I applied for cow elk, buck deer, buck pronghorn and cow moose. I'll pick up OTC bull elk and bear licenses when they go on sale Aug. 8th.

I procrastinated applying until the last day. I'm not very happy with the new rules which require the purchase of a "qualifying license" that I didn't need or want to buy, and almost a bad, the CPW website didn't make it easy to buy qualifying licenses by failing to provide quick links. In the past the Habitat Stamp was the required qualifier. Seniors don't have to purchase the Habitat Stamp and since there are more of us every day they had to stick us somehow. I understand their budget problems but I think that approach is very wrong.

Just as bad is charging $50 to acquire a preference point for moose, sheep and goat tags when you don't draw. I get the point creep problem but if I had had to pay $50 for every point toward my 2018 bull moose license, after 19 years of applying it would have cost $950 just for the gamble of living long enough to be awarded a license. Another friend waited 32 years and he took a moose at age 79. It would be fairer to simply raise all license fees to the necessary level to make up for the previous years inflation when they didn't raise license costs in a timely fashion.

With the $50 charge just to get a PP, I decided to give up on the Bighorn Sheep draw as it's unlikely I'll live long enough to draw and hunt them. I can do it now but imagine climbing high elevation peaks in my late eighties to mid nineties with a pack and rifle. Even Irving will be too old to help me pack sheep meat.