AZ Big Game Lotteries No More

[Zogman]

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGxSRGflhshZxXRsmDMpMhJPflX

 

[risingsun]

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGxSRGflhshZxXRsmDMpMhJPflX

You looking for info and passwords?

Or do I have to log in to google mail to see this article?

 

[Zogman]

SORRY!

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted Friday to abolish the state’s practice of auctioning big-game tags. In their controversial 4-1 vote, the commissioners decided that, although these tags have provided millions in wildlife conservation funding by selling coveted tags to the highest bidders, auctions should be replaced with a more equitable system. The decision comes just a year after a Nevada man bought the Arizona statewide mule deer tag for a record-setting $725,000 at the 2023 Western Hunt Expo auction

 

[risingsun]

It's all good. I knew you were not sniffin for info.

They will sure be missing out on alot of funds sounds like.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

Critics of the auction system have long argued that the whole idea of auctioning off hunting opportunities to the highest bidder is anathema to the North American model of wildlife conservation, which is built around wildlife as a public resource and the idea that every citizen should have equal access to that resource. They say it’s also a matter of public perception, as people unfamiliar with the North American model are just as likely to scoff at wealthy hunters cutting six-figure checks as the hunters who spend years putting in for a tag they’ll likely never draw.

“I think we all hold our noses a little bit when we watch these auction tags go to the highest bidder at these banquets,” Backcountry Hunters and Anglers regional policy director Kevin Farron told OL hunting editor Andrew McKean last week.

 

[bravo]

Since Fritz pulled a liberal media move and only shared the part of the quote he wanted you to see, I’ll share the rest.

“The last thing we want is to see less money raised for conservation,” says Kevin Farron, regional policy director for BHA, “but we’re trying to prove that in this day and age, by leveraging our contacts and by taking our campaign to the internet and social media, that we can raise just as much coin for conservation, if not more, than auction tags, and ensure that funding will still be earmarked for the species.

Raffles have the added benefit of conforming to democratic distribution of hunting opportunity. “I think we all hold our noses a little bit when we watch these auction tags go to the highest bidder at these banquets,” says Farron. “The solution isn’t to abolish auction tags, but rather to consider alternatives to the auction model, and if there’s an alternative to raise just as much money or more, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find somebody opposed to that.”

Tell me what is wrong with the North American model? It appears you’d like to see more of the European model, where royalty owns the game and access. No serfs allowed.

 

[zoops]

Read some things on another forum that these auction tags will have like 30 guides pinning down a trophy animal for the winner. So those uber rich guys are probably going to spend that money some other way to get an animal like that, but whatever.

 

[Kurtr]

There is no alternative. The money raised will never be matched

 

[Kurtr]

The way i look at with the sheep tag here is one tag raises 300k for the sheep program its worth it. How many tags to residents have to be sold to match that one. They could not sell enough to match the funds that one tag makes

 

[bravo]

Yep, I’ve never heard a whole lot of grumbling about the auctioned bighorn tag in ND. One sheep, and that amount of money can do a lot of good.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

I should have done the bravo in three...two...one...

https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/big-game-tag-auctions-vs-raffles/

Tell me what is wrong with the North American model? It appears you’d like to see more of the European model, where royalty owns the game and access. No serfs allowed.

The North American Wildlife Conservation Model was about bringing back the wildlife from 1900 to 1999.

The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation was written in 1999 and is about fairness.

How has it made your life better?

 

[bravo]

 

[Traxion]

There has to be a balance. The money is great and impacts many sportsmen. But as earlier stated, the “hunt” really isn’t one with these tags. The buyer just spends enough money to effectively cage an animal in. Is that the intent of hunting a trophy animal? Not for me. That’s why they did it.

 

[Putz ND]

Wow - this is a game changer along the likes we haven’t seen in a while. I’d be curious to know if the driving force is hunters who’ll never have the coin to bid on these tags or if it’s anti hunters exploiting the “unfair” woke sentiment to bring about change. Diminishing the budget of well meaning conservation foundations will completely destroy their lobbying power. Thier influence and unified voice only comes to be if they’ve got big money behind them. Stirring up enough sentiment to get tags pulled is one effective technique to take their microphones away.

 

[Kurtr]

There has to be a balance. The money is great and impacts many sportsmen. But as earlier stated, the “hunt” really isn’t one with these tags. The buyer just spends enough money to effectively cage an animal in. Is that the intent of hunting a trophy animal? Not for me. That’s why they did it.

How you want to hunt or some one else does should have no bearing. If it’s legal that should be the begging and end. Millions of dollars will need to be replaced wonder if the regular guy is ok with tag prices doubling to replace that money?

 

[Fritz the Cat]

From the article:

But in many cases 10 to 15 percent of the auction price is retained by the conservation group that brokers the sale in order to cover costs to promote and administer the auction.

The solution, let the wilma whiners at Backcountry Hunters and Anglers run the auction, keep 15% of the take and then watch all the crying and whining go away.

The National Rifle Association used to do fund raising in many locations around the State, banquet raffles and auctions etc. A little known North Dakota law says only one permit to organizations/charities unless they have chapters in all those locations. The Mule Deer Foundation brought it to the attention of the Attorney Generals Office. Now the NRA can only do one banquet a year in North Dakota.

 

[Traxion]

How you want to hunt or some one else does should have no bearing. If it’s legal that should be the begging and end. Millions of dollars will need to be replaced wonder if the regular guy is ok with tag prices doubling to replace that money?

It’s about perception. I hate to say it but that is real today. Everything you said is correct. Tags prices go up. Conservation dollars go down. They made a choice because they felt the auction tags looked bad and chose to take a different route. They’ll deal with the consequences. If these idiots wouldn’t publicly share their “assisted” hunts for monster critters, folks would not be so against the process. So yeah I’d say one man’s method, though legal, just affected everyone else.

 

[Kurtr]

It’s about perception. I hate to say it but that is real today. Everything you said is correct. Tags prices go up. Constt we cation dollars go down. They made a choice because they felt the auction tags looked bad and chose to take a different route. They’ll deal with the consequences. If these idiots wouldn’t publicly share their “assisted” hunts for monster critters, folks would be so against the process. So yeah I’d say one man’s method, though legal, just affected everyone else.

Who was complaining and even wanted it changed?

 

[bravo]

It appears it was resident hunters who got in the ears of a few folks in AZ’s wildlife commission. Contrary to Fritz’s crusade against BHA, they weren’t behind it nor do they stand to make money from it. Per Field & Stream; “
“These tags brought in a ton of money, and in Arizona, 100 percent of that money goes back to big game species on the ground. It was a very transparent and successful program,” Michael Cravens, the Advocacy and Conservation Director of the Arizona Wildlife Federation and the Vice Chairmen of the Arizona Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, tells Field & Stream. The problem some of our commissioners had with it is that they believed it went against the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, which states that we need to provide opportunity to all,” he says. “But statistics show that all of that money was being put back on the ground. It equated to more habitat, better habitat, and more animals on the landscape, which in turn created more opportunity for the public.”

Some think that the same deep pockets who bid up the auctions will still spend on multiple raffle chances, which still gives the everyman a puncher’s chance at those premier tags. I’m skeptical, but if they find out it’s not bringing in enough money, hopefully they can reverse course. The NA model of conservation isn’t so black and white that it ignores money going to wildlife simply to make things 100% fair.

 

[Traxion]

I’ll be curious if raffles can replace the dollars lost? I guess if a guy wants to buy thousands of tickets to increase their odds more power to them.