Never hear much about this tag. When and where is it auctioned off?
Pa Governor’s elk tag auction?
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Bigbrownie
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Whiny comments resulted in the two special tags............ Just saying.
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More money than I can Afford.
elkcountyoutfitters.com
ELK COUNTY OUTFITTERS
turning the tag of a lifetime into the hunt of a lifetime
elkcountyoutfitters.com
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That tag isnt for the peasants.
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There is no cover-up or conspiracy. They do a good job pf transparency with the tags, better than most states that have "governors" tags. Regardless of the good that they supposedly through revenue generation, I still oppose their use. It's a slippery slope, we do not have a pay to to play system of conservation, our hubting heritage is not one of the rich only, neither should our present or future.
That's said I put in for the reg elk draw every year. I'm also not going to my legislator to get the special tags banned. We don't have to agree with every thing the pgc does they do alot to give the most opportunity to as many as possible!
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Who ever said there was? I reread all 24 posts. Not one alluded to a cover up or conspiracy. I brought up the topic only because it’s a tag for a Pa resource, but I can’t locate any info out there about where, when and how the tag is awarded.
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I was responding to 6dasher but failed to quote him sorry man. This is a good topic. My fault.
Brownie the one right after your first post alludes to it AND it has definitely been alluded to before in other threads when the special elk tags were mentioned. Heck even with the regular elk tags, conspiracies insider impropriety has been mentioned. I think we just tend to dismiss that nonsense from our brains more easily.
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Let me fix this accurately for you....
With our tiny allocation of bull tags, it is a shame that two of them were taken out of the pool for special friends.
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A PA elk tag is given to the RMEF by the PGC each year for them to raise funds. The RMEF chooses to raise the funds via an auction as opposed to a raffle (buy individual chances for in a drawing) like how KECA uses their tag…they are awarded one as well by the PGC and they choose to run theirs as a raffle. By law 80% of the proceeds are required to be returned to the PGC for use in the elk program. RMEF is allowed to keep the remaining 20% for themselves. KECA keeps 100% of their funds for use at their facility and use in the elk range.
There is no disabled veteran/wounded warrior type tag, make-a-wish/hunt of a lifetime type tag, handicapped type tag or even a landowner type tag. There was a fella…a past elk hunter himself…that was trying to get a tag like that created but I haven’t heard any update on that progress lately.
This years auction tag was offered via an online RMEF auction along with multiple other similar type tags across the country and world all at the same time. This years window to bid was April 4th to the 7th. In the past the tag had been offered through a live auction held at a local state chapter RMEF banquet. It went off twice at the St Marys banquet and once at the Greensburg banquet. Before those three times RMEF had the tag for live auction bid at several different RMEF events out west.
Last years tag sold for $275k and this year it went for $327k on that 4/7 date. The allure of our GIANT bulls here has gotten the attention of many of the folks that typically chase these kind of tags. I fully expect the auction tag price to continue to rise for the foreseeable future.
RMEF sent multiple email blasts out to its members (I know I got several) about the PA tag auction as well as the other tags that were up for grabs at the same time. I think I may have even saw it also mentioned in an RMEF social media post once as well. Advertising for this tag is minimal but that’s because they don’t really ‘need’ to…those seriously interested do their homework ahead of time and have made the contacts to be in the loop so to speak.
Im sure the question comes up though as to why the PGC advertises for the KECA tag (theres been a recent PGC social media blast) and not the RMEF tag…I dunno the answer to that…you’d have to ask them.
The funding that comes from the proceeds of the auction tag does GREAT work on the ground for PA elk and sooo many other species. Before I was fortunate to know the particulars of this tag I was admittedly not a fan. I had bought into the stereotypes and negativity that sometimes comes with the these types of tags but I can honestly say I’ve never experienced anything negative. Ive been fortunate to share camps with the winner of the auction tag since 2011 and everyone of the hunts has been nothing but an awesome experience.
Most of the hunters are just like you and me…except they’ve made some very good business decisions over their time that have lead to a bottomless bank account. Good for them and I’m personally thankful they choose to share some of their good fortune with the sportsman of PA and our wildlife.
If anyone can figure out a way to raise 3/4 of million dollars each year for (2) tags I’m sure the PGC would love to hear your ideas…
There is no disabled veteran/wounded warrior type tag, make-a-wish/hunt of a lifetime type tag, handicapped type tag or even a landowner type tag. There was a fella…a past elk hunter himself…that was trying to get a tag like that created but I haven’t heard any update on that progress lately.
This years auction tag was offered via an online RMEF auction along with multiple other similar type tags across the country and world all at the same time. This years window to bid was April 4th to the 7th. In the past the tag had been offered through a live auction held at a local state chapter RMEF banquet. It went off twice at the St Marys banquet and once at the Greensburg banquet. Before those three times RMEF had the tag for live auction bid at several different RMEF events out west.
