That truth reminds of two things:

1. Ronald Reagan's quotes about government agencies and bureaucracies:

"No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!"

2. Ludwig Von Mises famous book - "Bureaucracy."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureaucracy_(book)

https://mises.org/library/bureaucracy

*****

We need more hunting regulations like we need another hole in the head.

To answer your question honestly, nothing is wrong with the PEOPLE from out of state.

BUT

When someone from out of state comes into the State of Alabama and leases hunting land that's one less piece of land for an Alabama resident. That doesn't mean there wasn't an Alabama resident willing to lease it, it just means that an out of state-r priced the land out of reach of the local. Now that's not illegal but sometimes it's not a fair fight. For instance..... you got a resident of New Orleans.... high cost of living, really high salaries can drive to Alabama in just a few hours and lease property around Selma for $20/acre happily. Well that $20/acre is too high for the folks that live in and around Selma. Even if they all join up and make a club it's extreme. So I hope that clears it up, we don't necessarily have anything against the PEOPLE, just the PROCESS because its taking our land from us. And for further clarification, it is our land, we're the residents, we pay the taxes, we vote for the representatives, we pay for the roads.

. I was commenting on the fact of hunter numbers going down in the state, yet the state is spending wads of cash to advertise and bring in out of state hunters. Why not spend the cash on upping the numbers of in-state hunters by doing something with land we have now. We are paying several people a pretty penny to market the state of Alabama to out-of-staters.

Youre full of crap. I'm sick of hearing this BS all the time. I know plenty of lawyers and doctors in Bham, Mobile, Auburn, Huntsville and Montgomery as well as even more big time financial guys in those same cities that have really jacked up the rates in certain areas of the blackbelt, just as much, if not more than out of staters. Fact is, in most cases, Bama residents are some of the worst offenders. Word gets out about some huge bucks being killed in a certain area (and they hear about it, due to living and knowing people all over the state) and they have their staffs do some quick research and then they go down and offer the landowner a wad of cash (a group B'ham lawyers offered the landowner double what we were paying in Marengo for 4K acres about 15 years ago, local landowner broke our lease and leased it to them. Told us he was sorry but couldnt turn down that kind of money). We couldnt match that kind of $$ and 10 yrs of work, managing and growing those bucks was gone. I know a couple Bama guys that have "feelers" out with multiple taxidermists to be on the lookout for properties that consistently give up great bucks. Worst guy I ever knew about doing it owned his own trucking company. He finds out you killed a couple 150+ on a specific property a couple years in a row and he'll try to get it out from under you and the price doesnt matter. He lives in central Bama and I'm not naming names. It's not out-of-staters, it's anybody with serious money. There are several timber companies based in AL and owned by AL resident families and they've got 3-5% annual escalation clauses built into every single one of their leases and have been doing it since the early 90's. They lease to a lot of Bama residents. In fact, probably 80% Alabama residents for one that I am very familiar with. When the price per acre has increased 3-5% for the past 30 years, land that used to lease for $4-$8/acre is now $20-$30/acre and if a timber company is getting that kind of money, all the local landowners expect to get paid that for theirs too. Nothing is being taken from you. If you're a Selma local, it is your local landowners that are leasing it to these other people at these high rates. Just tell them not to do it and lease it to you instead. LOL It's not "your land"!! If you owned 20,000 acres, you wouldnt be complaining, you'd be hunting what you wanted to hunt and leasing the rest of it for absolutely as much money as you could get for it, state of residence of who you leased it to, be damned. Your tax dollars dont go for jack chit on hunting land. The only taxes related to that land are paid by the local Alabama resident landowner that is leasing it, not you, and he's like everyone else in the world, trying to make as much as he can. Sorry youre getting left out but you've got two options. Convince a local landowner you know to lease you property at 1980 rates or let you hunt for free, or get a better paying job or win the lottery, so you can buy your own property or lease some out from under someone else. Then you'll be the one everyone is complaining about. Dont hate the player, hate the game. Another thing, New Orleans salaries are crap and the cost of living is not remotely high compared to B'ham, Atlanta, Huntsville, or even Mobile. My beef with the LA guys is that I've never met one that has ever seen a single deer he didnt want to kill. I'l also say that I agree that lease prices have gotten ridiculous but so have prices on trucks, houses, furniture, groceries and everything else. It's called inflation, it hits all areas and it spares nobody.

Out of staters also eat out, stay in hotels, etc.

They do provide a lot of tax revenue. And Abolt is spot on above.

I think he is referring to Scotch. They are leasing sub par pine farms for ridiculous amounts. At some point, I will just buy the biggest piece of land I can afford and tell these timber companies to suck on it.

