The Cost Of Hunting

Are we selling the soul of deer hunting to the highest bidder? Once upon a time every hunter in the country dreamed of heading to a Rocky Mountain state and hunting mule deer on the West's vast tracts of public lands. It was a dream that just about anyone could actually live with--a week's vacation time and a little planning because it was affordable.

Today, deer tag fee increases for non-resident hunters have far outpaced inflation in most states, and the add-ons--bonus or preference points, application fees and "special" higher-priced tags--have jacked up costs of western deer hunting even more. Let's not even talk about the price of gas to make the trip.

Declining tag numbers throughout the West also make it increasingly difficult just to get a decent tag. The days of general, over-the-counter tags valid statewide are long gone in most states, and game managers generally prefer to issue limited numbers of tags for specific herds or regional groups of herds. Some states sell the best tags at higher rates than standard tags.

The Non-Resident Gouge

Wyoming's non-resident fees to hunt deer are $326 (which includes the tag and application fees), still one of the lowest prices in the West--on the surface. Drawing odds in highly coveted zones in the western third of the state are as low as 3 to 4 percent for the best hunts. So most hunters today opt to buy a bonus point each year for $40, which increases their odds in the drawing. Hunters who really want a tag might opt to purchase a special license, which makes them eligible for a special pool of higher-priced licenses, and then they add the bonus point to that cost, which gives them an improved chance at a license in that special pool. Even in some of the best deer hunting areas, this is a way you can guarantee being drawn for a tag nearly every year. The total cost for this tag is $606.

To hunt deer in Utah, a non-resident pays $328, but to hunt in a limited-entry premium deer area such as the Paunsaugunt in the southern part of the state, you'll pay an additional $300, or a total of $628. In New Mexico--overall still one of the best buys in western deer hunting--a quality deer hunting unit non-resident tag will cost you $85 more, kicking up the total price to $372.

"When you look at what it costs for a guy to come to Wyoming, the license cost is still a small part of it," said Eric Kessler, a spokesman for the Wyoming Game & Fish Department. "We offer a variety of ways to apply--some of them more expensive than others. We have listened to the public, and they want these sorts of things."

Many states are going toward a market-driven approach to non-resident tag allocation, charging what the market will bear for at least a portion of its tags. Wyoming has essentially done this with its special series of licenses, but Montana is even more direct in its approach. This agency sells about 1/3 of its non-resident deer combination licenses each year to outfitter-sponsored hunters.