Last years tag sold for $275k and this year it went for $327k on that 4/7 date. The allure of our GIANT bulls here has gotten the attention of many of the folks that typically chase these kind of tags. I fully expect the auction tag price to continue to rise for the foreseeable future.
RMEF sent multiple email blasts out to its members (I know I got several) about the PA tag auction as well as the other tags that were up for grabs at the same time. I think I may have even saw it also mentioned in an RMEF social media post once as well. Advertising for this tag is minimal but that’s because they don’t really ‘need’ to…those seriously interested do their homework ahead of time and have made the contacts to be in the loop so to speak.
Im sure the question comes up though as to why the PGC advertises for the KECA tag (theres been a recent PGC social media blast) and not the RMEF tag…I dunno the answer to that…you’d have to ask them.
The funding that comes from the proceeds of the auction tag does GREAT work on the ground for PA elk and sooo many other species. Before I was fortunate to know the particulars of this tag I was admittedly not a fan. I had bought into the stereotypes and negativity that sometimes comes with the these types of tags but I can honestly say I’ve never experienced anything negative. Ive been fortunate to share camps with the winner of the auction tag since 2011 and everyone of the hunts has been nothing but an awesome experience.
Most of the hunters are just like you and me…except they’ve made some very good business decisions over their time that have lead to a bottomless bank account. Good for them and I’m personally thankful they choose to share some of their good fortune with the sportsman of PA and our wildlife.
If anyone can figure out a way to raise 3/4 of million dollars each year for (2) tags I’m sure the PGC would love to hear your ideas…
These high end tags get auctioned off by many states Sheep tags esp some go for 500k
And if REF can make a few $ im good with that they have helped with many $ to get our elk heard to the place it is now, and the money raised does help Pa
I do understand folks feeling left out due to the dollar amount of these tags but If I could get in the game I would due to applying for some of these tags for 25 yrs and at 60 the window closes a bit more every yr for my chance
And if REF can make a few $ im good with that they have helped with many $ to get our elk heard to the place it is now, and the money raised does help Pa
I do understand folks feeling left out due to the dollar amount of these tags but If I could get in the game I would due to applying for some of these tags for 25 yrs and at 60 the window closes a bit more every yr for my chance
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Again, I'm not of the mindset that anything needs to be changed, I certainly realize the revenue they bring in. However, these are not native elk, nor even a native elk species. They are no different then rainbow trout or pheasant. I put in to hunt elk, because I'm not trying to be altruistic, but it still bothers me that this kind of thing happens. I'm supposed to believe that the money generation goes to a resource that I'll likely never get to utilize is such a great thing, why? I don't know about that. I think that if all those dollars went to herd expansion for greater hunter opportunities I could understand, even if it meant I still never drew a tag.
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How do you propose to expand the pa elk herd without farming and highway conflicts?
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I can understand and appreciate how you got to the comparison to pheasants and rainbow trout…although I don’t necessarily agree with it and I am admittedly bias. Lol
The dollars generated from these tags benefits any sportsman or women that hunt any game species in the elk range…not just those with elk tags in their pocket. Elk aren’t the only game animal that feeds in the food plots and clear cuttings that are created using funds from these tags or benefits from the permanent land protection that these tags have partially funded in the past. Thats what needs to be realized and understood…its WAY more than just elk that benefit despite them being used as the main focus and name sake.
The habitat work done on the ground is used to try to expand the herd in the preferred direction…north and east as opposed to south and west. I wont name specifics for fear of spot burning but I have personally seen the hundreds of acres of habitat improvement funded solely from the auction tag along with the new and updated equipment that is purchased to create and maintain said areas. Also there is a new HUGE habitat project (hundreds of acres)in the works thats being funded by auction tag dollars.
This is a win win for PA hunters
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I'm not saying that I necessarily want the herd expanded, I was simply saying if thw dollars were turned directly into increased opportunity it would be easier to justify to me, my opinion, my thinking.
If the true end goal is a limited herd like we have, then why pursue this so heavily then. I realize that they'll never be statewide, but ther isn't any reason to thunk we can't compete with a state like Kentucky. I believe they're at around 9-10k elk, with 400-600 tags each year. They heavily control expansion with an otc out of zone tag that can be used why legally hunting any big game or any deer season. I'm just throwing ideas out for argument sake. I personally think it is what it is, but if this is the peak of "our" elk then its kinda disappointing to me.
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Again, I'm not pushing for change. A differential opinion does not mean that I am fighting to end anything. I just believe, that regardless of the benefits, that having that aucfion goes against everything that the north American model of conservation is supposed to be.
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Gas revenue. The PGC is one of the best funded game agencies in the country.
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...thats because they are a separate entity.....and should stay that way.
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