# Why do leftover doe tags still cost $20?



## szm69 (Apr 28, 2006)

We all hear the GNF asking us to harvest some does, why don't they give a discount on the leftovers?

Point is, I probably won't get any extra tags at $20 a piece, so the GNF will be stuck with many many leftover unwanted tags again this year. Or they could be like South Dakota, they just give everybody a doe tag with your buck tag.

If they dropped the price to $5 I would take another unwanted deer and the GNF would still have $5 instead of $0.

It is kind of like almost expired meat in the deli, they heavily discount it because getting some money is better than none.


----------



## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

I bet NR would buy leftovers for $20 but not $50.

Left over tags should definitely cost a resident less than $20, but still a good price.


----------



## drjongy (Oct 13, 2003)

$20 is keeping you from buying a tag? You don't think you get $20 worth of meat? It's a bargin in my opinion. The problem is not with the price of the tag, but finding a place to hunt does in the first place. A lot of people complain about the deer population, but then they post all the land so they can keep the big racks to themselves.


----------



## szm69 (Apr 28, 2006)

No $20 isn't keeping from buying 1 tag. It is keeping me from buy 2 or 3. I would gladly take a few more does for the freezer, but not at $20 per tag.

We all know that there will be leftover tags again this year that nobody is going to buy. Why not let me buy them for $5 a peice (or some lower price).


----------



## Candiru (Aug 18, 2005)

I would keep them at $20 till November 1st. Then drop the price on the leftovers. Make sure that people get them that are serious.


----------



## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

In my opinion the game and fish should lower the cost of a doe tag to $10 and raise the cost of a buck tag to $50, this would encourage more doe tags being bought and would also give more serious horn hunters a better opprotunity at a buck tag. I konw there are alot of "one weekend a year" hunters who get a buck tag only because it costs the same as a doe and usually don't even fill their tag or end up shooting a non mature buck. I'm sure this solution may have a few flaws, but when you think about it the game and fish will make around the same amount of money and doe harvest may intensify, helping curb the population. I know for a fact most of you on this site would pay $50 for a buck tag, and if you're not willing to dish out 30 extra dollars than you are probably only in it for the meat anyways, so why not shoot a doe or two??


----------



## Scott Schuchard (Nov 23, 2002)

We could go buck tags in a lottery and doe tags over the counter with the price of buck tags up and the price of doe tags down


----------



## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

And this very issue has been beaten to death every year. The Leg the last two sessions have rejected this as well overwhelmingly. So until Jan of 09 there is not a single thing you can do to change it. But in the mean time take a look at the financial impact report that was prepared on these past bills. Since the only areas that seem not to sell out are in the DL area where to much land is leased and deer hunters are not getting access it seems that the hunters of ND are saying hey it is worth the extra money!!!!!!!


----------



## H2OfowlND (Feb 10, 2003)

You won't spend $20 apiece for 2-3 tags, but you'll spend just as much as that in gas going to get those tags filled out, if not more. No wonder my hair is thin, I keep scratching my head over this simple stuff too much.

:lol: 
H2OfowlND


----------



## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Copared to what hunters spend, $20 is a mere drop in the ocean!! I cannot belive that someone would complain about a $20 deer tag. I do not want Buck tags increased either, except maybe Mulie bucks!!!


----------



## holmsvc (Nov 26, 2003)

Aren't people sick of complain about how the lottery goes or the cost of tags yet? We go through this every year.

For the most part the cost of the extra tags is not why there are left tags in some units. The issue as mentioned above is land access. Land owners love to complain about deer numbers, but a lot of land owners will not let anyone on until the last weekend or at all because they have a gratis or a buck tag left. They have the right to do this, but I don't want to hear them complain because the deer are eating their crops or pissing on their hay.


----------



## szm69 (Apr 28, 2006)

Actually, I have never complained about it before and have never been in a conversation about it on a forum.

So.........no, I am not sick of complaining about it. I want some intellegent feedback to help understand why the GNF does what the do. This thread has actually had a number of VERY GOOD responses.


----------



## fylling35 (Jun 15, 2007)

I am tired of non-landowners complaining about landowners. Most guys around where I live would gladly give you permission to come out and shoot a doe or 15 off of their property but almost all landowners have had hunters on their land without permission and/or not respect their property. Trust is something that has to be earned and every hunter has to earn that trust from the landowner.

