Just when you thought life could not get any more screwed up, something like this comes along. Here is the deal.
Last year, we tried to get a filming permit to fly into some BLM land in Colorado that is surrounded by a ranch that operates a large Ranching for Wildlife program. The idea was that we would hire a chopper to fly us into some bigger BLM sections that would allow us to hunt with OTC elk tags and the deer tags we drew in the public draw.
To obtain a BLM or Forest Service filming permit, you must fill out the volumes of paper, submit your operating plan, and the $100 application fee, hoping you will get approved. If you get approved, you then get your $100 application fee applied to the special use permit fee, usually somewhere between $1,500-$2,000 (now you know why most shows don't bother with filming permits).
The first step the agency goes through to approve the permit application is to determine if what your plan proposes is in compliance with state law. Sounds reasonable.
In this instance, I submit to the BLM, and tell them the tags we have, the season dates, etc. They call to inform me that I would be violating Colorado rules by hunting public land with these public tags.
After a long series of discussions, some very patient BLM employees regretfully inform me that under Colorado commission regulation, not state law, Ranching for Wildlife operators can enroll public lands into their program and have that public land treated as part of their operating base. They then get allocated RFW tags based on that public acreage.
And here is the real kicker - the reason my permit was denied. Those landowners then control the public hunting on these public lands. Yup, my public tag is not good on those public lands. I have to purchase a landowner voucher from the RFW operator in order to hunt those public lands. Again, I cannot use my public tag on OUR public lands, according to CO commission regulations, so my filming permit to hunt and film on these public lands will not be approved.
Given this ranch had enrolled all but one parcel next to their lodge, I put last years application on hold and told them I would re-submit this year. I informed the BLM that in 2010, I would fly into this one remaining parcel, even if it overlooked the lodge of this big RFW operation.
So, this spring, I inform the BLM of my plans to make a re-submission. I tell them I will fly in to the one parcel overlooking the RFW lodge.
I get an email this morning telling me that now ALL public lands in that area are enrolled in the RFW program, and my tag can NOT be used on any of those public lands, as all hunting on those public lands must go through the RFW operator. Since my application last year, the last parcel that was available to public hunting was added to the RFW operating acreage in January, even though the BLM knew public hunters were wanting access to these public lands.
Given the cost of a deer hunt is $9,000 and and elk hunt is about the same, I am hardly going to pay a landowner that amount of money to hunt OUR public lands on MY public tag.
I had really hoped to do this in a way that illustrated what a joke the Colorado rules are that allow the RFW operators to take control over the hunting on OUR public lands. But, it cannot happen now, as the public lands I would have hunted are now ALL enrolled and the hunting rights have been transferred to this landowner by a mere signing of the pen at the BLM office.
When the RFW operator realized what I had planned to do in this upcoming year, he petitioned the BLM for enrollment of every acre of public land that is within his boundaries. The BLM and CO DOW complied, knowing full well that public hunters had planned to hunt that this year.
And, by doing that, the RFW operator increased his acreage and was now allocated more elk and deer tags for his RFW operation to sell to his paying customers. More of Colorado's wildlife just got handed over to the RFW operator, for no value.
If ever there was an event that caused me to say WTH, this would be it. I wonder how many Colorado hunters know of this rule.
If guys knew how reasonably priced it is to fly a helicopter into these parcels, they would be applying for these tags. Unfortunately, Colorado has pretty much blocked you from doing so, with this screwed up law.
What a joke. This goes down as one of the biggest public land give away welfare programs I have come across in all my years of hunting.
DOW will tell you that in exchange for transferring hunting control over these public lands, the public hunters get the benefit to hunt some of these RFW properties. Yeah, public hunters get the leftovers - some very small percentage of buck/bull tags, most the cow/doe tags, and get to come in after the RFW guys have had their special rut seasons, all in exchange for giving up premium public season hunting on these public lands.
Thanks DOW/BLM. By having such a screwed up commission rule and by allowing enrollment of these public lands, you have seriously put the leather to Colorado hunters. And for that matter, laid the pipe to all public land hunters who have plans to hunt some of these public lands now enrolled in the RFW programs.
Better go take a pill, before I blow a gasket. Time to re-juggle the filming schedule for this fall.
