Michigan hunting tag price going up! updated with contact info

[Arwin]

Because they are usually 140% wrong 100% of the time.LOL!

[Old Ways]

This is scary. This is what happens when something is viewed as a "sport".  

My wife and I live a simple life and try to live off the land as much as we can with hunting, fishing, gardening and gathering. I spend very little money on hunting. Most my expense is on fuel to get to the places I plan to hunt. Paying that much more to hold a tag really eats into my fuel budget.

There are alot of people that live on a tighter budget than me that rely on hunting for their annual supply of meat. Tags get to be too much and they will be forced to violate to eat.

I'd rather see Michigan up the ORV permits to 10x as much. That is just recreation and not a way of life. If you can afford the toy then you can afford the permit. Pleasure boats too. Or increase the camping fees at state parks. And charge non residents more to hunt here but leave us simple people alone.

Or maybe they could let us low income homesteader types get our licenses at a reduced rate while the "sportsmen" pay the big bucks.

Sorry, I'm just ranting here. Disregard what I say if it sounds disturbing. Just tired of the way this world is heading.

[MI_Bowhunter]

Where do our rates fall compared to other states?   Are we that much cheaper?

[Tim Fishell]

One thing we have to remember is that we just passed and proposal here in Michigan in Nov. that says all the money that we pay for license fees can only be used for conservation purposes.  Unlike before where the Government would dip into this money to cover other areas they were short in.  So I personaly am interested to see if there will be any chages in conservation effots now that the money can only be use for that sole purpose.  I to hunt state land and have been very disappointed in the amount of deer I have see in recent years and I dont mean just antlered deer.  I guess this is just my 2 cents on the subject.

[Tim Fishell]

One thing to add a 150% increase would just make the license sales go down and the poaching go up so then we would be in the same boat because in my mind the DNR would then want to hire more officers to uphold the laws.  Again just my 2cents.  Thanks Tim

[Arwin]

I kinda had the same thoughts Tim. If the licenses are too expensive then sales will go down and they won't be any further ahead. I also supported the funds going only for conservation purposes. I just hope that it's not for new computers at the DNR's headquarters. LOL!

[DarkeGreen]

They raised ours last year and it backfired. We have 4 seasons and many purchased 5 or more tags at the $15 price. When they raised the price to $25 everyone just purchased 1 bow tag and used it all year. This year they had to come up with special programs to get people to hunt more deer. They have old price on second bonus tags, tag refund for donated deer, etc. trying to get the numbers back up.

[Ray Lyon]

There is a lot to this. The ballot proposal that passed that says money must stay in the fish and game fund is somewhat misleading. Example one:
50 million in license sales plus 20 million of general fund money = 70 million

example two: 70 million in license sales and 0 dollars from general fund=70 million

I believe the general fund tranfers to the fish and game budget have been dropping, so as you can see, that may not mean much to the hunters and fisherman.

I think our license is a bargain for the entertainment value. I've spent over two hundred hours in the woods this year and it cost me $70 in license fees. That's pretty darned cheap entertainment. I think the last license rate increase approved by the legislature was in 1996 (10 years ago) and the Natural Resource Commission has raised the license fee by a dollar or two during that time. We're behind other states in what it costs us to play, but more than some too.

What is more important to me is what is really happening to the money. Some areas of the state have terrible deer herds due to poor habitat on state land and some mismanagement. Yet we also spend money on Kirtland Warbler issues and wolf population studies (non-game species), forest fire control (is this the responsability of hunters or general population), ect.  I think hunters and fisherman deserve to have a return on our investment thats proportional to what we put in an make sure our license dollars are not just covering a bigger portion of what general fund dollars should be doing.

So the bottom line is that we do have a bargain, even at twice the price, but don't take that as increase the fees and not put that back into the resource that I'm using via some accounting shuffle.

[Danel]

I grew up in MI and now live in KY.  A KY license is $40 that includes a hunting license and two deer tags.  So basicly small game, archery, muzzleloading and modern gun for $40.  Not bad.  

