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Increase license fees

Ok, tough topic but someone has to do it. How about I get a couple guys together to start a push to increase the license and tag fees to get the DNR back up and going again? We have had push's for Sunday hunting and lower buck limits. Lets see if we can get this going. Surely the hunters in this state wouldn't mind coughing up a little more to hunt here. Of course it wouldn't effect the lifetime license holders.

JR, it’s a good idea, and the License fees are too low. But there is no chance that will happen anytime this year. Any fee increase must go thru Legislature and it’s already started. Plus 2018 is an election year and nobody is going to touch what a lot feel is a tax increase during an election year.

A lot of hunters wouldn’t mind paying more for a better product. After this falls election and before the next Legislative session would be the time to do it

Sportsmen can come together and talk about it and develop a plan but no politician is going to touch it till after election

well then they have to stop crying the blues about no money

I would think that if sportsmen our for it then the legislature would want it for the election

I would think that if sportsmen our for it then the legislature would want it for the election

sorry

As hunters we "pay to play" so to speak. I don't have to tell this crowd that sportsmen and women pay for conservation, which benefits everyone. The question is, are all of the hunters in the state paying to play? Lifetime license holders, like myself, only "pay" for extra deer tags, doe tags and bear damage stamps. I gladly pay for extra bow tags, bear stamps and so on, most of which go unfilled. Now, landowners, their children, parents and tenants, who hunt on there own land, don't have to purchase any thing. Why is that? I don't think landowners should pay the "full rate" as it would be. I would not be opposed to a one time $25 fee for lifetime licenses holders, like they charged seniors(people over 65) a few years back. I'm not anti landowner or anti lifetime license holder either, with the decline in license sales, we need to think out of the box.

Steel force, whatever amount that would let us receive Federal matching dollars from PR Fund would work. For Seniors it was 25 dollars. But we are losing big time not being able to capture PR money that our citizens have already paid into.

We are missing out on Pittman Robertson funds. Landowners contribute ZERO to nrpo officer salaries. Zero to wildlife management area acquisition.

Not saying landowners pay full price but 25 every 5 years and buy stamps would do wonders for wv dn r.

10 for 2 bears? Really?

I am a landowner and a lifetime license holder. I will pay extra. Whatever is needed

I think most true sportsmen would. But it’s too late for this year. The Legislative session is well underway. Most bills are already written and ready to go before session even starts

Good. So we should start this for the next session.

Yes, and it has a much better chance to pass after the fall elections

I said Years ago I was for an Increase- I got hammered for it !! But we need it !

If we are just talking charging higher fees to hunt and then use your own land for hunters rather you are a land owner or not let’s not forget there are others that cost the DNR money. Let’s look at charging a fee to those who hike, horseback ride, mountain bike, kayak or whatever else in our State Parks and wildlife management areas. Let’s also think about charging people who call in about wildlife nuisance complaints who are not hunters or fishermen. Also let’s start charging for crop damage permits and put regulations on them as well. A lot of money out there to be raised. Who protects our waterways for use for not only fishermen but other boaters as well? Does the DNR get any of the boat registration fees? I have a lifetime license as well and still buy all the tags and permits because I do feel it goes to a good cause. I also have not killed a deer off of my own property for years so I really don’t need to buy license but every year I say this is the year I just may go back to Mingo county or the Otter Creek wilderness area again. Even though I think the money I spend for new tags goes to a good cause - I still think landowners have done just as much for wildlife as any government agency and we should be thanking them instead of thinking they are cheap stakes or not true sportsman. There has got to be a better way of raising funds for our wildlife instead of always at the expense of the outdoors men and women. JMO

You know thinking about this more maybe it would be wise to put into the Dnr licensing system a fee for a license to use our state parks and WMA. While we are thinking about this maybe it is time for us to allow atvs on to our WMA but only on roads open to regular 4wd traffic. If they are caught elsewhere- they forfeit not only their atv rights but hunting and fishing rights as well. Also let’s make all atvs have to be registered and that fee goes to Dnr as well. If we create that type of license can it not be used toward matching funds? And I am not saying give them free rein on to all areas of our WMA but only open Jeep trails. Believe me I was never for this before but it would be a way to raise money.

well I don't think they will ever charge the flower sniffers to do anything on public land. I also don't think they will charge for crop damage permits. Heck I heard they pay people for damage that bears do

well I don't think they will ever charge the flower sniffers to do anything on public land. I also don't think they will charge for crop damage permits. Heck I heard they pay people for damage that bears do

I think we need to start with the hunters first. One step at a time.

