Hunting license cost increase coming?

GTOGUNNER · Jan 7, 2013

It has been heard that the Maryland Legislative Sportsmens' Foundation is once again leading an effort to raise the cost of a resident adult hunting license. This time from $24.50 to $44.50.

To me that is a fairly tall increase especially after all of last years tax increases which many of us won't really see until we prepare our taxes this spring.

AKbythebay · Jan 7, 2013

If that increase goes through I won't bother getting a license next year. I don't go enough to justify that kind of expense. :sad20:

GRAY GHOST · Jan 7, 2013

F THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dist1646 · Jan 7, 2013

Just wait until you see the cost of food at the grocery store go up. It's coming.

foxtrapper · Jan 7, 2013

Not even worth it unless I can find some foxes to trap in decent #'s or a bunch of nearby landowners need beavers removed. My deer hunting this year sucked, and I understand it sucked for alot of other hunters too. The overall harvest #'s are down this season.

oupa · Jan 7, 2013

It should be understood that the LSF DOES NOT represent SPORTSMEN, it represents DNR, especially NRP. I'm sure they feel otherwise but the evidence is there for all to see.

Mind you, someone needs to represent the needs of DNR & NRP in Annapolis... since their own administrators are either part of the problem or too scared of repercussions to speak up. The problem being, raiding of the DNR budget by the Governor's creative budget team, in order to keep up funding for social entitlements.

I've long been of the position that hunting & fishing licenses are the cheapest ticket for entertainment anywhere. Even at $50, that gives you the chance to hunt (game) from Sept. - May! That's like $0.18 / day. Of course there are all the additional fees, archery tag, M/L tag, Fur bearer tag, etc... so the actual price is probably double the basic fee. Add in "families." If you buy licenses for a child or three, it adds up fast.
Sure, in the long-term its still cheap but we're not able to buy our licenses and tags by the day. We must buy them all at once before we set foot afield.
Everything is going up - substantially. Hunting licenses should be no different except for the issue of affordability. DNR is almost entirely supported by license fees. Participation has been in decline for decades. Ever increasing fees, especially in the present economic times could easily have the opposite effect they desire. :cool:

There is also the issue of non-license holders using the resources of the department. We're regularly told by DNR that the desires of non-hunters carry equal weight and non-hunters have the same right to use WMA's even during hunting seasons (for non-hunting purposes, so long as it's not an intentional act of interference). However the hunters are paying ALL the bills! :mad54:

It has been argued during the last round of increase talks that non-license holders be required to buy a WMA tag to use these lands. ...Should be interesting as the session gets going. :innocent0

shanewolfe · Jan 7, 2013

oupa,

I completely agree with you. Even at a 20$ increase, I find that the license fee is still pretty reasonable. I'm still under 100$ for the year for fishing, hunting, and trapping. Not too bad.

I also agree that other folks that use the WMAs should share the costs. I go to Pax. River State Park a lot for hunting and I often see folks over there riding horses. They pay nothing to use the land, plus I would argue that the damage done to the trails when muddy far exceeds that of the damage done by the hunters.

Ab_Normal · Jan 7, 2013

Could someone tell me again what my money goes for since I hunt only on private property with the only state controlled lands being many miles away?

shanewolfe · Jan 7, 2013

Ab_Normal - your license allows you to hunt wildlife in Maryland. Regardless of the property you hunt on, the wildlife "belongs" to the citizens of the state. Your money pays for the stewardship of that wildlife, upkeep of the state lands, research, etc.

Not trying to be a jerk, so don't take my post the wrong way... that's just the way the law sees it.

foxtrapper · Jan 7, 2013

DNR needs to dump some healthy and stupid foxes over my way so I can use my 5.00 furbearer stamp LOL.

Ok, I guess I just have to go do some water trapping, but last time I was doing that DNR's finest had to come and harrass me. I like being alone, not thinking these assholes are watching me. The female mink in the 330 will forever be a symbol to me of fear. I had just pulled the trap up out of the water when these jackholes surprised me. They almost ruined all trapping for me. Private land, no one living on the property and my permission came from the leaseholder farmers. Call me sensitive, but this is the face of autism. Small things can become huge things. I can only be thankful that my total obsession with trapping was waning at the time. Most of my obsessions last 3 years or so on average, with some exceeding that or branching off of the same topic ( ie, open carry obsession turns into a general guns obsession). I was totally obsessed with trapping for 7 years, so that was a pretty long one.

itsslow98 · Jan 7, 2013

Ab_Normal said:
Could someone tell me again what my money goes for since I hunt only on private property with the only state controlled lands being many miles away?

Environmental research, herd management throughout the state, DNR police etc.

For the price we pay now we are basically stealing from the state for what we get in return. We have one of the cheapest if not the cheapest licenses int he entire country, along with some of the highest bag limits on deer in the country.

As long as the funds go to the right places then I dont mind paying. Ive shot 4 deer this year that have yielded around 170lbs of boneless meat, take my $37 hunting license and im paying $4.50/lb for meat and countless hours of enjoying the hunt.

IndispensableDestiny · Jan 7, 2013

Ab_Normal said:
Could someone tell me again what my money goes for since I hunt only on private property with the only state controlled lands being many miles away?

