How will Covid 19 effect 2020
General Topic
Is there any worries about states canceling there hunting season to non-residents. Especially Alaska?
Already happened for the Spring in KY, KS, NE, AK along with others. Check local state websites for details. Hopefully little, if any, effect for the Fall, but no one really knows at this stage.
All of May, June, and July have to come and go before hunting seasons, so there's a lot of time to change which makes clairvoyance that much more difficult.
That said, AK is in the process of opening things up as it's the state with the fewest cases in the nation.
A much bigger deal than people visiting for hunting, is people visiting for fishing, which begins earlier than hunting (except for spring bear). Many Alaskans are dependent on the income generated by the influx of people who fly to the state to fish, so I think you'll see what's going to happen in AK's hunting season well before it gets here by looking at fishing.
As for the rest of the country? Who knows. Aug/Sept/Oct/Nov are so far away, who knows what will happen between now and then.
Although, I wouldn't doubt that some blue states would use the virus as an excuse to shut down a hunting season. Fortunately, most of the states I hunt are red states.
I spoke to someone at Iowa DNR before I submitted my app. for my NR deer permit. 665 bucks by the way plus my point money. The girl said go ahead and apply but said she felt it was 50/50 they allowed NRs come the fall. She said I would be refunded my money if they did not allow NRs to hunt. Shawn
Watch this be the year I pull a Kentucky elk tag and they cancel fall hunting lol
AK F&G are scheduled to meet the first week of June to discuss the fall's non-resident activities.
I'm not hopeful.
My overseas trip for June was just officially postponed to at least this coming fall and maybe even next year depending on how things shake out.
I’ll start by saying i have no inside info about any state, these are only my own personal gut feelings. I have no data to support any of it. And like Ike said, who know what next week will bring much less 4-5 months!
I’m thinking:
65/35 lower 48 will most all happen
50/50 Alaska
40/60 for Canada
10/90 for all other international
I believe it is going to be a complete new world in the travel aspects especially. I certainly hope I’m wrong on some of those, but we will all see as things progress.
—Jim
Shawn, if they didn't stop NR coming to Iowa for turkey hunting during the height of the hysteria, I doubt they will stop them from coming this fall.
...unless, you're from NY, of course. ;-)
And the countdown to this thread being pulled begins....
Colorado’s still up in the air for residents but will be open for non res by fall without any doubt
I'd be amazed if there aren't significant impacts in many states this year. It seems extremely likely we'll see a good COVID bump this fall, timing obviously unknown. And now we know state governments aren't scared to take full advantage of their "power". I hope I'm wrong but...
Anyone can make a prediction, but nobody can honestly know what will happen. I've seen things happen in the last 3 months that were unimaginable a few months earlier. I truly would not be shocked by almost anything that happens virally, politically or socially in the next 2 years. I hope it doesn't happen, but there's an honest chance we'll see a serious spike in hospitalizations and mortality in the next 60+ days. An occurrence like that could ultimately result in another round of travel and activity limits....and there goes some (if not much) of our nonresident hunting opportunities.
And though it's yet to come into clear focus, the economic calamity we're watching could well have an impact somehow on hunting opportunities.
If we're still in any kind of shut down come fall, hunting trips will be the least of our worries.
I know one thing that's not going to happen. States like CO, NM, etc are not going to give NR's $ back to you if you already have tags or drew and paid. I would be in the I'm hunting either way camp. Not sure what they would do? Prolly like Airlines some just kept your money for flights and just promised you another flight but a hunt is not a flight and some states dont care much about that. They got your moola and they are not going to send it back without a court fight. Lots of states just stopped selling NR tags or all tags. I have all mine and they going to have to come in deep to get me out. Have to jet boat up river or pack in four five days.
HH~
Colorado received 14,738 more limited big game applications than last year. I guess the virus won't have much impact on crowding, assuming the season is open.
Do you think all the non-residents will practice social distancing at the trail heads? ;-)
Matt
I'm going to hunt locially and make sure I'm 6 feet away from other hunters. All kidding aside I do have a out of state hunt planned but it doesn't require a flight so hopefully i'm good
I think they will at least let me elk hunt because I am a subsistence hunter. If I don’t elk hunt I’ll shrivel up and die!
Kidding aside if they cancelled elk season I would go out and hike my area with a camera at the very least. Also I would go get boots on the ground in Wyoming to prepare for burning my 8 deer points next year.
I’m pretty confident that states like Wyoming and Montana realize that hunting meets social distancing requirements and the show WILL go on there. You may have to process your meat back home though.
After waiting over 2 decades to draw a trophy unit elk tag, if they cancel the season, I may go postal on the CPW office. Just kidding, of course...kinda. ;-)
Matt
Have a fishing trip to NW Ontario late July... will that happen? Coming from MN.
Also have a moose hunt to the same lake late Sept.
If they cancel Colorado big game for residents get your popcorn ready.
Lou this thread didn’t mention Daddy Trump Bucks. I see no reason for it to be pulled down?
I don't know yet what to think but I feel that this will decrease outstate hunting just purely based on economic impact for hunters. We aren't anywhere close to fully realizing the full economic impact this will have, unfortunately I feel that back side of the economy being closed is going to be far worse than the disease has had on most people.
