Forums.NitroExpress.com

Over the counter is simply you go to the parks and wild life office, or license vender an buy the lecense, and tag. Drawing is self explanitory, in that you put in to be draw for the tags, and HOPE!

Arizona is a unique place, in that it is one of the few Western states that almost everything walking, flying, or crawling is by drawing only! As stated there are some exceptions to that, but not many!

No state works like Africa, where the quotas are sold to outfitters, for everything. One exception is The American Alligator, which is sold to the land owner, and he may sell them for what ever the market will bear. In Texas, and New Mexico, most of the Prong horn tags are sold to the land owner, to sell to his clients, or guides who buy them to guide hunters on the private land.

The reason a lot of areas are going to draw is because the western states are being flooded by people moveing from the big cities of the East, and California, creating too much resident demand.

As a rule an outfitter here in North America, is just that, an outfitter, and guide, and the client is responsible for his license, and tags for the animals he wants to hunt. Additionally, hunts in North America, are, most times, for one animal, and are very costly, on a per animal basis! The average Elk hunt, in a good area, where you stand a chance of collecting a real trophy, will set you back $8K to $12K for a 10 day hunt,plus license, tag, and airfare, which will set you back another $1000, or more! Top this off with the fact that the success rate on Elk is something like 20% if outfitted, and guided, and about 10% if self guided.

I like most of Africa better, where the quota is sold to the outfitter, in a concession, and he includes much of these cost into the cost of his hunts. It is rare for a hunt in Africa to be for a single animal, as almost any hunt will have a package of animals, for the price, and you only pay a daily fee,and a trophy fee when you kill, or wound and loose an animal. If one books a specialized hunt, like for Leopard, other animals are also available, and necessary if you are hunting over bait. A much better system, IMO!

The fact that these African outfitters go to gov game auctions to buy their quotas for the next season, is one of the reasons antihunters get the idea the animals are tied to trees waiting for a rich hunter to shoot them. The phrase " I can sell you a leopard for $500 per day, for 10 days, and I'll let you have the leopard for $2000!" The anti, takes this to mean, the outfitter already has the leopard, when it really means he has a license for a Leopard in his concession! These kinds of phrases in public, heard by ignorant people who misunderstand, are not a real good idea.

The exception, in NA is game ranches! These ranches OWN the animals on their property, and really do sell the animal, but you still have to find him on the property. this isn't hard to do, in some cases, but most are hunting just like anyplace else. The phrase that is often misunderstood in regard to these ranches, "NO KILL,NO PAY" This is not a guarintee of success, but a statement that there is so much game on the property that you will have shots, and if you can shoot you will collect. There is usually a guide fee, of $150-$200 per day, and that is paid whether you shoot or not! What is forgiven, is the trophy fee, if you do not connect! On these rances, in Texas, at least, an out of stater, must have an Exotic license, at about $50, only!

Now that I have you sufeciently confused................,

--------------------
..........Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY1, and MacD37 founding member of DRSS www.doublerifleshooterssociety.com
"If I die today, I have had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"