When does price become too much of a factor for tags?

[iccyman001]

So let me start with two iconic states for two different species.

When you want to think of chasing big whitetail, usually Iowa comes to mind.
When you think of elk, usually Colorado comes to mind.


But is it REALLY worth it to some of you to fall into this \"point trap\"?


To draw as a non resident for IOWA these days you are looking at 3 preference points and then a tag.

$50+$50+$50+$729......

The same goes for Colorado....


So when it is all said and done, you are waiting a couple years to spend close to or over 1K for a tag alone, that is not even breaking into cost of the trip.
Is this reasonable to you? If so, why? Is it saving for a quality hunt? Are you saving for a chance at a bruiser?

I love big horned animals, but I also love money....

For whitetail you have states like Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, etc that are OTC and their tags run anyways from 225-500. Usually those tags include MULTIPLE tags. (MO-2, OK-6)

Then for ELK you have OTC units and zero point draw units that also house monster bulls (Just ask Brad, Lou, or Will)
On top of that you have ID.



This is just a discussion piece.

So if you save points like this, why do you do it?

Part of the reason I asked this is to follow on with a theme that Brad started a little while ago and that AndyJ reiterated yesterday.
Hunters egos/trying to impress the internet.


I have a buddy who used to love hunting. He was a master of Massachusetts. He has killed more whitetail and turkeys than anyone I know.
But then he started posting online and MAs deer became too small. Now all he does is hunt KS, MO, and IA. He pays for guides, preference points, and does not hunt like he used to. Did he become a lazy hunter? Is he just getting horns for the show?

Sorry, now I am just rambling. What is your take on all of this?

 

[iccyman001]

From the beginning I am a meat hunter. Filling my freezer is and always will be goal number 1.
But once I have some meat in the freezer my goals definitely change.

I am not going to lie, the size of a deer has started to take over in my life. Not so much the antler size, but the maturity of a deer (which definitely does include antler size)

To me its an additional challenge to take something older and more mature. But at the same time, I don\'t want to spend that insane amount I mentioned before and travel to Iowa when I could hunt public land.
Hunting public land is fun for me, it\'s huge challenge. Not only are you hunting against the animals in their areas, but you are also battling other hunters and hunting pressure. All of these elements make for a fun time.

For elk it\'s a little different because I am so new. I shot a spike last year and I am not going to lie, if I see another it will be tough for me not to shoot.
This again is where my meat thought comes in first. My little fatty spike gave me about 150-160lbs of meat last year (give or take)
Not to mention it\'s also FANTASTIC meat.



So for me all of this point banking is just too much for me. I would much rather just hunt OTC areas or continue with my luck in NM.
NM isn\'t PP, it\'s just straight draw.

If I don\'t ever draw then I am running up to ID or CO to battle public land OTC elk against all of the OTC hunter.

 

[bnsafe]

I will start with the first part of this thread as it kinda hints of two topics tied together, at least for me.
first point. tag fees are prohibitive, rather its otc or draw or whatever. i would like to hunt antelope again but 300 plus dollars for a co tag. even a co elk otc tag in the 650 range is crazy. and your right, look at some other states that the tags push even higher than that. i would love to hunt wy, but im not paying that much or a tag, same with montana. those states have priced me out of a adventure i would like to take. when you add gas, drive time, odds of success, etc its a tough sale.
second point. i use to love bowhunting when i was a kid. i shot whatever came by and was proud of my accomplishments. as i killed more and wanted bigger antlers i quit shooting whatever came by, that led to a what am i doing out here attitude. i didnt believe a big enough whatever would walk by and i got burned out. i quit having fun, and then quit bowhunting. i took up duck hunting because nobody cares about the size of a duck, shoot away. when i lost the fun of hunting because of antler size i lost a piece of the puzzle, and have never been able to fully get it back. hunting just for the joy of hunting. some of you have seen my wall of mounts. i have four, a antelope, mulie, elk, and whitetail. all are shoulder mounts, none are \"big\" enough to spend the money to mount. but, all have significance to me, a accomplishment for me. im proud of them. and i had fun getting them.
now to tie the two together. if you think of what i would spend on a vacation doing something else, say 5000 for a family trip to the carribean, or say a one day white water rafting trip that i would pay 500 ish for for my family for one day, hunting tags are a cheap investment IF your having fun, enjoying friends and family, accomplishing goals, etc. but, i would and will look for states like nebraska that have cheaper tags. go on a bear hunt 1 time and thats all. im looking for fun, family, friends, memories, not the hunt itself. so it kinda all depends on why you hunt rather the tags are prohibitive or not.

 

[timberland]

The biggest factor for me when coughing up any kind of dough for a hunt is the experience. I wouldn\'t pay big bucks to hunt whitetails in Iowa because I can do that behind the house. But we don\'t have mountains, elk, mule deer or antelope. So I am stuck paying to hunt. I doubt I will get into the point game to shoot an elk, no matter the size. I\'ll play odds in NM and CO. A trophy is in the eye of the beholder, and I have way more respect for the guys getting in done on hunts and land everyone can access than the guys shooting big bucks and bulls on ranches, guided hunts, and leases the average Joe can\'t afford.

The feeling I get when describing my hunts to my friends and they look at me in awe (or like I\'m crazy) and say \"I could never do that\" or how when I sit on a mountain and realize that most people cannot experience what I did and do to get there is the best feeling in the world. I have to keep reminding myself not to take for granted what I get to do every day or every year.

I have friends that shell out thousands every few years to do a western hunt or lease some deer ground because they live in large cities. They would rather work fifty weeks a year to hunt one and pay dearly for it. I\'m not a wealthy person monetarily, but very rich in experiences and family.

 

[Swede]

I suppose for me $500 is about my breaking point. Paying more than that, just for the chance to shoot an animal is just not worth it. What I dislike more is the points program. I think most States really don\'t want the nonresident. All they are interested in is getting their money to fund their programs.

 

[elky McElkerson]

timberland about summed it up for me. all about the experience.

my willingness to pay a certain price is directly proportional to my disposable income. i dont poop cold hard cash, so i have to weight my choices carefully. as a newb to elk hunting and bowhunting in general, traipsing around a game-rich area is a huge bonus.

sometimes: desperate times call for desperate measures.