suffer the most in all honesty.  Another step in the right direction.

[Swivelhead]

ADBSS believes there will be a lot less money for projects with the new commission rule.  Time will tell.

[verdehunter]

Is nobody paying attention to the record number of applications we’re continuously seeing? Going to raffle gives the tens of thousands of unsuccessful applicants another chance. There is money to be made from the raffles and they know it. 

[wildwoody]

I pay atleast $200 year for the raffle that people from other states Win , why not just let the highest point holders pay a grand for there tag. heck I would 

[firstcoueswas80]

Is there public access to what exactly the funds have been spent on in the past?

[bonecollector]

16 hours ago, wildwoody said:

I highly respect you, but don't believe everything you here. Can I ask why it matters so much. And I am surprised for once its not money first with the Game and fish. There's plenty of money just mismanaged by people who don't care about hunters or animals. Jim G.  has help a lot. Again nothing but respect and I'm normally wrong.

I could be wrong too, only an audit of where funds actually go would tell the truth. I know where its supposed to go though. Lol

[wildwoody]

Totally agree, I just noticed over the years it breaks down to about 50%, after studies and admin. If everything was like tunnels to towers. But I do believe the money does help some. 

[wildwoody]

1 hour ago, firstcoueswas80 said:

Is there public access to what exactly the funds have been spent on in the past?

Probably not..