Hunting and Fishing License Increases Proposed .... FYI

[CrappiePappy]

Department seeking more revenue to support its education efforts

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 8, 2017) — The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission unanimously recommended today that the department increase prices for some resident Kentucky hunting and fishing licenses.

The Commission is the guiding body for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. It took the action during its September quarterly meeting. It will be the first resident license price increase in more than a decade, and the first increase of the senior and disabled sportsman’s licenses since their inceptions in 1999.

The Commission recommends all hunting, fishing and boating regulations for approval by the General Assembly and approves all expenditures by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. All recommendations must be approved by legislators before they become law.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife relies primarily on license sales and federal excise taxes from the sale of hunting and fishing equipment for its revenue. It does not receive state General Fund money, such as those derived from income taxes or property taxes. The Department manages more than 600,000 acres for public use and stocks nearly 10 million fish each year. Hunting, fishing, boating and wildlife watching generate an estimated $5.9 billion to Kentucky’s economy each year.

The Commission’s recommendation includes resident hunting licenses, fishing licenses, combination hunting/fishing licenses, senior and disabled sportsman’s licenses and joint fishing licenses for spouses.

“Periodic license price increases are necessary to keep pace with inflation and general costs of living,” said Commission Chairman Jimmy Bevins. “We usually project that an increase will last five years, but solid fiscal management historically has allowed us to make them last much longer.”

The Department’s last three resident rate changes happened in 1992, 1999 and 2007. License and permit fees for non-residents increased to help offset rising operational costs in 2014, but resident fees remained unchanged at the time.

Commission members said they took the action to help offset the rising costs of operating the Department’s three summer camps and the Salato Wildlife Education Center. In addition, increased revenue also will be utilized for increased conservation law enforcement efforts across the Commonwealth.

The three summer camps annually graduate more than 5,000 youth. The Salato Wildlife Education Center, located on the main Kentucky Fish and Wildlife campus, hosts more than 50,000 visitors each year.

“These programs are one main reason why Kentucky continues to see robust participation in hunting and fishing despite decreases seen in surrounding states,” said Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Gregory K. Johnson. “Our children are our future sportsmen and sportswomen, and our future leaders.

“These license increases help the Department maintain a commitment and solid investment in outdoor education of our youth,” said Johnson. “Revenue also will support a more complete law enforcement presence across the state, and improved law enforcement recruitment and retention.”

“We operate almost entirely from user fees derived from hunting and fishing license sales, and federal excise taxes generated by the sale of hunting, fishing and shooting equipment and ammunition,” said Bevins. “Other Kentucky state agencies are largely funded by General Fund tax dollars.”

“The new rates for residents would not happen until the 2018 license year,” said Bevins, “so that means we will have made our last increase last for 11 years – more than twice the original projection.”

The Commission voted to increase a resident hunting license from its current $20 to $27, a resident fishing license from $20 to $23, a combination resident hunting/fishing license from $30 to $42 and the resident joint fishing license for spouses from $36 to $42.

Currently, the senior and disabled sportsman’s licenses provide $165 worth of licenses and permits for $5. A resident sportsman’s license cost $95.

Under the Commission action, the senior and disabled sportsman’s licenses would increase to $18. In 2007, Kentucky sold 90,184 of these licenses. Kentucky’s aging society caused that number to reach 120,426 by 2016, with that number projected to continue increasing.

“We surveyed senior and disabled license holders across Kentucky and had a strong response,” said Bevins. “Nearly three quarters said they would continue to purchase a license even if it was as much as $20.

“I believe the support from our seniors is a direct reflection of their own memories and experiences,” he said. “They remember when all deer hunting in Kentucky was prohibited prior to 1956 because there were very few deer, and when there were no wild turkey, elk or bears, or fish hatcheries to raise and stock fish.

“Today our fish and wildlife populations are healthy and abundant, and our management program is a national model. Our seniors know better than most that our conservation camps and school programs are helping to leave a better natural Kentucky for their children and grandchildren,” Bevins said.

[slabseeker1]

Dear Mr Blevins:

I'm disappointed to say the least. Just wish you were able to read my post. You have placed the largest percentage of increase on the men and women who have invested more money thru the years simply because of age. Don't try to make me feel guilty about the great deer and turkey hunting, it was our money/license fees that got us here. Don't get me wrong, you can have an increase, just make it fare. What's good for the goose........

Now to Pappy & G, you can delete my post or block me but had to get that off my chest.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CrappiePappy]

Dear Mr Blevins:

I'm disappointed to say the least. Just wish you were able to read my post. You have placed the largest percentage of increase on the men and women who have invested more money thru the years simply because of age. Don't try to make me feel guilty about the great deer and turkey hunting, it was our money/license fees that got us here. Don't get me wrong, you can have an increase, just make it fare. What's good for the goose........

Now to Pappy & G, you can delete my post or block me but had to get that off my chest.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Like I posted to another website on this increase idea: I'll pay it ... I won't like it, but I'll pay it.

[M R Dux]

I'm sure my $150 taxidermy and $150 KY Commercial Guide license will increase also. I'll pay like I always do and gripe about it like I always do. I just hope the increase will mean counties like Marshall, which hasn't had a CO (game warden) for over 2 years, will get officers who are paid enough to make them feel like staying in that job.

MY main objection to KY license fees is this: If I go to another state to hunt waterfowl, big game, or fish and pay X amount, the citizens of that state who come to KY to hunt or fish should have to pay the exact same fee for the exact same privilege. As it has been recently, a citizen of IL can come here and deer hunt for essentially 1/3 the amount a citizen of KY had to pay to deer hunt in IL, plus the KY resident has to draw for hunt areas in IL where the IL resident can hunt anywhere as long as they have permission. The fees should be reciprocal in every state.

["G"]

Mississippi is a poor state but......all residents over 65 fishes and hunts free....you can buy a onetime senior license for 5 bucks if you just think you got to have one.....or you can just use your drivers license. I bought the 5 dollar license....7 years ago.

[doggone]

If I remember right the non- resident fishing annual fishing license fees since the late 70's were something like 17.50...24.00....30.00 .....50.00.

If you were making 20,000 a year in the late 70's to keep pace with the inflation of the cost of license you would now need to be making 57,142 per year did I do the math right?

I always thought the jump from 30 to 50 dollars was a little outrageous. It's pretty unusual for a product of any type to jump in price more than 20 percent in a single year. Is my memory right they jumped from 30 to 50 in one year?

I'm just doing this from memory which ain't that good..didn't bother looking it up.

If you buy license for more than one person it can get expensive to fish two or three states....one of the reasons I stopped fishing Kentucky much . Just was trying to buy for three or four surrounding states and finally had to back down...

It is a much closer drive to good fishing for me in Illinois,Kentucky, than it is in Missouri my home state. Sort of crazy but that's how it is.

1.5 hours or less to most of the best lakes in Illinois and 2 hrs to Kentucky Lake...Lake of the Ozarks 4 hrs.

[Clint]

I like Doug's (M R Dux) idea of reciprocal non-resident fees. I pay(ed) $5 for my Old Fart's licence here in KY and $116 to fish in Tennessee. $99 for an all species fishing license and $17 for a "Special Use Permit" for Reelfoot Lake.