Utah Price Increase

[Mish-pop]

Sad to see what they are doing to hunting out west. Pricing regular people with families out of the game. All these prices keep doubling and my wages don’t. I prioritized my career to have time off because hunting used to be affordable~guess I should have went for the money instead!!! Hope I win the lottery soon

I did the same thing with my career. I really enjoy my job but the hope was to pay off school debt and start applying in Western states in a couple years. That's now a pipe dream and looks like my own state will be the only ticket. Main species I really wanted to try for was elk to have more opportunity than home state but that's looking less likely

 

[180ls1]

I did the same thing with my career. I really enjoy my job but the hope was to pay off school debt and start applying in Western states in a couple years. That's now a pipe dream and looks like my own state will be the only ticket. Main species I really wanted to try for was elk to have more opportunity than home state but that's looking less likely

Do not be dismayed. Keep investing in yourself and your career. Earning a higher income and being smart with $$$ is absolutely something every western hunter should keep on the table.

 

[LFC911]

If the price goes up, UT is still going to sell every NR tag. They don't care if the apps go down or if the average Joe gets priced out.

 

[dirtytough]

We can afford it. But if I apply for us and it's $1400 a year at what point do you just buy vouchers, lease land, take up knitting, etc? It would be nice if a Con org would step up and say no more grants if the insanity keeps up.

 

[IdahoBeav]

Usually, I am in support of price increases, but at this level it's a little wild. I wonder if this will cause increased demand for other states with lower fees.

 

[LFC911]

Usually, I am in support of price increases, but at this level it's a little wild. I wonder if this will cause increased demand for other states with lower fees.

It will but the other states will also follow suit on double digit % price increases.

 

[BuckSmasher]

I am conflicted on this. On one hand I am not rich and don't like paying more money. On the other hand, I have 15+ points in several states, including Utah and want to draw a tag before I am too old to use it. Fifteen years ago I was in my twenties and really didn't think I would be in this situation. Point creep keeps moving the goal post.

I live in Idaho now and everyone that hunts hunts public land. "Hunting Lease" is not even in the vernacular of hunters here. In Texas where I am from, if you met a hunter that was one of the first things that came up, "Where is your lease?". Looking at lease prices down there last month they range from 3-8k and up but average is probably around 4 or so. A lot which have required expenditures like protein etc. on top of that. Even broke guys that like to hunt in Texas will fork over a couple G's to hunt the same ole smallish bucks over a feeder in a cow pasture every year. When you look at how much more of an experience hunting wild elk, not sitting in a box blind ten feet from your four wheeler, on millions of acres of scenic and mountainous public land non-resident elk tags are cheap. IMO that is the elephant in the room when it comes to why tags are so unavailable. They are too cheap relative to their value.

Once again, not a big fan of paying more. I don't want the lil guys like me priced out. However, if they lil'guy could depend on drawing a 'gooderish' elk tag every few years, paying $2500 and actually harvesting and elk he would be better off than 85% of nonresident diy that head home with an empty truck bed paying 1k for a tag.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Usually, I am in support of price increases, but at this level it's a little wild. I wonder if this will cause increased demand for other states with lower fees.

I usually support the increases as well and chuckle at the threads that claim they are ridiculous. I think other states will increase too, but other states (MT/WY/ID/CO/AZ) offer a lot more in my mind when compared to Utah. Strictly looking at amount of tags available to nonresidents, trophy potential/hunt quality of the general hunts, and fact any LE permit is essentially OIL and will take 20 years to draw.... makes it hard to justify.