MDC income

[Danoinark]

No,no,no, JC. I sure don't want to price fishing like golf. I am just saying one can buy a license for less than a round of golf. Its still a value in that one can enjoy the sport for a smaller investment than most hobbies. As to what the MDC, Arkansas G and F or any other agency does with the money is certainly under scrutiny. Its up to the populus to be the watchdog.

Dano

[creek wader]

I'm one that can attest to the fact that other state's wildlife depts. are poor in comparison to the MDC. I'm originally from Neb. and lived in Kan. If you drove through either state, you wouldn't even know they had a wildlife dept. You can't swing a dead cat in Mo. without hitting a CA sign. The MDC, puts out more info on all outdoor activities and animals, plants, caves, etc., than any other state that I've found. The Cons. mag. is light years ahead of others. The web site/ online atlas is great. The smallmouth map and CA map is very handy. They do far more studies on all aspects of the outdoors than any other state, that I've visited. I guess you never appreciate what you have, until you live somewhere else. As far as taxes, license, and usuage fees, they are relatively cheeper than other states. I'm more than happy to pay them. That's just my two cents. ... Wader

[jcoberley]

Having lived in MO, Ks, Il, Ky I can say kansas is the worst however I dont think there is and diffrence between the others except the cost. I know Mo has a nice web site but hey the kids and I get tired looking at the same web site day in and out. Web sites are cheep compaired to 4 trout for 3 dollors. I am afriad you are wrong about all other states maybe a road trip is in order. but thats just my thoughts.

[brownieman]

Bud, Danoinark, jcoberly,

Well put gentlmen. The 1/8 cent tax is what enables the MDC to purchase land and give us the opportunities we have in this state. They are well respected nationwide and I assure you that other states agencies are envious of the wealth the MDC has. If other states had the funding that the MDC has it would enable them to offer more opportunities concerning outdoor activities...I would hope it would not create the same "money pits" for them as it has our dept. To me it is all in "no accountability"...pretty much self regulated, we as the tax payer have little if any say in how are tax dollars are used...makes little sense to me.

IMO it's obvious that Al has close ties to the MDC...probably has been in a shocking boat or something of this nature over the years...Al, please correct me if I am wrong...have I not seen your name on artwork for the MDC? Please correct me again if I am wrong...were you (stricktly speculation) friends with Charles Schwartz? You appear to defend their actions...just curious... why?

One thing I do not understand...at numerous nature centers, visitors centers, etc. they do provide lots of free pamplets and give Mo. residents a free magazine and I think that is great, but, at the same time Mo. residents have to purchase books, nic nacs, various items too numerous to mention. Our tax dollars have already paid for such items...why do we have to buy them again? If anyone can explain this to me I sure would be happy to listen

[jcoberley]

Has MDC purchased land for us to use? Made inprovments? All I have seen was a decress from 5 trout to 4 plus a raise in the daliy price for a days fishing. And if one gets away from the trout parks the maintence is *poof* gone. Lots and Lots of money wasted ot at least sucked in to a very large blackhole.... JMO

[jdmidwest]

A few years back, MDC spent a summer in the trout parks running surveys for the trout management. The problem is, X amount of Hatchery space can produce X amount of trout, no more, no less. The X amount had been maxed out. The options for more hatcheries are not possible to very slim. The Y factor in the equation was You, there are more of You fishing for trout than the hatcheries produce. They had a problem, and they spoke with trout fishers to find the answers. Close parks one day a week, Catch and Release one or two days, lower the amount of trout kept, size limits were all some of the options. Catch and release looked to be a favorable option till I asked, "Will you stock the park on the C&R days?". Who would fish a fished out trout park on an OFF day? DNR would lose revenue on the campers and MDC would lose tag revenue.

So they made the colored management areas, Red, Blue, and White and cut the possession to 4.

Shortly thereafter Ark dropped from 6 to 5. Those of you that complain must not remember the days at Meramec where possession was only 2 fish.

