Are hunting license costs going up anywhere else?

[HunterGirl]

My dad and i go hunting in Wyoming every year. Typically for a week in September bowhunting and again over Thanksgiving for the rifle season. This year we were going to get in some Antelope hunting as well but it was over $900 for two deer licenses and an antelope license. YIKES!

So were just going to hope they still have some antelope tags when we get out there....

Prices going up anywhere else?

 

[AKCOP]

Licenses in Wisconsin have increased the past few years and I have read stories about a non resident license feud going on between North Dakota and Minnesota. I also know that in the past Minnesota based your non resident bow license on what your home state would charge a Minnesota resident for the same license. I was thinking this past year about finally heading out west, checked Wyoming and when I saw the license fees I threw the brochure in the trash.

 

[HunterGirl]

I guess I didn't know that about Minnesota. I'm actually from there but I have a lifetime hunting license that remains in effect even when I moved to Illinois.

 

[welshgrouser]

Everything else goes up in price... I wouldn't think licenses should be any different. In Michigan they (state gov.) have been fighting for about 2 yrs about a fee increases..

If it's spent on fish and game I have no problems... But I dont hunt out of state and yes 900 seems pretty salty.

 

[TAB]

Every year I can remember there was a price increase in CA.

 

[Rembrandt]

Non-resident tags have gone up considerably here, around $300 for an any sex deer tag. Flip side are some farmers offering free depradation resident tags for doe's to reduce crop damge.

 

[moosehunt]

It's been pretty standard for all the tag fees to go up every couple of years in all the states (western, anyway), especially the non-resident tags. That's not likely to change. It's a sellers market. They'll keep going up as long as people pay, in otherwords, as long as they keep selling them all. If you think about it from a business standpoint (not the way most of us want to think about it), it is completely logical, good business. You sell at the maximum that the market will support. That's not good for us average joes, but there are enough guys with the $$$ out there that keep paying, so the price keeps going up. In truth, I think it's only a matter of time until us average guys get priced out of the market, at least for the non-resident options. It may not be right, but it's so. Sad situation.

 

[AKCOP]

I often wonder how much of the license increases are an effort to maintain dept budgets in light of the overall decline in hunter numbers.
I know the trend over the past several years has shown a decline in numbers of new hunters and the number of old hunters is declining each year as well. I also think with shrinking access to hunting lands it is getting harder for younger hunters to stay involved unless they have lots of disposable income for leases. All pretty sad looking looking down the long road.

 

[nathan]

Ultimately the rich are the only few who can hunt.

 

[Skoghund]

Even here in Sweden the hunting lisense went up 50sk to 300sk. Sånt Är livet

 

[moosehunt]

AKCOP--Hunting license #'s may be going down, at least that's what they keep telling us, but that is an overall figure. In the western states, where nearly all big game tags are by draw, there are virtually none that are not being taken. In otherwords, the demand continues to outstrip the supply. That's why they can keep raising the cost.

 

[springmom]

Ultimately the rich are the only few who can hunt.

Not true. Since you are in Houston, you have access to the Sam Houston National Forest just about an hour north. We've hunted there for years, and we love it. There's fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, picnicking, and hundreds of thousands of acres of woods to walk. All for, IIRC, about $20 for a public hunting lands permit for a year. Add that to the in state cost of a license. If you get a Super Combo license, that whole package will cost you somewhere around $100-125.

That doesn't take being rich. You can save that much up for early September if all you do is forego one cup of coffee or a soda out of a vending machine every day.

Springmom

 

[skinewmexico]

Almost every state has started screwing the out-of-state hunters.

 

[Harve Curry]

Years ago the G&F dreamed up non refundable application fees. This year NM raised theirs to $8. When I started hunting my license was'nt $8, and a mnt. lion tag was $1.50 good for 12 months.

 

[brighamr]

In MT, the hunting license is pretty standard (well sportsman's pass anyway). $70 gets you 1 deer A tag, 1 deer B tag, fishing license, waterfowl, etc. For an extra $15 you get a Bear tag.

Now if you're non-resident, getting the same as above would be in the $2000+ range

 

[308win]

Ohio resident hunting license is $19 plus tag fees for deer and turkey. For many years the number of hunting licenses has declined 5-10% from the previous year.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

Yeah, my Montana licenses this year are up over last year. And I don't want to talk about the difference from 10 years ago.

900F

 

[BIGR]

My state has not had an increase in a while, but I never have to worry about it, being that I bought the lifetime license back in 1987. Best 300 dollars I ever spent just before they went up to 500 dollars.

 

[moosehunt]

Skinewmexico--they aren't screwing the non-residents. They are simply charging what the market will support. Yes indeed, it effects me, because it is in many cases beyond what I can afford, but they aren't screwing me. Their just saying "this is what they're worth, based on what people will pay. Want one? Here's the price. Take it or leave it" (If you get drawn).

