Wow, $544.00 for an out of state tag. I know tons of guys who will gladly pay it, but I'm not one of them.

My trophy hunting days are done. These days, I just enjoy deer hunting.

Besides, I don't think I could choke down a $544.00 tag sandwich.......

Wow....

Jim

As an Iowa resident, I pay $26 for a deer tag. It seems to me residents could pay $4-$5 more per tag rather than increasing the non-resident fee by more than $100, although at $400-plus we had already priced the average non-resident out of Iowa deer hunting anyway.

Yeah I just filled out my application a few weeks ago, and it was pretty painful. Especially since I am paying an outfitter quite a bit more money on top of the deer tag. I told myself that it was going to be a one-time trip just to get a shot at some monster midwest whitetails, and I'm pretty sure that even if I am successful it will be the last time I pay that much to go deer hunting. I agree that the demand for non-resident tags in Iowa is going to take a big hit with that high of a price tag.

You are getting two tags though. But He** for that price you can chase Elk in Colo(ALOT more meat).

Big O is right. Go to Colo. and see prettier country, take home bigger antlers and eat for a year. Even if you don't get an elk the mountains are worth the trip!

Perhaps one of the "anti's" were unknowingly appointed an office.

we all remember who our new president and vice president are,and i`m sure we can all agree that they are trying to take away our firearms.
i`m sure we can all agree that they are going to raise the price of all our hunting priveleges so we can`t afford them,and thus destroy the hunting industry.
as the hunting industry depletes it will be made a point that hunters dont support conservation any more.and that will soon be the end..... save your money and keep buying those licences..
we have to be more carfull who we vote for in the future.

Unless your state has dwindling hunter numbers, I believe residents should be able to hunt without the pressure of out of state hunters. My feeling is to reward the residents with affordable hunting. When it is affordable more residents will hunt and there is not a need for out of state pressure and the problems that come with it. I am sure anyone who has encountered non-resident hunters will know what I am talking about. My apologies to all responsible non-resident hunters.

Okay, folks, get real. No one who buys an out-of-state tag gets to vote for the decision makers on the tag price. Who do you think carries more weight, the outsiders howling about a $100 price increase or "Joe" from down the street who whines about $5 more for his tags?
The only vote you as an outsider gets is with your dollars. Iowa too high? Go to Missouri, and take your money with you.

While I understand that anyone who is a non-resident dislikes any increase in resident feesI will disagree with anyone who is placing the blame on politicians or Joe down the street is misguided. Like Mr. Bourjaily I am an Iowa resident but I also often disagree with his conclusions. My point is.......this is going on all over the place, it is not by any means exclusive to Iowa. Why point your finger at us???? If you want to hunt Iowa whitetails then do what most of us have to do when we hunt out of state and hire an outfitter with all costs listed up front. God knows enough have popped up in the last few years. You should enjoy some of the finest whitetail hunting in Iowa; much of it that the residents of Iowa cannot access. Why?? The outfitters and demand. So much land has been posted, changed hands, been leased by out of state hunters, or purchased by "hunting clubs" that of course provide complete hunt packages to those willing to pay. Just wait....Missouri and Oklahoma are heading this way too.........Face it,it's become a rich mans sport

DougU,
You made a good point, hunt clubs and out of state conglomerates are putting the hurt on us, especially the later.

And all the people from Iowa that hunt in MN whose tags just went to $544.00 since MN charges what the non-resident hunter's home state charges non-resident hunters ( if it's more than the regular fee). Ouch.

My friend Billy D lives in Iowa and hunts there, KS where he has a lifetime license and MO. It looks like I will never get to hunt with him in Iowa 'cause I refuse to pay the price. As noted above MO has GREAT deer hunting and the tag is IMS $225 for NR's. Three years ago I stopped turkey hunting in MO when the tag went up. The farm I hunt is the best turkey and deer place a man could ask for. My profile is full of photos from there. If the deer tag keeps going up that will also end. For what it's worth I think folks are being overcharged for deer tags in KS too.

This is one of those "sucks to be you" moments for out of state hunters, but when you think about it, local residents often put a lot into conservation and wildlife programs in their home states. By the time you figure in all of the taxes, private land improvements, volunteer hours etc. provided by residents, in-state hunters pay plenty more than the tag price for the hunting in their own state. I think it is fair (obviously, to a point) for out of state fees to be pretty steep. It does suck to be blue collar, but those of us who really want to go hunt another state will just have to plan better and save longer.

$544 is pricing Iowa out of the market. I agree with the other post above. Heck, go out West and elk hunt for that price. You'll also have much, much more public land to hunt than Iowa.

