Anybody else feel this way?

[Thunderhead]

Why is it that a turkey licence costs more than a deer licence once the application fee is coupled with the actual cost of the licence ?

Also, why the application fee if all licences are guarenteed in unit ZZ ? This doesn't make sense to me. I love to hunt turkeys, but I'm not prepared to fork over another 18 bucks to do so.

Anybody else have any input on this??????????

[Thunderhead]

I see your point Trout, it just seems kinda expensive to me.

[Thunderhead]

"If we were all "bean counters" and smarter we'd save a buck a day and have the money to spend each Fall."

Hey now, that's a good idea Trout :) , especially since there are now 3 of us that enjoy fishing and hunting. Boy I gotta tell ya tho, buying all those licences for a year is prettty expensive.

I thought about grabbin the calculator and adding up what it costs for all of us for licence fees every year.........nah, I think I'm better off not knowing. :D

[Liver and Onions]

With everyone getting a permit in unit ZZ it was pointless in having a lottery. From what a number of members have said, a lottery in the northern units did make sense. I believe that there were a number of left over permits in Unit ZZ. I would like to be a able to buy another license next spring if there are again left over licenses. It would make more sense in my hunting area if the limit was 8 toms and 1 roosters instead of the other way around. We seldom see or hear a rooster, but turkeys are common to see. I don't actually believe that the limit should be 8..I'm just saying that there are a lot more turkeys in my hunting area than there are pheasants.
L & O

[BOSSTOM]

I know we've gone down this road before L&O, but why do you feel so strongly about the need to shoot more than one? There's no need to tell me about populations in this area or that because I know the state of our turkey population here in MI, not only the DNR reported population/take numbers, but actual field reports. Also, don't mention crop damage. Come on a 20# bird damaging crops. Sure it happens, but pales in comparison to the effect of groudhogs/coons/deer. If you're so hell bent on shooting another one, why not take a youngster or a new hunter out to show them what kind of opportunities we have here in MI. Just think of the old timer out there who has been trying for several years and hasn't been successful. This isn't deer hunting. You should feel grateful for even being able to get out of bed and have a chance to shoot one. Turkey hunting pressure is on the rise, and I don't see it leveling out for yet another few years until this whole permit thing shakes itself out. The last thing we need is a second bird thrown into the mix.

The current fee is very cheap and will go down for some folks probably in 2003. Here's the skinny. Right now the thought is to go to over the counter sales for hunt ZZ. You are right that is was under subscribed last year (37,000 out of the 55,000 permits). To this end, there is an effort to make it easier to get a permit for this hunt by allowing turkey hunters to buy a permit OTC by a certain date (probably Feb 1) if they want ZZ. There, you just saved $4. I can't believe some folks think that $18 is too much. That amounts to 5 cents per day or about one pizza a year. I would gladly eat a can of sardines with some crackers/water instead of that pizza to come up with the cash if I needed to.

[Liver and Onions]

BOSSTOM,
I don't consider myself greedy. Myself and my family have a large investment in land in comparsion to our incomes. We gladly make this sacrific because we want to keep the land available to the wildlife and to our (families and friends) hunting and scenic pleasures. None of us own second homes, cottages, boats, Sea Doos, snowmobiles, or other such toys. We put a lot of effort and money into our land management, taxes, and food plots. We currently have lots of turkeys in our area and not all that many hunters. With thousands of left over tags in Unit ZZ I don't see the harm in selling another license which would allow the hunter to take a second tom on private land. If that makes me greedy in your eyes, so be it.
L & O

[Thunderhead]

I don't think L&O was being greedy at all. He was simply stating that there are many more Turkeys than pheasants. To this end, I have to agree.

As for the extra 4 dollars......I don't care what anyone says, 18 dollars is too much to pay for a licence, especially when your buying three of everything. It adds up.

To also touch on the turkeys doing crop damage. I've personally seen what kind of damage they can do to a corn field, especially in large flocks.

[thenuge15]

Thats ridiculus (sp) Hunting licenses are cheap. You cant even play a round of golf for 18 bucks and that last a couple of hours. In the Unit ZZ you can hunt like three weeks on that 18 dollars. Save if you have to but you only have to fork it over once a year and it is well worth it. How much does a turkey cost at the store. Im not sure but if its less than 18 than take the difference and thats what your paying for all of those great hours spent in the woods.

[H2OFowl'er]

Cheap vs expensive. It is all in the eyes of who is spending the money. I know personally Michigan is very inexpensive compared to other states that I have hunted in. In Ohio, 11 bucks for a hunting license, then add 20 bucks on top of that for a turkey tag, 20 bucks on top of that for a deer tag, so on and so on.....The thing I don’t understand though is the 4 dollar fee to apply, when you are guaranteed a tag? Or last year, in order to by left over tags you had to apply and be unsuccessful. Don’t get me wrong I don’t have any problem forking over cash if the money is being well spent by the government....but if the money is not being used to pay CO's salary etc, then that would make me upset.

Just my 2 pennies

[WALLDADY]

Its $125.00 to rifle hunt deer , $35.00 to fish , $ 100.00 to Bow hunt , and Id love to try Turkeys , and I dont know what that would cost . All Non-Resident licenses . Personnally I think thats GOUGING .


Good Luck and Safe Trips ........ Walldady

[Liver and Onions]

Thanks for helping out the Michigan economy. We hope that some of your family and friends hunt and fish with you too.:)
L & O

[WALLDADY]

L&O . I do hunt with family and friends . The price has consistantly been goin up , but how do you put a price on
Fun , peace of mind , and Serenity

I play hard when Im up there , but somehow I always come home ( reluctantly ) refreshed , and calmed down . I think thats a good thing .

Good luck and Safe Trips ....... Walldady

[BOSSTOM]

The out of state fees to hunt turkey are $4 App Fee with a $65 License Fee.

I also agree that a $4 app fee isn't needed (even ridiculous) if you are guaranteed a license. By the way, it costs me $100 to chase Tom Turkey in PA each year that I gladly spend for 5-6 days of hunting. However, I'm not telling the whole story. For that $100, I'm guaranteed to get a sping gobbler turkey tag, a fall either sex turkey tag, a buck tag for deer (gun or archery) and a small game license. In all I get about 10-12 days of hunting for $100. I'll spend that every year I'm able to.