Be Heard On Regulation Changes

[Chief Grey Bear]

I got to thinking about it later too. Buy yourself a paint gun.

Yes Missouri has youth hunts. But you can take a young person during any season and let them pull the trigger. You can do the same with rod and reel.

[Jon]

I'm sure this has been mention somewhere in these replys, but also look at fee's your required to pay to local counties to access lakes that the Corp. of Engineers built. To me that is unfair!

It never fails guys, when popularity increases in any sport or hobbie, there is always someone there to try to cash in on it, it just happens to be the MDC this time. I personaly think they do a great job at what they do in most cases. But now is the wrong time to be increasing tag permits. One reason is the economy. Two, is when our tags go up, ajoining states around us notice and raise thier tags also. I am planning on hunting out of state this or next year. So it affects people in other states also.

When you set back and think of all the taxes and fee's you pay, it's mind boggling.

Jon.

[ozark trout fisher]

So given the current deer population explosion and need for additional control, it is ok for creating new fees, reducing harvest numbers for the purpose of buying more land. More land, more regulations, resulting in less enforcement. You guys have helped me see the logic. Now if i can apply this slop to the elections today somehow.

I have to admit that a take offense to what you say bigredbirdfan. I hunt solely on public land, and I really have no other place to hunt, even if I wanted to. And without the MDC's careful management, there would be few deer in Missouri at all. After all, the MDC had to reintroduce them, and now they have to manage them. They are working a complex scientific formula, and I trust they know what is the right direction to go. If it costs me ten more dollars a year, I'll take it.

[bigredbirdfan]

I have to admit that a take offense to what you say bigredbirdfan. I hunt solely on public land, and I really have no other place to hunt, even if I wanted to. And without the MDC's careful management, there would be few deer in Missouri at all. After all, the MDC had to reintroduce them, and now they have to manage them. They are working a complex scientific formula, and I trust they know what is the right direction to go. If it costs me ten more dollars a year, I'll take it.

Sorry to offend you. I also own no hunting land. While you might be willing to pay more for your hunting, I don't feel the private landowner should have to pay anything to hunt the game on his own land. That is one reason he owns the land in the first place. Wouldn't you?? I guess you are either a private property advocate or a public property advocate. Capitalism or Socialism. It is just that simple.

[ozark trout fisher]

Sorry to offend you. I also own no hunting land. While you might be willing to pay more for your hunting, I don't feel the private landowner should have to pay anything to hunt the game on his own land. That is one reason he owns the land in the first place. Wouldn't you?? I guess you are either a private property advocate or a public property advocate. Capitalism or Socialism. It is just that simple.

Sorry, I think I spoke a little too strongly in my last post. It didn't offend me. However, I don't think it is as simple as capitalism of socialism. I think that it partially the duty of outdoorsmen to do our part to help manage the fish and wildlife of our state. I would be willing to concede that I understand where the land owners are coming from, and where you are coming from. Maybe a compromise, like half-priced tags if you have more than 5 acres, and maybe move the cutoff to 40 instead of 80. Just ideas.

[zander]

It looks as if all of this was dropped. I got this today from the News-Leader:

Several proposed changes to Missouri hunting rules that put the Department of Conservation in the cross-hairs of irate hunters have been dropped.

Public comment about proposed rule changes has prompted the Missouri Conservation Commission to drop a proposal that the resident acreage for no-cost deer and turkey hunting permits be increased from five acres to 80 acres has been dropped, the department announced after the commission met today.

The commission also stopped proposed resident permit price increases.

While department director John Hoskins said the department wants to support landowners at a time when acreages are getting smaller, and he said the decision to stop the permit price increase was due to the current economic climate.

The Commission also supported ending the proposal to establish a senior “forever” permit. The commissioners were told public comment indicated the permit rules were confusing.

During their meeting in Jefferson City, commissioners supported the proposed recommendations regarding gathering basic essential landowner information, but delayed implementation until 2010.

Commissioners also supported a minimum legal age of six years of age for deer and turkey permits and simplification of youth permits and cutting the cost of youth deer and turkey permits by half.

[ozark trout fisher]

It looks as if all of this was dropped. I got this today from the News-Leader:

Several proposed changes to Missouri hunting rules that put the Department of Conservation in the cross-hairs of irate hunters have been dropped.

Public comment about proposed rule changes has prompted the Missouri Conservation Commission to drop a proposal that the resident acreage for no-cost deer and turkey hunting permits be increased from five acres to 80 acres has been dropped, the department announced after the commission met today.

The commission also stopped proposed resident permit price increases.

While department director John Hoskins said the department wants to support landowners at a time when acreages are getting smaller, and he said the decision to stop the permit price increase was due to the current economic climate.

The Commission also supported ending the proposal to establish a senior “forever” permit. The commissioners were told public comment indicated the permit rules were confusing.

During their meeting in Jefferson City, commissioners supported the proposed recommendations regarding gathering basic essential landowner information, but delayed implementation until 2010.

Commissioners also supported a minimum legal age of six years of age for deer and turkey permits and simplification of youth permits and cutting the cost of youth deer and turkey permits by half.

Interesting. I guess they do listen to the people.

[SKMO]

Interesting. I guess they do listen to the people.

For all the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth about how the Conservation Department was going to stick it to us low-brow citizens..... there is a remarkable lack of "appreciation" around here for lack of a better word, that they did not do so. And an even lesser understanding about how these pocket "savings" will come back to haunt us.

I for one never felt any of the proposals were too out of line. General increase in permit prices are to be expected, over time, every few years.

The landowner restiction going up to 80 acres was pretty "different", but so was the illusion that a 5 acre landowner should have a free pass. What will hurt us all here is that MDC will lose $17 of Federal Monies per landowner permit, for each permit they would have sold. i.e. MDC could have pocketed $17 of Federal money for every landowner permit they sold, even if it was only a $3 landowner permit. (Joe the Plumber buys a $3 landowner tag, Feds kick in $17 ..... what a deal for Missouri).

As far as I can tell all the squeakey wheels shot us squarely in the foot. We are gpoing to leave a lot of Federal money on the table.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Great perspective SKMO! You couldn't have put it any better!

[bigredbirdfan]

Believers in bigger stronger government agencies shouldn't worry. Sounds like as soon as the economy rebounds (Obama predicts 8 years) this will be back to the forefront. Nonetheless a victory for landowners right now.