They have purchased alot of land, only when someone offers to sell it to them. Their management for the most part is excellent. Some of their actions are a little hard to understand but the end product is usually good. I would like them to double the enforcement part of the system, protect what we have instead of making more critters for the poachers.

[jcoberley]

Opps I am glad you brought this up. Ok lets say your right, why do we have a DNR sucking up money. Do we need BOTH?

"They have purchased alot of land" Well where is it and what are they doing with it? And did they way over pay for it? I don't think any of the public knows or ever will.

As for more enforcement part I think to double it is a bit much! I dont worry about being checked however I am not sure I want to be checked several times a day. Just as I wouldnt want to be checked by the hyway patrol a few times a day. Nothing to hide I just don't want to spend a few hours a day under the spot light....

[gonefishin]

I think with the 1/8 sales tax (I thought it was a good idea at the time) we have made a monster out of MDC. I think the politicians see MDC as a cash cow and they are using it to milk the public HARD.

They cant and never will sell me on the reduction in trout limit. The cant and never will because hatchery upgrades were already planned so "X" was not going to keep the pressure on it forever. Plain and simple truth is they seen a chance to increase profits on trout by another 20% and they did it. They just don't like it when someone calls it like it is.

[jdmidwest]

Apparently the only MDC lands you use are the trout parks. I assume you do not hunt or hike or access a river with a boat or fish any of the public lakes. I assume you do not participate in the any of the winter trout fisheries. I know you are not a farmer or a landowner with stream access that requires assistance from the MDC to manage your own land. I know you are not a duck hunter and you do not use those areas to hunt waterfowl. I know you have not taken a lunch hour to hike thru an MDC natural area for a little healthy exercise instead of a greasy big mac. I assume you do not access a stream that was previously blocked off to you because a new city guy bought the land and by god its his and no one else's. Thank god MDC has the opportunity to solve this problem and I can attest to several locations I use.

Whats the big deal with the trout limit any way, how many go to waste in the freezer? They taste like crap anyway compared to all of the other fish in MO they rank right up there with carp.

If you are worried about the measly 1/8 percent sales tax, wake up and think about where the other 6 2/8 th's go to. Wizzed away on alot of worthless stuff like deadbeats that suck money away while the rest of us work to make them a living. I have long awaited a line on my tax form that states "Where would you like us to spend your money?" Outdoors and conservation would be my box.

[gonefishin]

Like I said I don't really care about the trout limit other than the fact it was used to dupe the public.

As to other states, I lived in KY. They have good trout fishing areas, limit is 5, they don't have near the facilities MO does and license fees aren't as high and they don't have a special sales tax. Did I mention they have Elk. Ohhh, yea and so does Arkansas. I don't see any of those in MO. Arkansas has a limit of 5 trout and have 4 species. Looks to me like other states do OK.

As far as conservation areas go I don't know of any more than there were say 10 years ago. You are right I don't duck hunt at least not in the last few years. I never cared for Big Mac's so I don't eat them either. I don't begrudge the MDC the 1/8th cent sales tax. They are really well funded by the public so they don't have to act like they are broke. The upgrades they are doing at Shepard of the hills doesn't amount to more than a very small percentage of one years income from the 1/8th sales tax alone not to mention other income they have.

I don't farm anymore but I did for most of my life. I never needed MDC to come in and help me manage my land. I realized 30 years ago that when people started shoving out hedge rows and overgrown fence lines that they were destroying wildlife habitat. Took MDC 30 years to figure it out. Why would I want them to manage my land?

You say I have never walked through a MDC natural area, well you would be wrong. I have done that several times. I was walking through natural areas before MDC put in those fancy all natural asphalt trails.

I don't think you know me as well as you thought you did.

Again, I don't begrudge MDC the sales tax but it is like cocaine to them. They have had a taste and now they cant get by without the fix. Eventually they will over manage everything trying to keep getting more and more drugs (money).