It'll also make it tough for the Iowa outfitters to compete with the surrounding states.

Hell no wonder people are taking up poaching!

I'll admit that as much as dream hunts all over the country appeal to me they're not likely to happen for a good long time. It seems justifiable to me though to raise the out of state licenses. In some respects it seems logical that raising the burden slightly for the many (residents) in order to ease it on the few is a better solution. On the other hand let's face it, out of state hunting is a bit of a luxury. When you're hunting for the freezer spending hundreds of dollars on your license plus travel doesn't make as much sense as staying within your state boundaries and hunting where you can. Luckily I can't claim to be a subsistence hunter. People who are hunting to stretch their meager budgets are out there. I don't see why they should see a higher license cost so that others can come hunt game in thier area at a more convenient rate. Hunting near home is more convenient and cost effective. I know that is seen to impact guides and shops, but I don't think the high prices have discouraged people much or the states wouldn't do it. They want to make money and they'll drive the price to meet demand. If a high cost of a license was going to discourage hunting, certainly the cost of a guided hunt would be a deterrant. Would it not? As a pretty regular Joe, I don't think I'm just entitled to be able to run around the country enjoying myself. Some things I just can't afford and that's the way it is. It sure would be nice though. Luckily hunting in the home state remains well within my means.

Exorbitant non-resident tag/license fees are not new nor confined to Iowa. They are just following the lead of many othere states. WA, ID, MT, CO, OR, WY, UT, and so on, have expensive deer and elk tags. CO is about $546 for elk and $326 for deer. Montana is about $650 last time I applied AND limits the NR license to 10% of licences sold and they still sellout! Washington is exactly 10 times the resident fee. Idaho is about the same.

So why are we willing to pay those fees? In my case, I like to hunt CO and MT, but can't leave job and family to move there. Hunting big game in Washington is nothing to write home about, but waterfowling is good. The Washington 9 day elk season and 9 day mule deer season sucks. Weather can greatly influence your chances when the season is too short.

As long as I am working, I'l be forced to pay the big bucks for the big bucks! When I retire, I'll move somewhere the hunting is better with longer seasons or spend more time scouting and hunting -- or both!

I don't have a huge problem with the cost, although it's getting to the point where it's too high. $400-450 is plenty, $560 or whatever it is, that's getting out of control.

But, you pay that kind of money out west these days. A couple years ago I went on an antelope hunt in MT and that cost me $350 to shoot a little antelope. To shoot a whitetail out there is around 350 and then to shoot an elk it's like $600. As time goes by it's getting to be more and more a rich man's sport.

What I have a HUGE problem with though is the cost of a preference point this year. FIFTY BUCKS! What a joke! I remember when I first started applying it was $15 or $20.

I just found this posting and I am glad I am not alone in my outrage over Iowa's pricing. I lived in Iowa for 25 years and grew up hunting a family farm that was passed down from my Greatgrandfather to my grandfather and now my father. Because of college, duty in the military and now my job, I can no longer live in Iowa but instead live 10 miles off the Mississippi river in Illinois(50 minutes from my fathers property) My wife and I have paid the ever increasing fees(when lucky enough to draw a tag) in order to hunt with my father on my fathers' property. I will someday own the land myself but still must draw a nonresident tag in order to get an anysex license. What upsets me the most however is that I have 3 boys who love the outdoors and would love to hunt deer with their grandpa someday. They may never get the chance due to cost. The cost for my whole family to hunt with my father on land that has been in our family for 50 years would run me over 2500$ This is at a time when hunting organizations are trying to encourage more youth to take up the sport. Iowa is selling out just like nearly every other state and turning hunting into a sport for the wealthy. In some ways they are descriminating against their own citizens (my father) by not providing an avenue whereby nonresidents with Iowa ties can affordably hunt in the state. By the way my wife and I will be saving our 1088$ this year as well as the 100$ worth of preference points that we would have to pay if we didn't draw a tag.

Thats alot of money to hunt a deer. If you want to see some outrageous non-resident prices, look at Montana's prices...

There needs to be a balance on the pricing. If you make an out of state tag to cheap in a state known for big bucks you risk having problems like we do here in Illinois. We have so many out of state hunters willing to paying outrageous fees to hunt land that it's become nearly impossible to hunt private land and public land has become so crowded that many are not seeing deer anymore. I think there is a balance between charging to much and to little, it just might take the states a few years to find it, if they are willing to try and find it.

been hunting Iowa as nonres for 20+ years-$567.34 for a tag-being, forced to buy antlerless tag. $50.00 for preference point 3 year maybe 4 wait for tag= total cost $675-725 not worth to me.