Burned by the preference point fee!!

[colorado russ]

Well, let your guard down for a minute and it costs me $70!

My wife has been going to nursing school the last couple of years so time outdoors hunting with me has been limited. Last year, 2013, I just put in for preference points for her knowing she couldn\'t hunt. In 2012, she had an elk tag so didn\'t get any charges for preference points last year.

This year, I didn\'t even think about the fee. She didn\'t draw a bear tag in Unit 61 to go with her elk tag so we got charged. Tag was $44. Minus the $3 drawing fee and minus the $40 pref point fee. CPW sent her a $1 refund check!

Same thing happened with antelope. Just put in for a preference point but no license last year so got charged. Tag was $34. Minus the $3 drawing fee and minus the $30 pref point fee(deer and antelope is only $30 fine not $40). Oops, I meant fee not fine! CPW sent her another $1 refund check!

Only reason I\'m not really steamed about it is it\'s self-inflicted. Never fell into this scenario before and likely never will again! I\'ll buy her a fishing license to avoid in the future.

NOTE: She got her RN last year and finishing up her Bachelor\'s of Science in Nursing this fall. Unit 61 bull will be her graduation present!!!

 

[cnelk]

Thats some good info!

At the minimum a ONE DAY Fishing license would all be needed to comply - $9

 

[bnsafe]

that really sucks. the point system is great in theory. but when you dig into it might be one of the great ponzi schemes going. the ability to charge fees without getting anything in return is plain wrong. i understand the 3 dollars, but to keep 40 for no reason is just selling a tag without letting someone hunt. sorry to hear that russ

 

[colorado russ]

Actually, it states \"an annual fishing, small-game,...\". Seems they closed the one-day fishing loophole!!

Plus, she\'s been hunting and buying resident licenses here for 15 or 16 years but missed last years due to school. Understand they can\'t make exceptions but wouldn\'t take too much of a coding effort when cutting refund checks to see if they paid the pref point fee once and not charge for every species.

Oh, well, life goes on and it\'s Friday!!

 

[bnsafe]

at least shes thru school.

 

[colorado russ]

I stand corrected - it\'s now $100!!! Her deer \"refund\" check of $1 came in the mail yesterday. I called CPW and all I got was a suggestion to email someone on the board and suggest a \"limit on the total preference point fees charged for a given season\". Funny part is she said they email fishing license applications to out of state people who just buy points encouraging them to come back to CO. BUT, we HAVE to accumulate points in order to hunt lots of places in CO.

Besided buying the annual fishing license, she can just not put in for the drawing at all the next couple of years. She has all the points she wants for the few species she likes to hunt just hasn\'t had the time. So, why even buy the fishing license at all?

There, I feel better.