Point System for Controlled Hunts?

  The Idaho Fish and Game Commission has seriously considered point systems in the past, most recently in 2005 and 2010.  In 2005, the Commission adopted a point system contingent on the Idaho Legislature passing a law that allowed the Fish and Game Department to charge a small surcharge on each application to cover the cost of implementing the system.  The legislature debated a bill, but eventually rejected it and the point system was not implemented.  In 2009, the legislature passed a law that allowed the Department to charge no more than $4.50 per controlled hunt application to fund a point system should the Commission implement one.  In 2010, the Fish and Game Department proposed implementing a bonus point system (very similar to Nevada’s).   Ultimately, the Commission failed to accept the proposal.  The Commission cited several reasons for not adopting a point system, including: 1) adding increased complexity to the licensing system, 2) impact on casual/youth hunters that would be disadvantaged by a point system, and 3) responding to substantive public perception that the Department was proposing a point system simply to increase revenues.  Additionally, comment received during the public scoping process indicated broad public disagreement on the specifics of any single system.  Areas of disagreement: bonus points vrs. preference points, whether a point-only option should be implemented, which hunts or what species should the system apply to, and whether a point system should be mandatory or voluntary.