nickel back
Senior Member
As time goes on its only going to get worse, enjoy while you can and just be happy that we can still hunt and fish.
Welcome Guest!
Why I'm against the State's license increase
- Thread starter Mako22
- Start date
Gbr5pb
Senior Member
Some of y'all sound like the people tha want the 1% sales tax increase because it ain't much and everyone pays it. Not mentioning the government waste every cent they get
People get on here crying about paying a little more but have thousands tied up in a hunting lease.
Sure do and it takes me 3-4 months starting every January working a part time job to pay that lease. Without me working extra every year after season ends I wouldn't have the money to get back in my club. Some of us make choices and sacrifice so our family can have a great hunting experience each year. What I don't need is increased Government cost to that experience!
NUTT
Senior Member
Yall could add one member to your lease to cut the price each of you pay and that would absorb these increases. Just trying to offer a solution if it really is that hard to pay the increase. Good Luck coming up with the money!
sman
Senior Member
I've never paid much attention to politics on the state level. I will from here on. The current body needs to go. They are getting to dang grab happy. Extra $5 per night per hotel. Toll roads going up. Now this.
If they needed money, well tighten the belt else where. If they plan on using this to help DNR, I have no problem.
If they needed money, well tighten the belt else where. If they plan on using this to help DNR, I have no problem.
Beagler282
“Rabbit Man”
I read this thread and others and wonder how many get on here and complain about the increase and then go to Illinois every year and pay the outrageous fee to hunt there for a few days or a couple of weeks.
goshenmountainman
Senior Member
Sure do! And I have been lied to just like everyone on here that votes.. Fighting a losing battle..
shdw633
Senior Member
I read this thread and others and wonder how many get on here and complain about the increase and then go to Illinois every year and pay the outrageous fee to hunt there for a few days or a couple of weeks.
And I wonder how many people have made statements like this actually think about those that just barely afford the opportunity/luxury to hunt. What about those that are just getting into the sport, the young hunters. We wonder why the average age of hunters is currently 46.....it's because the younger generation can find other activities to do that cost less money and makes them just as happy and yet we continue to increase the costs to hunt. When are people going to realize it's not about the monetary increase, it's about government waste of resources. It's not like the license hasn't increased in the last 25 years, this is the second increase in the last 7 years, tell me what changed after the last increase cause I sure didn't see any changes or benefits from it. And this isn't just about Georgia either, it's all the states. Increase in fees but stay status quo in everything else. How long do you think it will be before Florida reciprocates and increases it's out of state fees due to this action? It's non-stop.
Good news is that the average age most likely will not go higher, because Seniors won't be able to afford hunting due to the costs associated with just surviving as a senior in today's world. Bad news is the sport will die due to lack of activity/interest/costs.
M77 Ruger
Senior Member
What's going to be the new license fee? Is it going up more for non residents
shdw633
Senior Member
If the law passes as written, NR fees will go from the current hunting/fishing combo/big game license fee of $295 to $375 or you can do without the fishing license and it will go from $295 to $325 for just the hunting/big game license.
brownhounds
Banned
I read this thread and others and wonder how many get on here and complain about the increase and then go to Illinois every year and pay the outrageous fee to hunt there for a few days or a couple of weeks.
He's not going to Illinois. Read the original thread. He's complaining about the gooberment taking more money. We should ALL be tired of this nonsense.
KINCHAFooneeryan
Senior Member
I don't mind the fee increase. In fact, it's long overdue. My only gripe is the infant lifetime license costing 2.5x more than it currently stands ($200 to $500). I have one for one kid, but if I have another kid in the future I'm not going to be able to fork out $500 for a hobby my kid may not even enjoy. $500 is a lot of money to invest on something that you won't be able to see a return on in 15 years. Other than that I'm all for the increase.
misterpink
Senior Member
Hunting and Fishing is recreation.
It is a finite resource that must be managed. Management costs.
You have to pay to play.
C.Killmaster
Georgia Deer Biologist
"A resident license fee change has not occurred for 23 years while costs have nearly doubled, significantly reducing our ability to maintain services."
