Federal Land License......?

[Rackaddict]

I have a question about Federally owned land and hunting license fees. Why should you or I have to pay an increased non resident hunting fee to hunt on Federal land when a resident pays only the resident State fee? For example: Colorado residents pay only $30.25 for an Elk tag while the non resident pays $470.25 for the same tag. If our Federal taxes pay for the land then should we all not be on equal terms regardless of our State of residence? Doesn't the law say something about not being discriminated against regardless of race, color, creed, religion, etc., or State of Origin?

 

[mottspur]

Thats a very good question.I feel the same, we pay tax just like every one and should be able to hunt the Fed. land without the big fees.
Good hunting, Mottspur

 

[Fishbonker]

I agree but.....The land may actually be "owned" by the Feds, which is really all of us, but who supplies the man power to police it? Is the NR paying to offset the cost incured by the State DNR who actually patrol, enforce and maintain the Federal land? Or do the Feds provide their own officers to do all of that? I have talked to some friends who got tickets in Colorado for not having their ATV registered or licensed or something and I belive it was by a State DNR guy on Federal Land.

It also seems to me that if the State is required to patrol, enforce and maintain Federal Land then the Feds should supply the money to do so, which does not justify the cost of NR tags.

Now having said all that, and not knowing how it all works, do you draw tags for Federal Land only or can you hunt State/Federal/Private land all from the same tag? If thats the case then the DNR is somewhat justified in charging NR fees. Even though you are going to hunt on the Feds only, there are NR folks out there who would buy a tag for Federal Land to avoid the higher fees and then hunt illegally on State/Private land.

Don't know if this makes any sense, it kinda confusalates me and I wrote it. I'm extra windy today.

The 'Bonker

 

[jharrell]

I understand what your saying Bonker and the answer is yes and no. In the case of Colorado, some units are draw only (some of those units depend on how many preference points you have), other units are over the counter. Some units have a mixture of State, Federal and private properties. Some units have mostly if not all Federal land. The draw of the units is based completely on quality of the animals and herd size.

I agree with Rackaddict (probably because we are heading out in two weeks). You would think in this day and age they could make a tag that would be specific with an area within a unit.

 

[Patrick]

You may be hunting on federal land but the animals are owned by the state. Thus, the state can charge you more to hunt or as is the case in Wyoming or Alaska tell you that you can't hunt unless you are guided. This same reasoning is why a landowner in Iowa can't go out and hunt his land anytime he pleases. It may be his land but the critters belong to the state. Iowa just give the landowner a tag for a $1.00 to thank them for feeding their deer.....

Now on the other hand, Wyoming may own the grizzlies but the federal government goes one step farther and calls them endangered and tells the state even if they own them they can't hunt them they can only spend money to protect them. Or in the case of the wolves moves them from a place they are hunted and then says they have to be protected even if they are killing the animals you're charging people to hunt? Government writes the rules so they always win?