I got the email tree notice today It urged supporting bill 1311 which gives half of all deer licenses over the 90,000 to nonresidents. This is a major step backwards. The notice said that the good thing was that the proceeds would go to private lands acquisition. Private land programs are okay, but you are wrong if you think they are the answer to our problems, it is just a band aid on larger sore. Right now after the first lottery nonresidents can apply on an equal playing field with residents for the 2nd and 3rd season licenses. The catch is in the 2nd and 3rd seasons there are only antlerless tags left. If you do regulate this to does only, the law does not do anything different than what is currently happening with the exception of funneling the money into private land funds. If you let them get the foot in the door even if they change it to antlerless only which I doubt would happen, next session they whittle away for more and more and more. The only reason we don't have a bigger deer guiding problem is that our current system is as good as it gets with 1% of the license going to nonresidents, with the exception of the 2nd and 3rd doe tags. It is hard enough for a resident to draw a buck tag, I have went 2 years without myself. If you think the guides and outfitters are going to want more nonresident antlerless tags, think again there isn't a market for it. I would imagine the whole idea is to get extra buck tags out for the guides.
I will not support this bill,