Photo Credit: Ron Graham-Becker
In a day and age when a dozen eggs costs my family $8.00 at our local supermarket and it’s almost impossible to “go out” for a meal with my family for less than $100, it seems to make sense that a bill in the Wyoming legislature is proposing an increase for hunting application fees. 400% is the round number being discussed and it seems like a lot but what does that actually look like?
“House Bill 2 would boost resident hunting license application fees from $5 to $20. Fees for nonresident hunters would jump from $15 to $75.” – Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily.
There has been no discussion of raising tag prices, yet. . . but raising the price to apply for limited quota tags in my home state to $20 dollars won’t prevent me from applying as I know that wildlife management is expensive. While I don’t agree with everything that the Wyoming Game and Fish does, I do understand how difficult their jobs are and believe that overall WYGFD does a marvelous job managing the state’s wildlife and fish.
If paying $15 more to apply for limited quota tags means that more of my money goes to better wildlife in Wyoming, I’m good with that.
Nonresident application fees jumping to $75 may have an interesting impact on who actually applies for tags versus who just buys a point and could very well step up the rate of “point creep” for Wyoming’s coveted Blue-Chip elk, deer and pronghorn hunt areas. Only time will tell.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this topic and will also be keeping close tabs on whether or not this bill actually passes.
24 comments
I don’t have any issue with raising the application fee as a Wyoming resident. It hasn’t changed in many, many years, so it was probably due. It might make people a little more selective as to how many applications they submit.
Didn’t Wyoming cut the number of “trophy” nonresident permits recently? Also nonresident s finance about 75 % of the WGF budget, I’ve read. So in order for the department to keep going, there’s now a bill to shaft the nonresident again. A flat-out $75.00 just to put in? Ridiculous
I live in Missouri and have hunted the Snowy Range Area many times. I’m not concerned about the increase in non-resident application fee, but point creep REALLY worries me!! I’m 76, and would like to be able to go after one last dream bull. As it stands now, I don’t know if that will happen for me again!
Wyoming is way behind in the cost of hunting tags, Colorado tags are way higher. Out of state elk tags are several hundred dollars. Wyoming needs to look at surrounding states and keep up with cost, it would provide for building better herds and better trophy’s
You really want to get in bed with Colorado and the way they do things?
As a hunter, I have pumped many, many dollars into Wyoming and their economy through hunting applications, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation. Now that I’m retired, it is hard to meet the high demand of Wyoming’s greed. I still have never drawn a hunt tag, so I have NEVER realized any benefit from all of the money that I’ve poured into the treasury. This proposal is an abuse of the thousands of nonresident hunters that have supported the wildlife division for so many years, and desire to continue to do so. I’m a military veteran, and a Law Enforcement veteran, and Wyoming has locked up our federal public lands in the wilderness areas from nonresidents without a guide. The very things that I fought for are denied me, and now Wyoming wants to heap the final insult on top.
I couldn’t agree with you more.
I have been coming to Wyoming for 30 years, after dreaming all my life about doing it. I think that $75 application fee for non-res is absurd, but if $20 deters Wyo-res from applying for tags, that leaves more tags for non-res. That works also. There is no need for this.
I am not in favor of this, the only animal I apply limited quota for is antilope. And I have only drawn 1 year out of 6, and I don’t put in for areas that are hard to draw. Too much for a non refundable application fee.
All the licenses and tags need raised a little to spread it out .it takes money to operate .
Nice thought that it’s going to improve wildlife, the same can be said for trimming fat from a typical bloated government agency. Check out their job listing’s and see the incredible duplicity and jobs for assistant, assistant to the assistant etc. Aside from that I know numerous individuals (young folks) that have trouble affording current fees and adding to this will only make things worse. Non residents pay enough for the tags as well and I can say this is going to hurt youth recruitment which is already an issue. Someone posted Wyoming is behind the other states, so what? High fees are what keeps me from applying in the other western states . Urge your local rep to vote NO on this and introduce a bill to cut the waste in the department instead.
Came to your comment to hit the “like” button!
It seems ridiculous. I put in for three species in Wyoming every year. Now between the application fees and the preference point fees, it’s over $300 just to apply as a non-resident. Tag prices went up and tag allocation went down a few years ago for non-resident Elk.
JB
Wont be long and we will all have to just stick to hunting our home states. I’m sure that’s fine for some, and will make some residents happy. But in the long run pricing out nonresidents will then place the burden of all management costs on residents when the out of state hunters have decided enough is enough. I have to say that I am pretty close to tapping out of buying a license in half a dozen states, paying high application and tag fees, and generally feeling unwelcome unless I open my wallet and pour it all out. Just my .02 cents.
Growing up, I was told over and over, now at 74 I believe what I was told! “Some day, hunting will be a rich mans sport and everyone else will go by the wayside!” with fees for hunting property, guide fees, travel cost and license/app fees I think/know now it seems to be true. I’m almost glad I don’t have may years left to hunt and managed to get some good hunting over the years where I felt welcome.
Can’t Wyoming just be satisfied. The price hikes and fees are just getting insane there. You can dang near do a guided hunt for the cost of some of these tags now. Gosh dang let the dust settle a little bit.
If Wyoming is going to raise fees on non-residents, then make those fees fully or at least 90% refundable (“processing fee”; $7.50) when unsuccessful on the draw. Of course, they won’t do that, ending up with less from the non-residents than they get now.
Getting to a point that you are out pricing the trip!…. The area I hunt CWD has killed 75% of the deer and now I need to pay more to hunt else game. There a cut off point…. I know there a lot of ways to look at it. Game laws are under attack by liberals more very year! Running off hunter give shit is not going to way to help fight it!… Colorado lion season was example of hunters giving a shit!!!!
Timely article. Had to swallow hard this past week when my Cabela’s credit card alert notified me of a +$2,000 charge for a non-resident special elk tag. Even with 5 preference points – if you want to hunt the Thorofare – that’s what it costs.
I have been lucky to have been able to hunt Wyoming for over 30 years. Tags were abundant and reasonable. I feel sorry for the YOUNG people out of state who won’t have the opportunity to hunt Wyoming because , a lot can’t afford it. Once I burn the rest of my points I’ll be done hunting Wyoming.
75.00 is to much of a jump for a app fee. Out of state hunters contribute millions of dollars to the beautiful state of Wyoming in lodging, food, booze, fuel ect .I do this year around with fishing as well. I’m pretty sure as it stands now Out of state recreationist are a huge part in preserving Wyoming help keeping it Wyoming wild. Go easy on us.
Like all government departments in the USA, wildlife departments need to spend less, not tax more, and make no mistake, these are tax increases.
Your headline is click bait, as usual for Eastman’s. And you are not paying attention to the Bills that will actually change hunting!
Washington state only charges 8 dollars for applications to hunt animals that no longer exist in the state. Thanks to hoof rot and now that the wolves have completely decimated the elk herds in the state. Thanks to ignorance and the liberal demwits the state is no longer is viable for conservation