Arguing 'it's not as bad as' is fallacious. The question is whether shooting a deer in AL is worth $173 per se. Considering how common deer are, and that they must be killed in great numbers for the general good, I'm not sure what it's actually worth. Can't be much.

If you tie it to how much it costs to manage, then you're overpaying. Government always wastes. It's built into the budget.