Paying more to fish and hunt

[redlight88]

In today's Trib.....
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_3372817
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[MudSlinger]

Should have seen it coming...
I was up at the main office yesterday and there completely [size 1] [/size]remodeling the in inside, and I know that's not cheap.. (HUMMM... makes ya wonder) Be nice if I could remodel my house and have someone else pay for it.
Or, hey hunny I know we don't have the money so let redo the house anyway and let the neighbors pay for it.....
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[hpb]

MS- that's not how it works.
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[Kent]

I have no problem with them remodeling their building, it has been there long enough that it probably needs it. I also have no problem with an increase of a few dollars in the cost of a license. Their expenses keep climbing just like ours do, and my fishing license is the best bargain I have for entertainment. I spend more money for gas (usually multiples) on almost every fishing trip than the annual cost of my fishing license.
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[pinksnapper]

Well this one looks like it might turn into one of those "hot threads", but I for one tend to agree with Ken. First I dont think its fair to blame the state for not making up shortcomings just because because there is a budget surplus. The article says that between 35 - 40 % of their budget comes from the state, yet less that 20% of residents have licenses. Set aside a few glaring holes, I think the Utah DWR has done a great job over the last 10 - 15 years. I became a resident of Wyoming shortly after I graduated H.S. in 91', and back then Uthans were really jealous about the outdoor activites ithere, espically as far as hunting. In the last few years, I have become quite jealous of some of the animals, and some of the limited draw areas, my Utah resident friends have enjoyed.
And in alot of places the fishing has improved too. I am by no means a rich man, but in early January every year, I pay a over $200 to buy non-resident fishing and hunting licenses, and a season state parks pass, as well as a $20 FL Gorge pass and other stuff. And spread out over the course of days, weeks, and months. I think it's the best and cheapest entertainment one can find, especially if you factor in the value of the fish you eat which for me I would guess is at least 20-30 lbs per year. Heck, that pretty much pays for the license itself if you had to go buy that meat, which you can't because the farm raised fish they sell in the stores are junk.
I for one diddn't mind when my state raised all of it's license fees, and if Utahs fees go up a buck or two a year, I will happily continue to buy my licenses and do my part.

And that comes from a non-resident who has seen Utah's license fees increase nearly $30 in the last 3 years...
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[archerben55]

Just thought I'd throw in my $.02. I don't mind the license/fee increases, they seem pretty reasonalbe. I like what Kent said about paying more for gas on most trips than the annual price of the license. Now that I think about it, I do as well. What I don't like is the approach they took to getting the increases passed. If you go look at the Dec. RAC agenda and compare it to the recent Board Meeting agenda, you will see that this item along with three or four other items were not on the RAC agenda. This kinda makes me feel like the DWR was simply trying to keep slip it through without any public input. That I don't agree with.
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[ramp_tramp]

I don't have the resorses to do the reaserch so correct me if I'm wrong, but I am under the impresion we allready pay more for less than most of our neeighbors, I know one thing, if we keep saying, I don't mind paying more, why wouldn't they raise the price?
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[PREDATOR]

The problem as I see it is that raising liscense fees sucks.
Why? because the moeny will only go to improving stuff until the legislature meets and decides to steal more money from sportsmen to fund some idiot project like the legacy highway.

I say raise the ammount of cash that sportsmen pay but so it through channels that the state boneheads cant confiscate, then make the DWR put the cash DIRECTLY into habitat improvment.

Raisning liscence fees doesnt bother me, its where the increase goes that sucks big time.

I dont want to see another penny of my contribution go to a trout hatchery, or to some legislator who voted to give himself a raise, or anything but habitat enhancment, the purchase of winter range, more multi species fishery studies and such things.

I absolutley love the habitat improvment projects that the DWR did at bear lake. I would love to pay more to fund things like that.
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[wiperhunter2]

For you upland game hunters out there, here is another thing you might not like, they will start charging for hunting grouse and other birds. Here is the break down, prices show percent of increase.
GAME LICENSES

Resident Grouse Permits Y 10.00 100%
Nonresident Grouse Permit Y 10.00 100%
Resident Ptarmigan Permit Y 5.00 100%
Nonresident Ptarmigan Permit Y 5.00 100%
Resident Band Tailed Pigeon Permit Y 5.00 100%
Nonresident Band Tailed Pigeon Permit Y 5.00 100%
Resident Combination (12+)** Y 34.00 37.00 9%
If we look at how much it cost for a day of skiing, I guess this is small money for doing what we all like to do.
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[cat_man]

The grouse I'm sure means Sage Grouse. You can still get your combination license for 2007 that will let you hunt small game just as you always have (the price is increasing $3).
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[frogfish]

Which states charge more for a resident deer tag or a resident fishing license than Utah?
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[Tarponjim]

Ooohh, political hoopla! I would make the case that fishing and access to water is a free, God-given right, not a priveledge; but instead I'll get back to reality, and I'll admit that some form of fisheries management is necessary.

Reality: Anytime you have any branch of any state or federal government managing anything . . . there's going to be fraud, waste, and corruption. FACT. Governments and legislatures simply cannot function efficiently as they are set up, but that's our democratic system. They're all dirty. Republicans and Democrats. National and local. Money talks. Logic and efficiency walks.

Having said that, name how you can get more enjoyment over a year for $30 bucks. (resident fishing). Most of us pay far more for non-resident fishing licenses elsewhere, and some hunters pay considerably more for one shot. We all pay federal excise tax on every item of tackle we buy. Gas taxes. Property taxes. Etc...

It would be nice to see license money more well-spent, and more general fund money steered into the DWR, but it will never happen. We're lucky to have the fisheries we have, especially since Utah is a desert with relatively little fishing water compared with most of the rest of the country. For the price of 12 gallons of gas, we can fish all year, with very few closures and restrictions. It's still a bargain.

Ever hear or read about trying to fish in Europe, Asia, or Russia? I'll still take our corrupt system over those alternatives. There somehow seems to be enough tax dollars to cover the waste and keep things somewhat up and running. Only some kind of private corporation may be able to be more efficient, and that's not a guarantee either. (remember Enron?) Without some kind of profit motive, we're stuck with bureaucrats, but we can buy a fishing license for a couple of bucks a month. Pay it and go fishing.

Jim
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[BigBuck3333]

rite on jim,id like to se em triple the cost.
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