CLAS and Paid Access

[MooseRiverTrapper]

I want to pay for access. Please provide good access and address to mail cheque.

[300magman]

Originally Posted by MooseRiverTrapper

I want to pay for access. Please provide good access and address to mail cheque.

Nah, ill just send you the gate combos but you gotta show me where the big LLB ones hang out lol.

[catnthehat]

300magman, tge issue looks very simple when only the money is concerned. The big issue however is how many hunters are trying to get on those leases at the same time?
Much like a time share. One cannot simply decide to go hunting when the time suits them .
I was told flat out by that crew it is cheaper for them to come up here and I had no reason to doubt them as they have been coming up for many years.
Cat

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by 300magman

Ultimately, the landowner purchased the property……if they are able to profit by granting access for essentially any other activity (heck, I know guys who have a nice hill with excellent mountain views who have been offered and accepted payment to hold weddings on that hill……no facilities built, just simply the view from the crest of the hill which again they don’t own the mountains in the background anymore than they own the elk on the land) then there is no valid reason that access for the purposes of hunting shouldn’t also be eligible for compensation.

I am assuming that if there was someone who wanted to take a photo with the wildlife on his land or get married in front a heard of elk or deer, no one would have issues with the landowner collecting payment. No?

[300magman]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

I am assuming that if there was someone who wanted to take a photo with the wildlife on his land or get married in front a heard of elk or deer, no one would have issues with the landowner collecting payment. No?

Perfectly legal......unless it is hunting then I am unaware of any other activity that a landowner cannot charge for access for. Its all a choice, except for hunting.

And I want to be clear, I am not necessarily advocating that every landowner should charge for access. Its a decision that landowners should be allowed to make for themselves as they are ones paying the bills of ownership and management of that land, and in turn depending on your viewpoint, open doors that may otherwise be closed for hunters. Go onto Wyoming Game and Fish, there is a section that connects landowners and hunters and most of those landowners dont charge trespass fees as they are having problems with wildlife (several years ago i had 3 of those landowners lined up when we went down for an antelope hunt....ultimately ended up not exploring it as the 4400 acres we hunted exclusively for a week for $250/guy produced what we were looking for). Its not an all or nothing thing, and if a landowner wants to grant access without charging fees, good on him. Im sure that if a guy had a herd of elk getting into his bail stack, he wouldnt be charging for access for guys to come pop a couple of them......and if he did then it would almost certainly be less than the fuel you'd spend trying to find another herd thats huntable if in our current system he didnt grant permission.

Just advocating for the choice to charge for access, and we have the ability to do for all other activities.

[300magman]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

300magman, tge issue looks very simple when only the money is concerned. The big issue however is how many hunters are trying to get on those leases at the same time?
Much like a time share. One cannot simply decide to go hunting when the time suits them .
I was told flat out by that crew it is cheaper for them to come up here and I had no reason to doubt them as they have been coming up for many years.
Cat

Were going to go around in circles.....I respect that they have said that, and wont debate that any longer. I will just say that many of those leases are annual (on HLRBO and other sites), or weekly, daily, etc. I have booked many for a period of days or weeks in numerous states in the North, South, East, West and in-between, and with a bit of planning ahead have never ran into issues where I couldnt find multiple suitable leases for a week or few days wherever I was planning to go. Similarly, friends and colleagues I know also may not get their number one choice property for the week they want, if not leasing annual properties, but they certainly will find suitable leases for their hunts. I look at that just like getting told "no" here....how many amazing properties west of hwy 22 does a guy get told no when you knock on the door? Most if your not a local or have a connection. But everyone finds somewhere to hunt, whether thats another property or crown. Same as you may not get the lease you want when you want, there is going to be other options.

Anyway, Im bowing out of this one.....many here will never agree with my stance, and I respect that, and ultimately nothing is even being discussed to change here in AB, so its nothing more than an entertaining discussion. Cheers all.

[gman1978]

There are so many loop holes already. The famous old “ pay to park the truck” or fuel gift cards, buying the kids steer at the auction and on and on. But paid access will take many out of hunting or cram up land that isn’t. Rich man’s game at that point.

[igorot]

This is not realy about farmers, ranchers, or homesteaders.

Deep pocket guys bought land just for the purpose of hunting. They now realize that it is a non profit investment. They have to satisfy their ROI period and does not care who will be left behind. Greed