I wouldnt be surprised at anything that the state does to take more money away from people.

Like it or not, GameCheck already is in place and is free. It's the best free method for GWs to check for compliance and the biologists to accumulate data.

Y'all REALLY want to pay more for the government to mandate something else from you? Because if we ever get physical tags that come from the DCNR, they won't be free. There will be a cost or fee associated with them to pay for them, and that fee or cost will come from you.

If you want to "tag" your deer, use GameCheck. It's free and easy.

Wow, touched a nerve did I? Hahahaha. You obviously don’t know me because if you did you’d know I actually work in Huntsville (from home currently) and make a salary that doesn’t rival any doctor or lawyers but they’re the only people I know who make more consistently. Also I have plenty of my own land that I lease at a modest price so being left out is something I’ve luckily avoided. I’m thankful I found a good landowner. I don’t disagree with the point that there’s Alabama residents doing the same thing I mentioned but that doesn’t change the fact that my statement was dead on no matter what you believe, you can kick rocks if you think I’m full of crap. I personally could give a rats butt about what you think but your idea it’s all Alabama residents doing it just doesn’t hold water.

Taking your land from you? Too funny! The land owner can lease to who ever he wants too! It's his land not yours.

Money is money! What difference does it make where it comes from.

Back to the subject of the thread. Has anyone seriously heard that AL is going to tags for the next deer season? From a reliable source, not Fbook

For someone with a great work from home job that pays the big bucks, you must really be a super sharp guy but your reading comprehension is pretty weak and your post now raises several questions. First, I never said it's only AL residents. I specifically said, "it's anybody with serious money" that is causing the problem. Second, if you live and work in Huntsville, why was your post about $20 Selma leases and Selma locals no longer being able to afford it even if they join up and make a club? I own property in Mobile, Washington, and Wilcox counties and lease additional property in Marengo, Clarke and Wilcox. I can assure you that none of that land falls into the category that you referenced in saying "It's taking our land from us....it is our land, we're the residents, we pay the taxes". It's not your land and you dont have a right to anything.

Your statement was not dead on, and displays your ignorance of the route cause of the problem in not acknowledging that Alabama residents (both the AL landowners and the big money AL crew) are just as big a part of the problem as the out of staters. You didnt hit a nerve and it's evident that you're the only one in this conversation that is butt hurt about things. If I can find someone from South Florida, South Dakota, NY, east Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Europe, Russia, or China that is willing to pay me $150/acre to lease hunting rights on the properties I own, I'll dang sure lease it to them for that and you'll just have to be upset about it. It's called free enterprise and capitalism is what the US was built on.

Be a solution to the problem you identified and buy you some land down at Selma or anywhere close in Dallas county and you can lease it to the locals for $1 an acre, and give all those locals you seem to be so worried about, a place to hunt. Better yet, if you live in Huntsville, just buy the land and you wont even have to bother with the leasing aspect since the "true locals" will figure out you're not really "local" and will hunt it for you for "free". Maybe you can even plant them some greenfields and build a camp on it that they can practice breaking into every other month. It'd be a win win.

And Dgambler, I would be shocked if the state went with a tag system next year. If there really was a plan in place, official word would be leaking out by now from trusted sources and not just a little random chatter on FB.

I am an out of stater an hunted in Alabama for 40 years. I have lost leases several times because someone, usually an in stater, offers twice the price. Your argument is flawed. You say in staters own the land. You don't. As a citizen of the state you are an owner of the public access areas. You don't own the private land that gets leased for however much money, tax free. Outdoorsman need to work together and stop bitching. We all want affordable access to decent hunting an fishing. It's just the life we love. Not everyone can afford it. Life is not fair. If you want to take away from those who can and give to those who can't or won't go ask Biden to fix it. It's the same thought process. Done with my rant.

Game Check is not, has not been "FREE". Free for you to use today but we the citizens have paid for its inception...and given all its problems I'll bet the dept has paid out a LOT of money to get it working.

Agreed. Department has raised revenue for (non-compliance) in fines. Citizens have gained not a damn thing. Useless statistics.

True, true. It's just like the "free" HIP migratory permit. We've paid for it over the decades in some form or fashion.

We just don't need another checking deal -- physical tags -- that we have to pay for, on top of all the other. Just use Game Check, if you're so inclined to do so.

See I hate it when yall are right. Not sure if on another thread but HOG HUNTING AND COYOTE HUNTING AT NIGHT passed the HOUSE, 98-0 Vote. It's happening, FOR A SMALL FEE per the gent that sponsored the bill. I miss Mr. Charles Kelly!

hey Allen, never thought I'd hear you and I say we missed Mr Kelly, but it is a fact.