https://newschannel9.com/sports/out...g-and-boating-fee-increases-coming-this-week# I highly recommend you read the link in its entirety. Some fees will go up but there are other instances where fees will go down. If you think hunting and fishing are expensive, price 18 holes of golf with and without cart. Plus, you can't eat the golf balls.
Really, if you think about it, hunting and fishing licenses are generally rather cheap, considering how much fun/enjoyment you have pursuing both of these passtimes. I've never had a problem with a price increase with either of them.
When hunting license cost more than lunch at McDonald's or a cup of coffee at Starbucks it's obviously to expensive to eat or drink, but not to hunt! All jokes aside the cost of most resident license is very reasonable. Out of state is becoming a hurdle for the average Joe.
TN public lands are not great. For what TWRA charges for licensing and permits, it's not worth it. How many first time people that want to hunt/fish are going to spend upwards of $100-200 to do it. How can they even navigate the licensing process with ease? I've held a TN license for 20 years, I still can't figure out if I ever have the correct permits or fees; how well does "I didn't know" or "I thought I had the right one" work with game wardens? For me, I have not seen the benefit to the increased costs over the years. They say cost of management have gone up, but what mitigation have they done to work within a budget/etc.. Private hunting lands are disappearing at an alarmingly fast rate in TN, especially my area; high prices keep people like me out of the market, then big box builders/developers buy and clear these lands for profit. What has TWRA or the state done to support these fees? That's my rant.
TWRA is completely self-funded so license fees pay for the bulk of the agency's work. They do not receive a penny from the general funds. Look at the states where anti-hunting people are on the G&F commission. People gripe that they pay taxes and should be represented. Tennessee is facing the same thing as other areas. I live in Cleveland and land is at a premium. Knew a guy who hunted quail along a creek that was upset by a street. I also lived in Louisiana for six years. Most private land was in leases. You either paid for a lease which could go into thousands of bucks or hunted public land. Price 18 holes of golf ; figure one round a week and see what that costs over a year. Note some courses require a cart on weekends to speed up play. More money. I'll take hunting. Golf balls are hard to digest.
If hunters aren’t willing to step up for the resource then who will? Start deferring costs to other groups and you might not like their input about how the pie is divided..
Recently I read a proposal for a state that called for a recreational license or permit to utilize a management area and use the money to share in upkeep for it. Part of our management areas are national forest land so a state license might not fly. State WMAs could require the recreational license or permit.
