An "Economics" Question

[Mastertangler]

I say try bringing the out of state license fees up. If a WI person wants to go out west, it's going to cost a pretty penny and you get to take one animal. But if someone comes to WI to hunt it's a very reasonable over the counter tag and they get two or three kill tags for the cost.
I'm not trying to kick the out of state guys out, but with the reputation WI has for hunting and trophy deer, it should be worth it. If I lived elsewhere, I'd have no problem dishing out a little more to come to WI and take home two or three deer. I have to believe WI is one of the cheapest and easiest places for an out of state hunter to come.

[Legnip]

ORIGINAL: Mastertangler
I say try bringing the out of state license fees up....

 
I always say that the search for accountability should start first with the mirror. If my paycheck gets bigger, then I can spend or save more. If it gets smaller, the my budget must adjust. I need to look at my fixed expenses. Which items are a must have, should have, and fun to have? The decision making should start their. Looking outward for someone else to take care of me is not how I live my life.

....I'm not trying to kick the out of state guys out, but with the reputation WI has for hunting and trophy deer, it should be worth it.

 
There are definitely trophy deer in WI, but I've rifle hunted in WI for 24 years and bowhunted 6. I've taken three 8 pointers in that time. They are trophies to me, but the largest is 120". I've shot bigger deer in TN and in less time.
 

....If I lived elsewhere, I'd have no problem dishing out a little more to come to WI and take home two or three deer. I have to believe WI is one of the cheapest and easiest places for an out of state hunter to come.

 
Take home 2-3 deer? I saw 3 does during gun season. None had fawns with them. I haven't seen a buck since 2008. I can shoot 3 does per day in TN. I went this weekend and saw a spike and 5 does. The state has liberal limits, big bucks, and I can still see a bunch of deer in a mornings sit.
 
Where's my mirror???
 

[Mastertangler]

Legnip...I don't want to sound defensive as I agree with you in many comments you made. Obviously there are many ways I think the state could better use funds and save money. Some are listed here already and other ideas exist too.

I too hunt outside of WI....WY to be exact. Going there doesn't promise me a kill or a trophy by any means but I still go there. Just like people come to WI without the promises.
My comments were based on numbers like these....
A WI non resident deer tag is $160. Illinois is $300. Texas is $315. Wyoming is $326. Montana is $343.
There are plenty of other states right in line with the Wisconsin fees, but the question was how to earn more money, so my idea was out of state fees. I don't know how many out of state hunters there are overall, but say there's 5000...a reasonable $20 increase results in $100K of additional revenue....without taking it from the pockets of the people who live in the state.

Other ideas....how about not spending so much money on an elk herd that at the current pace will never get anywhere? How about actually punishing people for violating vs a small fine? How about holding a special hunt just to trim the damaging species out there? I'd pay for a cormorant tag in a heartbeat! Ha Ha

[Osty]

A raise of non-resident fees would help but I wouldn't raise it too much.

I like the check stations because you see the deer that are registered. Maybe try the call in method to test it out but I am a little suspect on how many would be reported and how many would exceed their limits.

Keep public land open. I have hunted private land bordering public land. If you have a fee for public land use, who is going to monitor that? The wardens are busy with other items that I don't think that is a good avenue.

Raise violation prices! That would help bring in some income.

[hunt4fun]

1. Get rid of check stations... a 1-800 number and heres a thought... how about registering on line.

2. Get a wolf season going.

3. Get a crane season going.

4. Make muzzle loading a separate tag.

5. Start a crossbow season... separate tag again if not under disability.

6. Higher violation fees.

7. Cut the rule book down to about 20 pages instead of a novel.

8. Have lottery hunts in parks that are othewise off limits to hunting.

Thats all I can think of for now. I'm just throwing these out there, so if you want me to expand on these ideas I can, but I have a tendecy to be long winded, so I'm trying to keep it short and sweet.

[arpy00]

Interesting ideas....

I can see raising the license fee a few dollars.....only if the DNR has a freeze on additional spending.

I think the fines for violations should also incease. Especially for over baiting...if you can afford to dump money on the ground, you can certainally afford to pay a hefty fine. I abide by the law, and it cost me nothing. Too bad for you if you have pay more for being a violator.

Just my two cents.

[Dan Salmon]

Good Ideas.

I don't think that raising the non-resident license is the right thing to do.  Hunters that travel spend more money in the state and that benefits more people.  Gouging someone just because they don't live in the state is not a good way of increasing revenue.  Like it or not, non-residents pay much more than residents and making WI's fees in line with other Western States takes away the advantage of gaining the hunter that may not have enough cash to go west, but still has enough cash to come here and pay a premium fee that would otherwise not be paid. 

[jonny5buck]

Dan as a ''flatlander'' i respectfully disagree.Here in Illinois as stated the non-resident fees are in line with other states ,and if wisconsins isn't it seems an easy fix.Bottom line we can't keep non-residents out no matter how much we raise the fees,they keep on coming from everywhere!![:)]

[Dan Salmon]

Jonny5buck,

You may be correct, in that case then I think that non-resident landowners should not have to pay anymore than the current license fee.  Raise the non-landowner non-resident license fee to reflect the other states.

[krawiech]

most states get the majority of their money from non resident tags and licenses sooner or later you are going to kill the goose that lays the golden egg then what will you do ive been going to alabama georgia north and south carolina i found some reasonable hunting as well as license fees that why i have no desire to go to the midwest or west id rather go to canada which i have hank k