[jr_80]

Originally Posted by grinr

Ummmm...NO,they should not have priority,they don't own the wildlife.
I really don't have any problem with landowner tags,and won't begrudge some guy that wants to put a doe in the freezer,sure why not,have at'er,as long as it's managed in a fair and equitable manner for all of the stakeholders.That however is not what I'm gleaning from this thread??When landowner tags are cutting directly in to the quotas,thus reducing opportunities for everybody else,then something is wrong with that picture.I don't care if you own 20 sections and have 300 deer utilizing that habitat for at least some portion of the year,they're still not YOUR deer,and every landowner tag given out affects the entire WMU quota and reduces opportunity for others to draw a tag.Or in another scenario,maybe you own only one section and I have permission to hunt those same deer on the surrounding 8 sections,but I can't draw a tag because every landowner in the county that owns a 1/4 section believes it's his God given right to shoot a trophy muley buck EVERY YEAR just because they happen to hop over your fence once in awhile....it ain't right.
Again,I'm not gonna begrudge the guy that wants to put some of that free meat that walks across his back forty in the freezer,but it should be antlerless only.They should have to draw for antlered game,just like EVERYBODY else.
I'm not gonna pretend that I know the history of Landowner tags,when they were introduced,or how that PRIVELAGE was lobbied for,but I'm willing to bet my favorite rifle that crop damage and population control was cited as one of the top reasons that landowners should get special consideration,and if that's
the case(likely?),doesn't it make sense that they should be taking out the females?further to that,if the issue is free meat,again,you can't eat antlers,does taste just as good or better than a rutted up old buck,antlers are just a trophy that have nothing to do with food or crop damage,and a trophy that is coveted by most of the hunting community at that.I can't think of a single legit reason why landowners should be able to harvest bucks when everybody else has to draw for them,and at the same time,the very act of them taking bucks reduces the quotaom for everybody else.

Hey Grinr, from Calgary. Do you want to come and hunt mule deer on my 20 quarters of land I own along the red deer river valley from Rumsey to Drumheller? Never seen you here asking for permission. Sorry I don't have 20 sections. Tough to buy that much land at 32 years of age.
As I said before, I do not purchase land owner tags, I apply on the draw as do other hunters in my area.I do not hunt to put something in the freezer, and could not shut down hunting on my privately owned land and hunt on others. I do trophy hunt. My freezer is full of beef as well as an elk that I got 350 km away on private land that I had permission on.

For those that do not accept my stance-come talk to me. Ask permission. I never turned anyone down. And if you we're to conduct yourself the way some on the forum do, I will give you directions to the quickest rout to access public land.