Again with the outfitters, the outfitters are a business trying to survive in a hostile environment brought about by the residents. they were happy the way it was but that's not something they can sustain any longer , so don't put this turd in their pocket.
As far as the prices go, I don't like it but if I can take advantage of it I will. I'm not really sure you can say it's unfair if they leave the regular tag price where it is, you don't have to pay the hose job price if you don't want to, and who ever said life was fair in the first place.
That's simply untrue, they were never happy with the way "it was" and they still aren't. If they were able to keep 50% of the tags for the outfitter draw, they'd want 75% the next year...just the way it is with them. If they could pull it off, every single hunter would be required to pay for an outfitted hunt...come on man.
If you're going to try to defend them at least be intellectually honest.
The outfitting industry passed a whole lot of stuff before the information age to benefit themselves over DIY NR's and Resident hunters.
They tried in the 90's to get set asides and were shot down, JM77 can fill you in on the details of that, I wasn't here yet.
They passed the wilderness guide law, no benefit to anyone but themselves.
They passed the NR preference system, no benefit to anyone but themselves.
They passed the tiered license fee structure, no benefit to anyone but themselves.
They lobbied twice to get the percentages changed from 60-40 to both 40-60 and 50-50 (making another run at it now) for the special/regular fees. No benefit to anyone but themselves.
They've pushed for ranching for wildlife programs, no benefit to anyone but themselves.
How you can make a claim that the Residents are hostile toward them is simply not true.
They have pushed multiple times to drop the 7250 NR elk tag cap, increasing general tags, etc.
WOGA sued the Commission and Department.
They pushed to limit the walk in and HMA programs by capping maximum pay-outs.
Residents have not pushed or advocated for any of the crap that WOGA has done.
The only hostility on display is from WOGA and its been that way for as long as I've lived here.
I guess the sympathy letter Sy and WOGA have sent you must be working, they get no quarter from me.
While myself and many other Sportsmen, NGO's, etc are financially supporting the Wildlife, the Department, with our time, talent and treasure, WOGA is working to plunder it all. All the while not financially supporting any of it with even a single thin dime.
They take with both hands and give nothing back...FACT.