The screwing in my view is the many states that require you to buy an expensive non-resident license just to apply for a tag. If you don't draw, you eat the license. So basically, they are charging anywhere up to $150 (or more) just to apply. One can spend $1000 per year and draw NO tags! That I consider a screwing--no kiss!

 

[nathan]

Govt owns the natural resources and that includes wildlife and game animals. Thats the reason we pay them in order to hunt LOL.

 

[kmrcstintn]

PA Game Commission is not funded w/ any tax funds; all of their revenue is self generated thru license sales, various other licensing fees (species permit stamps, bonus doe deer tags, etc), and fines for violations; they have been pushing for an increase for the past several years; I think this year we will feel part of the proposed increase; this is only an estimation since our licenses don't come out until June/July; directly from the PA Game Commission website...

Licensing
Search Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency Home Printable Version
License Fees


The following information is for the 2007-2008 license year. Additional information on various license types follows this table.

LICENSE TYPE AGE COST
Resident Adult Hunting 17 - 64 $ 20.00
Resident Junior Hunting 12 - 16 $ 6.00
Resident Junior Combination 12 – 16 $ 9.00
Resident Senior Hunting 65 & up $ 13.00
Resident Senior Lifetime Hunting 65 & up $ 51.00
Resident Senior Lifetime Combination 65 & up $101.00
Resident Landowner Hunting 12 & up $ 4.00
Resident Military Personnel Hunting 5 $ 2.00
Resident PA National Guard Hunting 5 $ 2.00
Resident Reserves (Armed Forces) Hunting 5 $ 2.00
Resident Prisoner of War Hunting 5 $ 2.00
Nonresident Adult Hunting 17 & up $101.00
Nonresident Junior Hunting 12 - 16 $ 41.00
Nonresident Junior Combination 12 – 16 $ 51.00
Nonresident 7-Day Small Game 12 & up $ 31.00
Resident Archery (Deer) 12 & up $ 16.00
Nonresident Archery (Deer) 12 & up $ 26.00
Resident Muzzleloader (Deer) 12 & up $ 11.00
Nonresident Muzzleloader (Deer) 12 & up $ 21.00
Resident Migratory Game Bird 12 & up $ 3.00
Nonresident Migratory Game Bird 12 & up $ 6.00
Resident Bear 1 12 & up $16.00
Nonresident Bear 1 12 & up $36.00
Resident Antlerless Deer 2 12 & up $ 6.00
Nonresident Antlerless Deer 3 12 & up $26.00
Resident Elk 4 12 & up $25.00
Nonresident Elk 4 12 & up $250.00
Resident Special Wild Turkey (2007/08 Season, 2nd tag) 6 12 & up $21.00
Nonresident Special Wild Turkey (2007/08 Season, 2nd tag) 6 12 & up $41.00
Resident Adult Furtaker 17 - 64 $20.00
Resident Junior Furtaker 12 - 16 $ 6.00
Resident Senior Furtaker 65 & up $13.00
Resident Senior Lifetime Furtaker 65 & up $51.00
Nonresident Adult Furtaker 17 & up $81.00
Nonresident Junior Furtaker 12 - 16 $41.00
(1) Must be issued prior to November 26
(2) Landowner, Armed Forces, and Disabled Veteran if applicable
(3) Landowner if applicable
(4) There is a $10 Nonrefundable Application Fee
(5) Available through only County Treasurers and Game Commission offices. See "License Types" section for details on how to apply.
(6) This license provides the holder with a second spring turkey tag and harvest report card in addition to the one included with a general hunting license. The application period begins January 1, 2008. See digest for additional information.







Content Last Modified on 6/7/2007 1:36:07 PM

 

[moosehunt]

Damn! You guys out there in the East need a bookkeeper just to keep track of all the tags!!!! But they are pretty damn cheap, that's for sure!

 

[Savage3006]

Living in Massachusetts, I hunt the Northeast, mostly Maine and New Hampshire. I have to get non-resident licenses and those are expensive.

 

[308win]

Ohio non-resident is $125 plus tag fees that are the same as resident.

 

[EricTheBarbarian]

A hunting license is nothing new. Paying a tribute to the king to hunt on the kings lands. The only difference is they dont call it this. Without the state making money from hunting licenses, I doubt there would be any public hunting lands. If its not worth anything to the .gov, I wouldnt expect them to place any value on preserving it.

The price increases make it hard for people who are trying to survive and get sustenance from hunting. Although, those people are probably a small number and an even smaller number every year. I assume the majority of hunters hunt because they like to, making it a sport, and the states charge for it as one.

However, I dont mind paying for a license if I know the money is for preserving public hunting lands and other wildlife projects. Like in Ohio, my hunting license has funded the comeback of turkeys to my state where they were once hunted to extinction. Im sure other states have similiar programs. The out of state hunting permits are out of my price range.