I do buy an out of state small game license in MI every year and grouse hunt in the Harrison area for about a week.

One idea to increase license sales in the state of MI would be to have opening day of gun season on a Sat.  This year it was on a Wed.  The cabin I hunt out of had two guys this year because of   school or work schedules wouldn't allow it.  Compair that to a year when the season opens on a Sat. and we would have 8 to 10 guys.  

Even though the hunting is good down here in KY I would make the trip to MI if the opener was on a Sat just because I like the northern MI deer camp experience.

[Ray Lyon]

Danel,

In a survey done a few years ago, 66% of hunters didn't want to change the firearm opener from the traditional November 15th date. One of the proposals was to change it to the Saturday closest to the 15th.  

Another study found that there was more travel done in years with openers that happen mid-week versus people "staying close to home" on weekend openers. I thought that was a pretty interesting statistic.

[whitebuffalo]

I remember that aq few years ago Ray.

I've been reading this 30 page proposal. I'm not dumb but not the sharpest tool in the shed and if I read correctly there also looking into how they can charge the folks that enjoy the outdoors for free. Like moral mushroom hunters,hikers,ect. If anyone is interested I have contact information that I can give you to the person that sent me this email containing this packaged proposal. Just pm me for it.

If these prices go up I will pay the price to be legal and I will still enjoy myself the best I can. But i would like to see what the lands and lakes of Michigan will get out of it will I see food plots on state lands,will I see more fish planting,will I see our resources taken to a new level that I will be happy with it. I have personally witnessed poaching,trash dumping, illegal baiting, and have reported these with no action or miminal action taken. There are a lot of people that I hunt and fish with that share a lot of the same opinions as I read here and feel that the DNR is slipping and keeping a half open eye to sportman and paying to much attn. to insurance companies, anti's,wich there lies another problem. How much time, enregy, and money do the insurance companies and the anti's suck out of the department taken them to court over hunting,tag and fishing.    

[vermonster13]

Very complicated licenseing you guys have there. Interesting axe they hold over your heads between the lines and how they use funds from hunting and fishing licenses for so many other endeavors. They are pricing the licenses up to get through to 2010/11. It would seem simpler to have a more generalized license instead of all the nickle diming going on in the existing system. Also wouldn't it have been simpler to price the license to the adjusted rate as it gives  in the chart and just build in an inflation rate increase for each year so it is small increases over time as opposed to a huge leap every 5 years as they are positioning this for?

A lot going on in those 30 pages.

[George D. Stout]

Pennsylvania hasn't had an increase in eight years and is proposing an increase of about $15.00 per license.  I think that not too many here would do without pay increases in eight years.  I could understand it better if we didn't spend much more than those increases on Coke and Pepsi in a month's time.  Not to mention beer.  How much are you putting out this Christmas for electronics?  Cell phone bills...X-Boxes, etc.   We are a bit spoiled.

[Roger Norris]

I have no problem with an increase, I think our license fee's are crazy cheap for the entertainment they provide. I only hope for a better accounting od where the money goes...

Related to this, I was in a sporting goods store yesterday, browsing through the isle while listening to 2 guys discuss the increase..."hell no I won't buy 3 doe tags next year...not for that kind of money...I never get checked anyway..."

I hope this increase doesn't bump up the poaching activity, increasing the workload for the field officers, effectively canceling out the benefits of the increase.

[DeanD]

Roger,

I think you bring in a couple valid points and are on my line of thinking...first is "accountability."  Tough to get in a government system.  But this is a substantial increase in funds and "whoever" gets this increase owes a reckoning to those who pay.  

Second, is the potential increase in poaching.  It happens.  I believe it will increase with a combo jumping to $75 which will cause a need for an increase in Field Officers.  Of course this is already needed in most counties.

I will pay the increase but it will be begrudgingly until there is a complete and full breakdown of where every dollar is to be spent.  I'm not one for handing more money to a government that has proven it's not so great with money.