Last year, we tried to get a filming permit to fly into some BLM land in Colorado that is surrounded by a ranch that operates a large Ranching for Wildlife program. The idea was that we would hire a chopper to fly us into some bigger BLM sections that would allow us to hunt with OTC elk tags and the deer tags we drew in the public draw.
To obtain a BLM or Forest Service filming permit, you must fill out the volumes of paper, submit your operating plan, and the $100 application fee, hoping you will get approved. If you get approved, you then get your $100 application fee applied to the special use permit fee, usually somewhere between $1,500-$2,000 (now you know why most shows don't bother with filming permits).
The first step the agency goes through to approve the permit application is to determine if what your plan proposes is in compliance with state law. Sounds reasonable.
In this instance, I submit to the BLM, and tell them the tags we have, the season dates, etc. They call to inform me that I would be violating Colorado rules by hunting public land with these public tags.
After a long series of discussions, some very patient BLM employees regretfully inform me that under Colorado commission regulation, not state law, Ranching for Wildlife operators can enroll public lands into their program and have that public land treated as part of their operating base. They then get allocated RFW tags based on that public acreage.
And here is the real kicker - the reason my permit was denied. Those landowners then control the public hunting on these public lands. Yup, my public tag is not good on those public lands. I have to purchase a landowner voucher from the RFW operator in order to hunt those public lands. Again, I cannot use my public tag on OUR public lands, according to CO commission regulations, so my filming permit to hunt and film on these public lands will not be approved.
Given this ranch had enrolled all but one parcel next to their lodge, I put last years application on hold and told them I would re-submit this year. I informed the BLM that in 2010, I would fly into this one remaining parcel, even if it overlooked the lodge of this big RFW operation.
So, this spring, I inform the BLM of my plans to make a re-submission. I tell them I will fly in to the one parcel overlooking the RFW lodge.
I get an email this morning telling me that now ALL public lands in that area are enrolled in the RFW program, and my tag can NOT be used on any of those public lands, as all hunting on those public lands must go through the RFW operator. Since my application last year, the last parcel that was available to public hunting was added to the RFW operating acreage in January, even though the BLM knew public hunters were wanting access to these public lands.
Given the cost of a deer hunt is $9,000 and and elk hunt is about the same, I am hardly going to pay a landowner that amount of money to hunt OUR public lands on MY public tag.
I had really hoped to do this in a way that illustrated what a joke the Colorado rules are that allow the RFW operators to take control over the hunting on OUR public lands. But, it cannot happen now, as the public lands I would have hunted are now ALL enrolled and the hunting rights have been transferred to this landowner by a mere signing of the pen at the BLM office.
When the RFW operator realized what I had planned to do in this upcoming year, he petitioned the BLM for enrollment of every acre of public land that is within his boundaries. The BLM and CO DOW complied, knowing full well that public hunters had planned to hunt that this year.
And, by doing that, the RFW operator increased his acreage and was now allocated more elk and deer tags for his RFW operation to sell to his paying customers. More of Colorado's wildlife just got handed over to the RFW operator, for no value.
If ever there was an event that caused me to say WTH, this would be it. I wonder how many Colorado hunters know of this rule.
If guys knew how reasonably priced it is to fly a helicopter into these parcels, they would be applying for these tags. Unfortunately, Colorado has pretty much blocked you from doing so, with this screwed up law.
What a joke. This goes down as one of the biggest public land give away welfare programs I have come across in all my years of hunting.
DOW will tell you that in exchange for transferring hunting control over these public lands, the public hunters get the benefit to hunt some of these RFW properties. Yeah, public hunters get the leftovers - some very small percentage of buck/bull tags, most the cow/doe tags, and get to come in after the RFW guys have had their special rut seasons, all in exchange for giving up premium public season hunting on these public lands.
Thanks DOW/BLM. By having such a screwed up commission rule and by allowing enrollment of these public lands, you have seriously put the leather to Colorado hunters. And for that matter, laid the pipe to all public land hunters who have plans to hunt some of these public lands now enrolled in the RFW programs.
Better go take a pill, before I blow a gasket. Time to re-juggle the filming schedule for this fall.
