Governor Tags - Deer, Elk, etc.

[Mike1187]

New Mexico Governor tags are on auction right now and it seems like they’re a bit different than a typical statewide governor’s tag.

Either way, it’s crazy to see some of these…kudos to those that have put themselves in a position to drop this amount of cash on a chance to harvest a great animal.

2026 New Mexico Governor's Tag Auction

Join me in supporting New Mexico Ducks Unlimited: https://go.dufundraising.com/2026nmgovauction

go.dufundraising.com

 

[Hide Hunter]

I don't support a public resource being sold to the rich elite. I hope public pressure pushes all of these towards raffles in the future.

 

[justin davis]

I don't support a public resource being sold to the rich elite. I hope public pressure pushes all of these towards raffles in the future.

I think it’s fine if it’s for 1 tag. It’s a great amount of money that goes towards conservation. More money than if it was a raffle. Like in Colorado. We have an auction for a Rocky sheep tag and a raffle tag. So the normal guy can buy a ticket or a bunch if they want to be in the raffle. But for the auction tag it can sell for 450,000 dollars. That’s a lot of cash that goes into conservation

 

[cwitt]

I don't support a public resource being sold to the rich elite. I hope public pressure pushes all of these towards raffles in the future.

It is very unfortunate that there is portion of the hunting community who is so short sighted and selfish as to feel this way. How lucky are we that we have fellow hunters who have the ability and willingness to make donations that large. They could do anything with their money, (same as you and I) and they choose to put it directly towards benefiting our public resources. One animal, at most, that is taken in order to benefit thousands that you and I have the opportunity to hunt.

Where do you draw the line at the rich elite? Is it the people that are able to spend six figures on an auction tag? Is it people able to put $1-99k in for raffle tickets? Is it the people able to afford to buy licenses and apply in multiple states? Is it the people who have enough discretionary income to go hunting at all? Lord knows even buying the licenses,tags, equipment, and gas required to go hunting as a resident isn’t cheap. Globally, if you can afford to do even that you’re probably considered the rich elite. By buying a tag, isn’t that the state selling you a public resource?

What every one of those examples has in common is that money is going towards hunting and conservation. The difference is the donations from these auction tags, depending on the state, is almost 100% earmarked directly for wildlife projects and matched with federal funding. The same can’t be said for the money from us just buying our tags and licenses and raffles don’t generate even close to the same revenue.

Am I jealous of these guys? Absolutely. I’m jealous of their jets, their houses, their cars, their rifles, and their trophy rooms. I’d have it all if I could too. But just because I’m jealous doesn’t mean I’ll let that cloud my judgement about how beneficial it is for them to buy these tags and participate in hunting. They’ll spend the money one way or another. If it’s not $500k on auction tags, maybe it’s $25-50k on raffle tickets. Now the regular guy’s odds are worse and the state still doesn’t generate the same amount of money. Lose lose. That is already happening in Arizona.

The first to suffer from losing auction tags are OUR animals. The second is hunters as a whole. Especially here in the west. Don’t be so naive as to think otherwise.

 

[Hide Hunter]

It is very unfortunate that there is portion of the hunting community who is so short sighted and selfish as to feel this way. How lucky are we that we have fellow hunters who have the ability and willingness to make donations that large. They could do anything with their money, (same as you and I) and they choose to put it directly towards benefiting our public resources. One animal, at most, that is taken in order to benefit thousands that you and I have the opportunity to hunt.

Where do you draw the line at the rich elite? Is it the people that are able to spend six figures on an auction tag? Is it people able to put $1-99k in for raffle tickets? Is it the people able to afford to buy licenses and apply in multiple states? Is it the people who have enough discretionary income to go hunting at all? Lord knows even buying the licenses,tags, equipment, and gas required to go hunting as a resident isn’t cheap. Globally, if you can afford to do even that you’re probably considered the rich elite. By buying a tag, isn’t that the state selling you a public resource?

What every one of those examples has in common is that money is going towards hunting and conservation. The difference is the donations from these auction tags, depending on the state, is almost 100% earmarked directly for wildlife projects and matched with federal funding. The same can’t be said for the money from us just buying our tags and licenses and raffles don’t generate even close to the same revenue.

Am I jealous of these guys? Absolutely. I’m jealous of their jets, their houses, their cars, their rifles, and their trophy rooms. I’d have it all if I could too. But just because I’m jealous doesn’t mean I’ll let that cloud my judgement about how beneficial it is for them to buy these tags and participate in hunting. They’ll spend the money one way or another. If it’s not $500k on auction tags, maybe it’s $25-50k on raffle tickets. Now the regular guy’s odds are worse and the state still doesn’t generate the same amount of money. Lose lose. That is already happening in Arizona.

The first to suffer from losing auction tags are OUR animals. The second is hunters as a whole. Especially here in the west. Don’t be so naive as to think otherwise.

This kind of mentality is so sad. You shouldn't simp for the rich and hope it trickles down to the rest of us. We have proven that doesn't work through our economic strategy over the last 40 years.

Raffle tags are a much fairer system. I truthfully don't care if they don't raise as much money. If the resource is in need of money, then we should be looking for new ways to raise revenue for our game departments. We don't need millionaires taking tags from the general pool so they can brag to their buddies.

 

[cwitt]

lThis kind of mentality is so sad. You shouldn't simp for the rich and hope it trickles down to the rest of us. We have proven that doesn't work through our economic strategy over the last 40 years.

Raffle tags are a much fairer system.

Simping to the rich and understanding basic economics aren’t the same thing pal. You don’t want equality, you want equity. That’s not the way the real world works.

I truthfully don't care if they don't raise as much money.

I know you don’t care. That’s my point. You’re making the conscious choice that your value set and feelings are more important than what actually works in practice and benefits the wildlife. That’s selfish and ignorant.

If the resource is in need of money, then we should be looking for new ways to raise revenue for our game departments.

The only way to raise revenue, without donations through raffles or auctions, would be to increase tag and license prices. Or taxes. There frankly isn’t another means. Is that what you would rather happen? Just because you’re too proud to let somebody with more money than you spend it how they want to?

We don't need millionaires taking tags from the general pool so they can brag to their buddies.

They don’t come out of the general pool. They were created, separate from and in addition to the general pool, specifically with the intent of generating revenue for the state.

I’d also love to know what being a millionaire has to do with bragging to their buddies? We have to be millionaires in order to celebrate harvesting an animal? Doing something we are proud of? Pretty sure we all brag to our buddies whether it’s about the doe you shoot or something else.

 

[IdahoBeav]

The only way to raise revenue, without donations through raffles or auctions, would be to increase tag and license prices. Or taxes. There frankly isn’t another means. Is that what you would rather happen? Just because you’re too proud to let somebody with more money than you spend it how they want to?

It's a strange thing. My guess is that he believes the rich should be taxed more in order to fund public agencies, but he has a problem with a rich person voluntarily paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to a public agency.

It would seem that it's more a matter of how it makes one feel as opposed to results.