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May 06, 2013 By Robert Wilder Comments 0
News
12.28.2010
2 Comments
Straeter says the revenue from those application fees probably wouldn't
equal the amount of money the state would lose by allocating fewer
non-resident licenses, but that argument doesn't persuade the New
Mexico Wildlife Federation (NMWF).
"We're really hoping to see the legislature tackle that and see (the number of resident licenses) rise to 85 or 90 percent," NMWF spokesman Joel Gay says. "Game and Fish say 'We really rely on these non-resident fees,' but we think that's just a specious argument, and that they should be doing everything they can to make licenses available to residents."
New Mexico Game and Fish spokesman Marty Frentzel said his department will "wait and see" what happens in the legislative session.
"It's very frustrating to watch people on television hunt animals in New Mexico when you can't even draw a tag as a resident," Backcounty Hunters and Anglers President Garrett VeneKlasen says. "It's insane! I have a lot of close friends here in Taos who are multi-generation northern New Mexico families who can't put meat in their freezer, and it's just not right."
Hunting Outfitters, Activists to Lock Horns over New Bill
By Wren Abbot
When hunter Zane Streater bagged a record-breaking 14-point elk during a Mora County bow hunt two years ago, he was taking part in a tradition of sportsmanship that many New Mexicans have carried on for generations. But Streater, who was in the middle of chicken-frying elk steaks when he got a call from SFR on Monday night, doesn't live in New Mexico.
He runs Hamilton, Texas-based Streater Outdoors, an outfitter that brings in some of the thousands of non-residents who hunt in New Mexico every year.
Sen. George Munoz plans to introduce a bill in the 2011 legislative session would allow fewer non-resident hunters to draw licenses for New Mexico game. Currently, NM reserves a higher percentage of its big game licenses for non-resident hunters than any other western state--22 percent, compared to 10 percent for Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Idaho and even less for Oregon and Colorado. Munoz hopes to drop NM's number to something between zero and 10 percent, he tells SFR.
"I think we need to take care of New Mexicans first," Munoz says.
But
Munoz anticipates there will be "heated debate"over the proposed
legislation, partly because non-resident license fees are a big revenue
source for the NM Fish and Wildlife Department. Resident fees are less
than $80 for any big game animal and non-resident fees are around
$500-$700. Munoz will propose to offset the loss of some non-resident
fees by charging all non-resident applicants a $150 fee, he tells SFR.
"I
think that's a bad idea myself," Straeter says. "I think you're already
overpriced. I have trouble booking hunts because of the prices of the
permits. You guys are charging right now as much as any state out
there."
"We're really hoping to see the legislature tackle that and see (the number of resident licenses) rise to 85 or 90 percent," NMWF spokesman Joel Gay says. "Game and Fish say 'We really rely on these non-resident fees,' but we think that's just a specious argument, and that they should be doing everything they can to make licenses available to residents."
New Mexico Game and Fish spokesman Marty Frentzel said his department will "wait and see" what happens in the legislative session.
"It's very frustrating to watch people on television hunt animals in New Mexico when you can't even draw a tag as a resident," Backcounty Hunters and Anglers President Garrett VeneKlasen says. "It's insane! I have a lot of close friends here in Taos who are multi-generation northern New Mexico families who can't put meat in their freezer, and it's just not right."
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NM is a wonderful state to hunt and visit, as an out of state hunter I picked NM because of the quality of the game not the odds of drawing. Those in goverment must also look deeper than the lose in revenue in tags but the amount of money that visiting hunters bring to the entire economy; outfitter fees, tips for guides & cooks, travel expenses, meat processing, hotel costs and most non residents leaves their elk for a local taxidermist. That cost can be over $6,000 per non resident hunter, that helps a state such as NM that lacks a big pull of industry.
Pull the tags and NM residents have a lot more to loose than a freezer full of meat non resistent hunts support many families in NM.
NM is a wonderful state to hunt and visit, as an out of state hunter I picked NM because of the quality of the game not the odds of drawing. Those in goverment must also look deeper than the lose in revenue in tags but the amount of money that visiting hunters bring to the entire economy; outfitter fees, tips for guides & cooks, travel expenses, meat processing, hotel costs and most non residents leaves their elk for a local taxidermist. That cost can be over $6,000 per non resident hunter, that helps a state such as NM that lacks a big pull of industry.
Pull the tags and NM residents have a lot more to loose than a freezer full of meat non resistent hunts support many families in NM.