Dean

[Voodoofire1]

OH Crap,if you guys are getting an increase that means we're next.....again. Monkey see,monkey do rules everything we do (at least it seems that way in Indiana).

[insttech1]

Guys here is what I actually WITNESSED last Sunday:

Two guys shot a doe with a .22 in a STATE PARK, not on state land, 100 yards off the road, and about 400 yards from the DNR station!!

Yes I tried to bust them; no I did not, because I could not get their plates!  (Long story--these guys KNEW what they were doing, and I suspect they had a decoy vehicle...got the plate # from that one, but they circled around and took the deer out from a different direction and with a different truck!)

If this is happening right in state parks that are in Southern Michigan and just barely out of highly populated areas, then HOW BAD is the poaching in the more rural areas??  

This park is frequented by runners, joggers, hikers, etc...even on that Sunday with 20-degree temps!!

So I would also agree with the higher tag/more poaching theory...

Also, speaking of state parks, the state of Michigan stopped supporting the parks two years ago.  The daily fees went from $4/day to $6/day, and the annual tag went from $20/year to $24/year.

So there has already been a 33% increase STATEWIDE  for the parks.  This is already filling some of the budgetary gap, so I am still baffled by the expanse and disproportionate percentage of any potential tag fee increase.

So some of you say there has been no increase in ten years.  I find that as incorrect.  Yes some of the tags have been "discounted", as in the full fee was not being charged.  (I'd have to go tag-by-tag to prove examples).  However, those gaps have been narrowing in the last two years--i.e. the combo tag has gone up $2, or about 7%, etc...

And some people from other states say we're spoiled and whining about fees that are so low already.  However, I see that it's either Ohio or Indiana that states that landowners/family/farmers and grandchildren or even TENANTS are not required to buy a license at all!

Don't get me wrong, guys and gals--I would support a PROPORTIONATE increase, but ONLY one that is well-explained and that is used in CONJUNCTION WITH increases in ORV permits, etc...etc...etc...

As far as the new legislation to guarantee that our license fees go to the right source, well...that well was only tapped once two or three years ago...so that legislation does little to fill any budgetary gaps that exist in reality.  All it does is guarantee that our license fees stay in the proper kitty.  It does not guarantee that the states general fund will be used to fill up the rest of the cup!

So long story short, I can live with a 10-15% increase across-the-board that is well explained.  I just will not support 150% increase just because some moron pulled that figure out of their you-know-what in a greedy attempt at exploiting those who have been paying for the majority of the budget for decades.

Just my rant....
Marc

Take Care,
Marc

[vermonster13]

Poachers are poachers regardless. License fee increase do little to affect poaching.

It is only going to get much worse if the dept. goes bankrupt and there are no Wardens in the field. Sounds like they are stretched pretty thin as it is since they haven't replaced retirees or attrition losses for several years.

Also you need to look at how they set-up the increase, it is averaged out over the next 5 years at inflation as opposed to raising it a little each year. In simple terms in 5 years this will be happening again. They need to do some long term planning or have a simple cost of inflation adjustment to bring license costs into todays dollars and then just have a built inflation adjustment to keep licenses priced at the rise of inflation so it is little bites and not a huge adjustment every 5-10 years.

[MI_Bowhunter]

I have frequently overheard people comment that they don't but a license unless they get a deer.   I think that type of activity is what will increase.  

I agree that poachers are poachers and this will probably not do much increase these numbers.

We do have a serious shortage of conservation officers.    I've called the DNR RAP (Report All Poaching) hotline on several occasions and was told that they did not have officers available to investigate.   This is definily something I would like to see changed.

[Shape Shifter]

From $35 to $75....sounds a bit steep to me. With kids in school, paying a mortage, paying for this and that...I got into hunting to relax and enjoy the outdoors. I never will be a trophy hunter cause I can't afford it.Pretty soon I won't be able to afford a license and thats gonna hurt me the most.