CO governers deer tag

Wow, that sure is a lot of $$$$$$$$ Dough!!

My thought is good though, good for whomever had the money to buy the tag, hopefully it's put to good use.

A governor's tag? Not sure what that is, they didn't have that when I lived there. I'm not so sure that type of thing is such a good idea. Here in Oregon there seem's to be a program for land owner's where, for damage control, they're alloted an extra number of elk tag's. Those tag's, so I'm told are for bull's but can be traded in, two cow's for one bull. On top of that, they are allowed to hunt until April 15th. Good for rancher's I guess, but most the rancher's I know don't even grow much in the way of crop's.

I read somewhere that some year's ago a sheep? tag was auctioned off in Utah for $90,000. I'm not sure what this money is spent on, but I'm real sure the un-washed masses don't benefit. Oregon is using fish & game fund's to restore goat's in the columbia gourge. First for what purpose. They tried the same thing with sheep on the Deschutes River and they left. They then spent more money trying to round them back up to put back where they just left! That's money from license and tag fee's. Oregon also spent large sum's on a Redlegg program that was a bust, a phesant program in the Willamette Valley where all the bird's were planted on private property, and another phesant program where they released bird's at double the cost of private game bird breeder's.

The problem is that the state's, some anyway, are not in the business of protecting our wildlife so much as raising it for a profit to insure the job's and future of state wildlife employee's. Make's the unemployment figure's look better!

These outrageious tag price's take far to many people out of it for not having unlimited fund's. Had that Co. governer's tag been sold at raffle, how much would it have brought even at a buck a ticket? And how many of the unwashed masses would have at least had an opertunity for it?

Just my two cents, and I have no idea what the auction was for, but most auctions tend to raise money for one cause or another. Maybe shedhunter can shed some light as to where the money is supposed to go. I learned a long time ago to not make a judgement on a situation until I know the facts. Sounds to me like this was some type of black tie affair that was trying to raise money for some group or activity. Not sure of the legalities of the state trying to raise money for state sponsered programs by auctioning off state tags. Like I said, just my two cents.

Sheephunter was the original post, not me. But heres what I think and my take on things:

In Utah, probabally like in Colorado, statewide auction tags (often referred to as governors tags) allow the purchaser to hunt all open units in the state for the given species and usually have several months to harvest their animal. They use these tags to raise revenue for wildlife in the state. To my understanding, in Utah anyways, the tags are auctioned FIRST to wildlife conservation groups (ie: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, Foundaion for North American Wild Sheep, etc...) THEN after the first auction they are REAUCTIONED to the hunter. The money for the first auction (state wildlife division to the high bidding conservaion group) goes into the states conservation efforts. In Utah hundreds of thousands of dollars are raised in this process to bennifit wildlife in various ways. The conservation group usually bennifits from this process as well, generating thousands of dollars for their fight for wildlife. So in a nutshell that is how it works.

I think that these tags are really good (at least in Utah). Here, the average Joe-resident has a chance at a statewide tag (here it is called the Sportsmen permit) allowing them the same privilege as the buyer of the famed governors tag: to hunt ANY/ALL the open units in the state for the given species from the opening of hunting season till the end of the year(9/1-12/31). Chances of drawing are near impossible, but it gives you hope! I dont like the idea of rich man hunting, but that is only because I am not on of the extremely well off! Hey, in Utah I have a chance at a statewide tag, so why shouldnt they be able to get money for wildlife through the auctions? I like them, but look at how many tags Utah auctions, there are almost 100 tags auctioned by the state! 100!!! That is Ridiculous!!!! Not all the tags are Governors tags, but unit specific. I still think Utah has gotten things blowen WAY out of proportion!!! Most states offer fewer than 10 total auction tags like these! Oh well!!! All in all the Governors tags are a good thing, but the auction unit spacific tags are a bunch of crap, taking tags from the average hunter and given to the big money guys! That is saying Utah has 11 Governors tags and 89 ADDITIONAL auction tags!! I really do think that Governors tags are a good thing (they raise the big money, not the other auction tags) but like I said above, the other auction tags are out of hand!!

Good topic though! Maybe Sheephunter could cue us in on Colorado's Governor tag system! :)

Here is how the CO governors tag works. There are governors tags for deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat. There are 2 tags issued for each species. One is put up for auction, like the deer tag I originally posted about. The other tag is offered for public raffle, so ANYBODY has a chance at that. Raffle tags for the deer tag, as well as the pronghorn tag, are available from the Colorado Wildlife Federation. I'm not sure about the raffle elk tag but I would assume that raffle is handled by RMEF. Sheep and goat tag raffles are handled by the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society. I think Safari Club International does the moose tag raffle. The law says that 80% of the money from the tag auctions goes to the sponsoring organization, the remainder goes to DOW. The money to the sponsoring organization will be used for habitat acquisition/enhancement and education (this is per the CMDA brochure at the banquet). I don't have that kind of cash to buy one of these tags at auction, but I don't hold any animosity towards the guy who does, because I also have a shot at a governors tag by buying a few raffle tickets. I few years back a guy I knew got the governors sheep tag by buying only one raffle ticket. The governors tag (for any species) can be used for any unit with an open season. I think it is a good deal for everybody. Yeah, the auction tags will always go for huge money, but the folks buying them have the money and are just looking for a way to spend it, so it is good for all of us they are willing to spend it in a way that benefits wildlife.

governors tags are all right with me. as long as they use the money right. but its not like they need it considering how high the cost of hunting is becoming.