Question For Those Not a Resident of GA

Those of us who live in GA know that our DNR is strapped. Job vacancies being left unfilled, WMA's in danger, etc.etc.

I read in posts how other states have tag systems, check-ins, etc. and we say we can't go to that because of inability to monitor with less manpower, etc.

My question is this...........
is your state's DNR as strapped as ours is? Do you have sufficient manpower and resources? If yes, what is being done different there that we might could learn from? Are your licenses more expensive than ours?

Please list state and any pertinent info.................

Pennsylvania has a tag system for deer (doe and buck are both tagged), and turkey. We don't check them, but you have to tag your deer before you move it from the place it fell. Plus we have a report card to fill out and mail in.

The state does random checks of deer processors to make sure deer are tagged there and to confirm that people are filling out the report cards. Basically a processor better not have a deer that isn't tagged and if your deer is found at the processor they will check to see if you have turned in a report card.

Also, since we still wear our liscense on our clothing it is easily determined if you still have a tag since it is part of the liscense.

Bear are the only animals that have to be taken to a check station and it is a 2 or 3 days season.

RP,

Is your DNR under a severe budget crunch?

Not really.

here is a list of our fees for liscenses

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
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) 1 12 & up $ 11.00
Nonresident Muzzleloader (Deer) 1 12 & up $ 21.00
Resident Migratory Game Bird 12 & up $ 3.00
Nonresident Migratory Game Bird 12 & up $ 6.00
Resident Bear 12 & up $16.00
Nonresident Bear 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 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

South Carolina.

DNR is very underfunded. We have no tags nothing to fill out. Used to have check stations up til 6-7 years ago. 15 deer limit in the upstate, no limit in the low country. Really no limit enforcement statewide except maybe daily bag limits(2). If one has enough acreage you can get tract specific antlerless deer tags statewide. Licenses about the same.

Florida:

I think it is much worse here than you have it. I have never seen a food plot on a WMA. Hunters are the furtherest thing from their minds.

Even with all the moneys spent on fishing in this state I have only been checked ~twice in 20+ yrs of fishing.

Florida has got to be the worst. They act like us sportsman are the least of their concerns. That's why I hunt in Georgia.

Florida is terrible, public land hunting is a joke unless you want to shell out the money (special opp. hunts and user pay areas) public land is hunted to death, and the WMA permit system SUCKS!

By the way here are our prices,

Resident Licenses
Annual Five-Year
Gold Sportsman's License (includes Hunting, Saltwater Fishing and Freshwater Fishing licenses; and Wildlife Management Area, Archery, Muzzleloading Gun, Turkey and Florida Waterfowl, Snook and Crawfish Permits) $83.50

Sportsman's License (includes Hunting and Freshwater Fishing licenses; and Wildlife Management Area, Archery, Muzzleloading Gun, Turkey and Florida Waterfowl permits) $67.50

Hunting $12.50 $56.50
Hunting/Freshwater Fishing Combination $23.50
Hunting/Freshwater/Saltwater Fishing Combination $35.50
Senior Citizen Hunting and Fishing Certificate Free

Nonresident Licenses
Annual Hunting $151.50
10-Day Hunting $ 46.50

Permits (Resident and Nonresident)
Annual Five-Year
Residents Only
Wildlife Management Area Permit $26.50 $126.50
Archery Permit $ 5.00 $25.00
Muzzleloading Gun Permit $ 5.00 $25.00
Turkey Permit $ 5.00 $25.00
Turkey Permit (Nonresident) $100.00
Florida Waterfowl Permit $ 3.00 $15.00
Migratory Bird Permit
Free*

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Georgia is not alone

State agencies nationwide, with few exceptions, are in bad shape budgetwise. It is not for lack of good people, Georgia and South Carolina are noted for the quality of their personnel. Unfortunately, they are not given a lot to work with, and that is the fault of legislature, and we as hunters for that matter. Almost every DNR associate I have known and/or worked with wants to do the best job he/she can for the resource and for the hunters and other outdoorsmen. However, they are at the mercy of budgets. How many of you know that Georgia's DNR staff is basically the same as it was thirty years ago? They now have three times as much land to manage (over a million acres) and many times more people to deal with. We cannot simply expect that the DNR will always be there to serve us and give us what we want. If we have an ally in state government, it is them. In the scheme of state governments, they are almost always one of the smallest, with more professionals than any other agency. They do what they can with what they have. Given the right tools and money, they can and have served us well since the advent of Pittman-Robertson. Don't think that we will always be blessed with that kind of support if we don't pay attention to who holds the purse strings and make sure that those people know how we feel about our natural resources. By and large, our state biologists and conservation officers want the same things you do....that's why they do what they do. Just some food for thought.