It's called the "Public Trust Doctrine". It goes back to the Magna Carta and perhaps to ancient Rome.

BlackBart · Jan 7, 2013

I would LOVE to know the amount of hunting licenses sold NOW compared to say the 70's each year. Hunting is a dying sport by comparison I think just from the amount of hunters I see.

Ab_Normal · Jan 8, 2013

shanewolfe said:
Ab_Normal - your license allows you to hunt wildlife in Maryland. Regardless of the property you hunt on, the wildlife "belongs" to the citizens of the state. Your money pays for the stewardship of that wildlife, upkeep of the state lands, research, etc.

Not trying to be a jerk, so don't take my post the wrong way... that's just the way the law sees it.

itsslow98 said:
Environmental research, herd management throughout the state, DNR police etc.

For the price we pay now we are basically stealing from the state for what we get in return. We have one of the cheapest if not the cheapest licenses int he entire country, along with some of the highest bag limits on deer in the country.

As long as the funds go to the right places then I dont mind paying. Ive shot 4 deer this year that have yielded around 170lbs of boneless meat, take my $37 hunting license and im paying $4.50/lb for meat and countless hours of enjoying the hunt.

IndispensableDestiny said:
It's called the "Public Trust Doctrine". It goes back to the Magna Carta and perhaps to ancient Rome.

First off I am pretty much in agreement with the migratory bird stamps and paying a license fee to help with their stewardship and research since they can go back and forth between public and private land. As for hunting ground based animals, I'm not buying it. There is no stewardship or upkeep of state lands anywhere near where I hunt.

As far as the wildlife belonging to the citizens of the state, who pays for the damage caused by animals (mainly deer) to cars when the deer run out in the road or to crops on farmland and shrubs around houses ? If the 'state' owns those animals that cause the problems then the state should pay for the damages they cause. Much like the owner of a dog that harms someone or something is held responsible. Right?

We aren't stealing from the state. We are basically being subject to extortion by having to pay to keep someone from bothering us while we go out to enjoy the outdoors and hopefully put some meat in the pot.

I understand the concept of the public trust which also mainly concerns waterways and in a similar case here with fishing licenses. The ironic thing here is that fishing licenses are NOT required for fishing on private ponds. Under that same concept they require us to pay to hunt on private property.

I'd like to think that my hunting license money goes to good things and I'm pretty sure most of it does. But how long will that last? I have read different stories over the past years where the DNR along with other groups are studying how to manage wildlife populations in certain areas through means other than hunting. That is definitely in conflict with the whole purpose of spending my money on a hunting license.

Kman · Jan 8, 2013

Genesis 1:26
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

I checked twice. I don't see Maryland or Government or DNR in here anywhere.

SOMDSHOOT · Jan 8, 2013

Ab_Normal said:
Could someone tell me again what my money goes for since I hunt only on private property with the only state controlled lands being many miles away?

I can make it very simple for you:

1) Boat Ramps
2) Oyster Repopulation
3) Bay Restoration
4) Seed Planted For Doves
5) Boat Ramps
6) Target Holders
7) Boat Ramps
8) Paying Leases On Property No One Uses
9) Printing Licenses / Permits / Hunter Guides / Websites / COMPASS
10) Did I mention Boat Ramps...

huesmann · Jan 8, 2013

How would you get into boating accidents without boat ramps?

GRAY GHOST · Jan 8, 2013

SOMDSHOOT said:
I can make it very simple for you:

1) Boat Ramps
2) Oyster Repopulation
3) Bay Restoration
4) Seed Planted For Doves
5) Boat Ramps
6) Target Holders
7) Boat Ramps
8) Paying Leases On Property No One Uses
9) Printing Licenses / Permits / Hunter Guides / Websites / COMPASS
10) Did I mention Boat Ramps...

thats how it would be spent if we had a republican in Annapolis. but we dont so it goes to roads and other bullsh!t like that.

Ab_Normal · Jan 8, 2013

SOMDSHOOT said:
I can make it very simple for you:

1) Boat Ramps
2) Oyster Repopulation
3) Bay Restoration
4) Seed Planted For Doves
5) Boat Ramps
6) Target Holders
7) Boat Ramps
8) Paying Leases On Property No One Uses
9) Printing Licenses / Permits / Hunter Guides / Websites / COMPASS
10) Did I mention Boat Ramps...

Oh. Now I understand. It is so I can buy a license which allows me to (illegally) bait deer with fresh oysters and then take my boat out (on a ramp that requires a permit) to the middle of the bay and shoot doves and targets while I wait for the deer to swim by which would be illegal to shoot because they are 'taking refuge in water'.

Gotcha.

JLaff · Jan 8, 2013

Ab_Normal said:
Oh. Now I understand. It is so I can buy a license which allows me to (illegally) bait deer with fresh oysters and then take my boat out (on a ramp that requires a permit) to the middle of the bay and shoot doves and targets while I wait for the deer to swim by which would be illegal to shoot because they are 'taking refuge in water'.

Gotcha.

Seems legit. I see no issue. Also would pay for your license to watch.

Hunting license cost increase coming?

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