[Kev7griz]

Views on Preference/Bonus Point Systems

Please give your input regardless of your State or stand on Preference/Bonus Point Systems for Controlled hunts or other drawing for hunt tags or permits.
The pros and cons of sytems you have used or heard about.

Thanks Kevin Madsen

Idaho has never had a preference/bonus point system. Last year the fish and game commission polled people on their web site and a couple of public meeting without letting many people aware of it.

I happen to by chance see the opportunity to give input just days before the deadline. I gave my input on line and never heard from them again. I never heard it on the TV anywhere. People that had been putting in controlled hunt applications for decades were not even sent a postcard (they had all of our addresses)

 

[Guidedfishing]

Implementing preference point is many times a function of the demand for the resource. In the presence of demand its often a difficult (but very manageable for some agencies) to manage that states resource and still provide hunters a quality experience.

There are really a few choices. Do not implement any thing which in turn drives the resource to the brink which then drives hunter satisfaction and numbers down. (not the best approach as this usually results in the management folks being voted out of office and or fired)

The other thing that can be done is to raise the price of a tag to such an outrageous amount that it prices most of us out of the opportunity to hunt, or costs us years of saving to accomplish.

What I like are systems that allow you to apply and gain a point but elect not to receive a license. This way I can apply in several different states for different species. As I build my preference points I can better manage when I elect to receive a tag, or access to a specific area that may contain quality animals.

Overall I think its very important to not price ourselves out of the ability for the majority of our population to gain a tag and hunt.

 

[Kev7griz]

thanks

Idaho was planning to just a add about $2 to the controlled application fee before they decided to stay with the status quo. The option passed in the State government but the Commision decided NO.

Open season hunts do allow nearly an unlimited amount of tags in Idaho and I exspect the amount of game will soon go below levels sufficient to keep hunters happy. Local hunters are allready seeing the problems as every place in the woods that one can camp is camped in. Not much of a fair chase or a Quality of hunt.