The only thing JR don’t you or I have to pay for insurance to protect our valuables? Do you have to pay insurance for your business for the possibility that damages may arise? Well the crop damage permits would be sort of like an insurance - either that or the Dnr could say let people come in and hunt the deer and charge a fee to give to the farmer. Seems like right now all that is being done is the state is giving away their product for free.

Registration of four wheelers and kayaks would be a good start.

Atv's do not need to be on wildlife management areas. Period. Quite simply, the won't stay on 4wd roads. Too much temptation to use the four wheeler to go get the downed deer, etc. plus WMA's are for wildlife management and not atv recreation. Hard to differentiate when you open Pandora's box.

Hunters should not have to pay to hunt WMAs. The WMA has already been bought and paid for with hunters money.

I don’t think anyone said anything about charging hunters but why not other users of the WMA and Parks such as the kayakers, hikers, mountain bikers and such? Are they not getting a free ride or walk LOL? As to opening Pandora’s Box some are telling us we are doing that with the timbering bill as well. I know around here most WMA areas are already playgrounds for trespassing atvs. Why not register them - make specific regulations and harsh penalties- after 1st offense maybe even confiscation of vehicle? Could then selling them at a public auction.

4 wheelers aRe already trespassing on WMA's and going where they are not supposed to go. So we should legalize it but limit them to places where that can legally go? Why? Because atv users have proven they stick to legal roadways only?

Ohio currently requires kayaks to be licensed. With whitewater kayaks and the rapidly growing sport of fishing kayaks, it would be a source of much needed revenue.

All boats with any motor, even trolling motor, have to have a license in North Carolina. The bigger the boat or camper the more the truck license is and you must have different licenses for fishing in the coastal waters or in fresh water.

What’s being done about atv’s trespassing now? And I am not even saying we do it but offering up other suggestions to raise funds.

Again I will say your concern about opening Pandora’s box is the same that some of the groups not wanting the timbering on Parks bill to pass. And remember I am for the timbering bill - heck I am not for sure it goes far enough. What’s the difference than a Jeep riding a trail that is open compared to a 4wheeler? How much money is being lost on 4-wheelers not being even registered? Heck even a little license plate on the back for recognition - monitoring would be much easier - a trail cam could do the trick. Again I don’t know if I am really for it but it would raise money. Heck you could have a set season as to not interfere with hunting season or when the young animals are being born. Money could be used for more personnel to make sure the laws were being abide to. Just this past weekend I called the DNR about a group(20 or more) of 4-wheel drive vehicles headed up to Sleepy Creek that I have seen post on social media about them going to areas they were not suppose to go. No one was in the office to take my call. I called the DNR and the state police. I got a call back on Monday apologizing for not being able to take my call but thanking me for the heads up. Maybe some more money and there might be someone to take the call and address the problem. It’s just a thought.

I've been told this is a ridiculous idea but, I still say a .01 State sales tax on ALL purchased goods, going directly into the DNR fund, is a fair and just fee for every single WV resident. Yes, the DNR manages wildlife and resources for sportsmen. But, they also do it for non sportsmen on our dollar. I'm in the same boat as JayD in that I don't believe that the sportsmen can't or shouldn't pay the bill for management of Natural resources for everyone as is currently the practice. Multiple use and access for all entity's to our state owned WMA and hunting grounds, which offer multiple entity entertainment, should be a shared cost. We bought it. Surely those that moan about crop damage, vehicle damage, and all wildlife and human conflicts should pay their fair share too. It's only fair and, would go UNNOTICED to the consumer. Ronald Regan used the same approach to bringing California from the brink of bankruptcy. Tax what everyone buys, at a small enough amount not to deter consumers, and reap the benefits.

I like WV mountaineers idea with a few modifications . Plus he referenced our greatest prez in modern times :)

I like WV Mountaineers idea too but I douby the politicians will. They would rather the sportsmen pay for everything and let the flower sniffers reap the benefits.

The sales tax would be a great idea, getting the politicians behind it will be like trying to get one of them to give a yes or no answer to a question. Won't happen. If the sales tax would pass, then all of the stake holders, non hunters, anti hunters and sportsmen and women would have a seat at the table, so to speak. Do we as hunters/conversationalist want or need stake holders that see hunting as nothing but a bunch of blood thirsty "trophy hunters"?

No but we need everyone to pull their own weight instead of the sportsmen paying for it and the flower sniffers benefitting from it.

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