Quote from this page:
http://georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/uploads/wildlife/permits/Aim For Success.pdf
mattech
Deranged Throat-Puncher
I think most folks just don't have trust in the government to actually put this money into the DNR system.I would be fine with an increase if I saw some improvement plans for the DNR and hunting opportunities. We need more DNR officers and more money put into wma land.
crucible02
Senior Member
AMEN! It's a matter of principle, IMO.
shdw633
Senior Member
Your non-resident fee went up by 40% just 7 years ago. Thought you all said you needed that to offset those costs back then as I recall.
drawedback
Senior Member
I don't have a problem with the license fee increase. But I do feel that there should also be some type of fee set for the horse trails and bike riders on wmas. Some of the wmas have built big parking lots for horse trailers, and nice facilties for them to use, and the hunters are stuck with the bill. I think its great that people other than hunters are getting to use the properties, but they should have to buy a wma stamp just like we do.
Mechanicaldawg
Roosevelt Ranger
And they already do have to pay.
They must purchase a GORP license for the same price we pay for our WMA stamp.
Mechanicaldawg
Roosevelt Ranger
WRD manages more than 129 public areas including 102 WMAs, 7 public dove fields, 13 state parks and 7 public fishing areas.
That encompasses more than 1.05 million acres on which they carry out a myriad of habitat enhancements such as prescribed burns, herbicidal control, timber management, create wildlife openings all to create and/or maintain a wide variety of habitat for game animals as well as endangered species. Georgians and our guests may hunt a wide range of landscapes from the mountains to our shoreline.
They carry out these tasks with 55 wildlife technicians.
There are 102 individual areas. That's 19,000 acres per technician.
Prior to the economic collapse WRD operated under a one man/ one area model. Since then the acreage has significantly increased while the budget has not.
At that time there were 3 biologists per region to develop WMA habitat plans and provide technical assistance to private landowners and hunting clubs. Cuts to biologist positions during the budget crisis has resulted to diminished capacity to provide these services.
Also, keep in mind that the WMA road system consists of 2,400 miles of primarily dirt roads which require almost constant maintenance.
If that was one long road, it would span from Charleston SC to Los Angeles, CA.
Does WRD need this increase?
You tell me. If you can be honest with yourself you must agree.
Some of you question whether or not the Georgia Legislature will actually give the money to your wildlife agency.
The answer is that they require a watchful eye but the law does require that they give every penny of your license fees, PLUS the matching Federal funds from Pittman-Robertson (Google: The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act) and Dingell-Johnson (Google: Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act) to the wildlife agency in one form or another.
There are several groups and organizations keeping that watchful eye on the legislature such as National Wild Turkey Federation-GA Chapter, GA Trappers Association, Georgia Wildlife Federation, GHFF and more.
You can join the effort of one of those or you may do your civic duty to watch on your own, but owe it to yourself to do one or the other.
But this bill and these increases are needed in big way and we should all support them.
That encompasses more than 1.05 million acres on which they carry out a myriad of habitat enhancements such as prescribed burns, herbicidal control, timber management, create wildlife openings all to create and/or maintain a wide variety of habitat for game animals as well as endangered species. Georgians and our guests may hunt a wide range of landscapes from the mountains to our shoreline.
They carry out these tasks with 55 wildlife technicians.
There are 102 individual areas. That's 19,000 acres per technician.
Prior to the economic collapse WRD operated under a one man/ one area model. Since then the acreage has significantly increased while the budget has not.
At that time there were 3 biologists per region to develop WMA habitat plans and provide technical assistance to private landowners and hunting clubs. Cuts to biologist positions during the budget crisis has resulted to diminished capacity to provide these services.
Also, keep in mind that the WMA road system consists of 2,400 miles of primarily dirt roads which require almost constant maintenance.
If that was one long road, it would span from Charleston SC to Los Angeles, CA.
Does WRD need this increase?
You tell me. If you can be honest with yourself you must agree.
Some of you question whether or not the Georgia Legislature will actually give the money to your wildlife agency.
The answer is that they require a watchful eye but the law does require that they give every penny of your license fees, PLUS the matching Federal funds from Pittman-Robertson (Google: The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act) and Dingell-Johnson (Google: Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act) to the wildlife agency in one form or another.
There are several groups and organizations keeping that watchful eye on the legislature such as National Wild Turkey Federation-GA Chapter, GA Trappers Association, Georgia Wildlife Federation, GHFF and more.
You can join the effort of one of those or you may do your civic duty to watch on your own, but owe it to yourself to do one or the other.
But this bill and these increases are needed in big way and we should all support them.
