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| I personally didn't fish in WI last year, thus didn't buy a fishing license because of the cost, and the fact that I wasn't going to make it up there more than twice if I was lucky. I also didn't buy a Wisc non resident deer license because I couldn't justify paying five times as much to shoot a deer in WI as opposed to my home state of MN. Maybe its time the gap closes a little bit between resident and non resident license fees. My family owns two properties in WI, and pays A LOT of property taxes on them. In return we get gouged when we buy our annual fishing/hunting licenses. IF I fished there every weekend, it definitely would change my opinion on the fishing license. $35 is not that much money for a full season. However, the deer license is currently $165, I think?, and I only need one deer a year. Factor in travel costs and time invested, that's some expensive venison. I guess my point is, fishing and hunting have always been relatively inexpensive hobbies, and I don't see how someone can compare taking the family to an overpriced football game at $65 a seat, drinking $8 beers and eating $5 Brats, to fishing. Why is everybody so quick to say it's OK to jack up the prices just because they're so reasonable now. I'd like to see a way to raise the money from the guys who use the resources more than a couple times a year. They seem to be the ones that are more OK with the increases. How this would be accomplished, I don't know. Maybe increase boat registration fees, or tax on live bait. I just would hate to see license fees get trendy like everything else has. The average guy can't take his whole family anywhere anymore. |
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| I see your point very clearly. Those non-resident deer licenses are unjustifiably steep - there is no good reason for it ! I have a friend who also has to pay that non-resident fee for deer hunting - if he wants to join the hunt. I can get one $20-$30 and he has to pay the $156 - he has complained a lot - especially when he goes home empty! I would admit - the cost causer should pay the cost. It would be more equitable to have those who impose the costs - pay the costs - even though it would be impossible to precisely assign costs to each individual. For the deer hunter who comes in for 2 days and leaves and is a non-resident - they subsidize the residents who hunt on that tag for 10 days and with the extended seasons much longer. So your point is well taken.
WI needs to be open arms and welcoming to non-residents - keeping fees way down and encouraging tourism. It will be a huge economic gain if WI attracts more non-resident anglers & hunters - no doubt about it. It is shortsighted and myopic to jab visitors with stiff fees for fishing/hunting priviledges. Ontario knows all about this - they work hard to keep their non-resident fees down and as a result people flood up there to enjoy outdoor activities. This is a big deal to their economy - no doubt! |
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Location: McHenry, IL | Is that the new price or proposed price for out of staters? |
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Posts: 189
Location: Barrington, Il | There is no such thing as an out of state lift ticket. The comparison does not work. Although being a skier I think they should charge snowboarders more.
Jeff |
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Posts: 1046
| One of the largest out-of-state violations is non-residents buying resident licenses because they own some property in WI> They can raise it to what ever they want, a big percentage will cheat anyways! Sad , but true! Its not right at all! |
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