If you came out to my place and asked to hunt does a few years in a row and you prove to me that you are trustworthy, I will probably let you into my deer (BUCK) management program.

Are you ever going to give your car keys to a complete stranger .?.?.?.?
I doubt it.


----------



## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

I drive 5 hours to the unit I hunt 2 weekends a rifle deer season because of family and friends that I hunt with and abundant land access. 20 hours of driving at 15 miles per gallon vs. $20 per doe tag, hhmmm.

The time I spend with family and friends each season are irreplaceable memories, I can not put a price on that and if I did, I do know $20 per tag will not slow me down.


----------



## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

fylling35
The reason I gave was one from the G&F in regards to excess tags left in that unit. This question has been asked of them at numerous meetings and they have responded that access in that area is the reason they do not sell out or sell more than they do.

And as a landowner I am fully aware of what happens when does are not allowed to be harvested. For more on that talk to the landonwers in G about the imbalance of harvest in that unit. East side to west side and the reason for it.

So you may not like to hear it, but the fact remains that for does access is the key and without unit wide access you end up with a imbalance in the unit on population.

szm69
You can do a look back on this topic just from Jan of this year and find out a lot more. Like I said the fiscal note to the G&F was one reason, but the other was about future population levels and since our Leg only meets every other year, it does not allow for a quick fix in the event of a population bust!

Many have never hunted during a time when just getting a license buck or doe was a thrill. Now the focus has been on buck tags because the ample doe tags still available. To understand where we are on this issue, you have to know where we once where and realize we may very well go back to that especially if the CRP program becomes non existent!!


----------



## szm69 (Apr 28, 2006)

Ron,

Thanks for the insite and background!

Like I said earlier this thread has had a number of very insightful responses, I appreciate the knowledge. I wanted to learn and discuss, that is why I started the thread, NOT to complain about the price.


----------



## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

Excellent overall response Ron! The dollars (and I'm sure szm69 would agree) are really the least of the issues. Yes, I am old enough to remember being excited to get a tag, no matter the species or area. Maybe remembering to be grateful for what we have will make the inequeties in the system a little easier to swallow. Good hunting, Burl


----------



## fylling35 (Jun 15, 2007)

Ron
My comments were not aimed at you so much as other people that were involved in this thread and many others that I have seen. 
It is really sucky to hear that there are whole units that shut out hunters.


----------



## bwnelson (Oct 29, 2002)

FWIW, I'll happily continue to pay the 55 apiece for non-res leftover doe tags. At least 1 or 2 for opener plus a leftover for thanksgiving weekend.


----------



## weasle414 (Dec 31, 2006)

MossyMO said:


> The time I spend with family and friends each season are irreplaceable memories, I can not put a price on that and if I did, I do know $20 per tag will not slow me down.


Well said, Mo, well said. Last year I got to spend an old friends last hunt with him and total in tags I spent just under $80, only to fill one of the three tags I got. I'm not mad about the prices of tags. The price of gas I could rant about all [email protected] day, but the price of tags is fine with me.


----------



## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

For many years, I've advocated bumping the resident buck tags up to $50-$75, and dropping the doe tags to $10...

Reward those who only want meat or to shoot just "a deer" by dropping the price, while raising the price of a buck tag to match it's intrinsic value. More does would be taken (as we know, NDGF never sells anywhere near all the doe tags they allot), at the same time more bucks would grow to reach maturity/trophy size.

This would also reward those like my wife & I who, because we pretty much live on venison, buy an extra 6-8 doe tags every year.

I've yet to talk to a trophy hunter like myself, who would not willingly pay more for a buck tag, particularly when it means we will see more mature bucks....


----------



## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Here is the reason why the fee for extra tags remain at $20 I believe:



ND Century Code said:


> 20.1-03-12. Schedule of fees for licenses and permits. The various license and
> permit fees are as follows:
> 1. For a resident, age sixteen and over, small game hunting license, six dollars.
> 2. For a nonresident small game hunting license, eighty-five dollars.
> ...


The $20 fee is mandated by law, I don't believe G&F can adjust the fee without bringing it to the legislature first.

Why would an extra $20 for an additional tag be that big of a deal? If you want the meat $20 is cheap and you get to use the extras during any open season, rifle, bow and muzzleloader. Exceptional deal if you ask me.

huntin1


----------

