Montana Elk Big Game Combo 2018, 2019 and going forward, how tough will the odds get

Also to consider that most Western States are economically depressed. I could pick up and leave and make double what I make now. One of the benefits of being a resident is cheaper, more available tags, but it comes at the cost of lower wages as a penalty for living in states with elk.

Do you think it's good government policy to reward people with cheap and plentiful permits for living in a place where they can barely make a living?
 
Do you think it's good government policy to reward people with cheap and plentiful permits for living in a place where they can barely make a living?

All states have the right to set their fee schedules for hunting as they see fit...and allocate tags as they see fit, and to charge NR's more, and manage the game as they see fit.

You can continue to argue otherwise, but the courts have already ruled on this.
 
Aren't we all residents somewhere? Seems like everyone has the same setup. Cheaper resident fees and the opportunity to apply in other states for a higher cost. I, for one, don't live in the state that I prefer to hunt. In fact, it isn't in my top 5.....but I don't blame anyone for that but me. Luckily, the good job I have in this state helps me afford hunting in other states, including where I grew up hunting in Montana.....
 
Aren't we all residents somewhere? Seems like everyone has the same setup. Cheaper resident fees and the opportunity to apply in other states for a higher cost. .

True but the main difference is some states have the vast majority of Federal land while others have very little.
 
All states have the right to set their fee schedules for hunting as they see fit...and allocate tags as they see fit, and to charge NR's more, and manage the game as they see fit.

You can continue to argue otherwise, but the courts have already ruled on this.

Of course you are correct. The wall street bailouts and Iraq war are over too. Should we stop talking about and questioning those government blunders as well?

Lots of Federal lands are jeopardy and these types of policies are not helping them. I find questioning the attitudes and decisions that created them is useful, constructive, and educational.
 
All states have the right to set their fee schedules for hunting as they see fit...and allocate tags as they see fit, and to charge NR's more, and manage the game as they see fit.

You can continue to argue otherwise, but the courts have already ruled on this.

Yep- for me it's this ^^^^ I'm going to try to get a Mt. deer combo next year, but I don't have the time or energy for the deer /elk combo so I won't apply for it.
 
True but the main difference is some states have the vast majority of Federal land while others have very little.

So move to one of those states with the vast majority of federal land and then you get to pay the resident fees. Pretty simple fix.
 
A serious question for some of the "more seasoned" folks :). My perception is that hunting out of state used to be sort of a once-in-a-lifetime endeavor for most people. They would save up for years to go on an elk hunt or a mule deer hunt or a moose hunt somewhere, and they would hang their trophy on the wall and talk about it for the rest of their lives. The idea that everyone is entitled to hunt out of state, often in multiple states, every year seems like it's a relatively recent development - kind of spurred by the advent of social media and everyone's FOMO. Is my perception off base?

From my very limited view, I can only agree on the second half. My grandfather was a blue collar worker and a father of six, yet he still went on at least half a dozen western hunting trips (elk, mule deer, pronghorn), including a Newfoundland Moose hunt, all coming from WNY. Now, they did things a little differently for the trips to the Rockies - they'd have a huge crew that went ( at least 10 guys ), so gear and costs were distributed, but they'd also sometimes hire a freelance guide.

Social media pushes people to become a single facet - you aren't "real" unless you're dedicated, hardcore, obsessed, which my wife would argue is a mental illness. You can't just hunt, you have to be single species or single weapon, or even moreso, both. IE: Archery mule deer hunter. In order to do that, you're going to have to hunt multiple states, otherwise you're not going to have much to share. Its all a bit scary. I could rant on this for an hour.
 
Of course you are correct. The wall street bailouts and Iraq war are over too. Should we stop talking about and questioning those government blunders as well?

Lots of Federal lands are jeopardy and these types of policies are not helping them. I find questioning the attitudes and decisions that created them is useful, constructive, and educational.

Not sure why you continue to whine about how poorly NR's are treated.

For chit sake dude, Montana offers 17K NR elk/deer combos, another few thousand deer combos, deer b tags, pronghorn tags, up to 10% of their sheep, moose, and goat tags.

That's something to complain about?

So, you have to pay more for it...pay it or put a sock in it.

WY, same thing, over 50% of the pronghorn tags in this state go to NR's. A full 25% of sheep, bison, and goat tags, 20% of moose tags, 16% of our LQ elk tags, a total of 7250 full price elk licenses. NR's can draw every single tag in the leftover draw and buy every single tag that is still available after the second draw.

You have nothing to complain about and the fees are not keeping those that want to hunt as a NR from doing so if they make it even a small priority.

I'm not rich, and I hunted 3 states this year, including in a state where a NR elk tag cost me $800, just this year, (not counting the $140 annual license and money I spent on the 4 points I burned to get the tag).

Pay it greedily...
 
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"Lots of Federal lands are [in] jeopardy and these types of policies are not helping them".

The inference here is that somehow being more able to, as a non-resident, hunt these federal lands is somehow tied to one's attitude about the actual land has been discussed here at some length.
If one's attitude about a uniquely American concept and privilege is indeed tied to this, then I'd suggest - at very best - your vision barely makes it past the end of your nose.
 
^Yes^

If I never got to hunt another piece of Federal land again, no matter the price of the tags, I'd still fight to keep it Federal and in public hands for the host of other good reasons to do so.

A lot more at stake than hunting those Federal lands.
 
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