[nekred]

Wheterher or not you are a recreational hunter, outfitter, game guide, non-resident hunter, outdoor personality we all have more in common.

We all have a vested interest in sustainable wildlife management

We all enjoy hunting

We all enjoy the outdoors.

Some people have the time and opportunity to hunt outside their local area and are willing and able to pay for the priveledge so there is an industry created to provide that priveledge to those willing to pay. It becomes a manner of being able to share the resource so that a few could make a living at it.

Can you imagine if there was not a game guiding/outfitting industry. No non-residents coming up here hunting and everything left for the residents only. Then if every jurisdiction and area did that none of us would have an opportunity whether or not we could afford it to go hunt in areas outside our home jurisdiction.

So while admittedly the APOS system is not perfect it is a management system and is going to always be in a state of improvement. the majority of game guides out there love what they do and there is not a huge amount of money at the end of the day for most guides. The work is seasonal and really not that high of pay when you take into account all the expenses and investment.

Lets look at commonalities instead of differences and learn to share.

Hunting is a very individual activity and we all get annoyed when we run into another person hunting but if we all remember that when we act together it protects our priveledge. I have had run-ins with other hunters and also with outfitters out in the field and some are pleasant and some not so pleasant but the common theme is that if the jealousy or envy gets in the way it usually has an unpleasant end.

Let's keep some envy and jealousy out and look at the situation pragmatically without our own subjective biases.

We are all outdoorsmen.

I see a situation where there are silent partners, backers, and a whole "shadow" group who "own" the public resource because there are inherent loopholes in the system. We never get to see that side until there is a rift that gives us a peek into what is really going on.

As to how this is fixed is a big undertaking, but us picking at each other out of spite and envy is not a solution