WDFW Proposed pricing for 2011

[Snapshot]

Hopefully WDFW is one of the agencies taking furlough days.

WDFW does participate in the furlough days.

...and they did lay off a number of people a year or so ago.

[wence5]

My feelings are this, is this increase going to make a better hunting experience, or will the quality of the hunts continue at the same level or decrease, and just add to the WDFW revenue stream to hold the status quo? The number of hunters have been on the decrease for several years, and in my view the WDFW is just interested in revenue enhancement to maintain the stream, not to improve the quality of the  hunting/fishing experience.
Since I moved to Washington in 1992 (Oregon transplant) the opportunities have been downsized rather quickly. For example I'll use GMU 564 (Battleground). When I purchased a modern rifle tag for deer I could hunt in this unit with bow, muzzle loader, shotgun, or handgun on my modern rifle tag through the end of December. This was a wonderful opportunity to be in the field longer. Now that is not the case. The 564 is closed to modern rifle tag holders at the end of late buck season. I used to like to go to GMU 578 (West Klickitat) and 388 (Greyback) for modern rifle late buck, can't do that any more, it has gone to a draw only and last year GMU 578 had 40 tags with 998 applicants, and GMU 388 had 40 tags with 1448 applicants. $2436 that was generated from these two hunts alone, that used to be general season late buck.  
I guess that I see this move as a total money grab, with little for me as a consumer to get excited about, except less money in my pocket if I want to go hunting.

[norsepeak]

my paycheck didn't go up, I just have to tighten my budget and live within my means, so the game dept. should do the same.  They can take their increases and shove them in their.........

[bigtex]

my paycheck didn't go up, I just have to tighten my budget and live within my means, so the game dept. should do the same.  They can take their increases and shove them in their.........

So in 15 years your paycheck hasn't gone up??? Because the last significant increase in licenses was about 15 years ago.

[Wea300mag]

So in 15 years your paycheck hasn't gone up??? Because the last significant increase in licenses was about 15 years ago.

Come on now!!! Post up some numbers if you are going to make a ridiculous statement like that.

[gadwall]

A note here.  Just as cars cost more than they did in the '70s, so does everything else.  I don't like some of the changes that are made and the cost associated ($, opportunity etc.).  Most of us watch the news and need to keep in mind that all state agencies are subject to the legislature for at least part of their funding so new fundraising strategies need to be employed when funding shrinks.

 


Gadwall

[TheHunt]

I agree these prices will
1.  Increase poaching, a lot...   Most good old boys will turn their head.
2.  Make individuals think more serously about hunting out of state and not even put in for a WA hunt.
3.  Big game hunters will buy licenses just to put in for a good hunt.  If they are not drawn they hunt out of state.  The state will collect the money, but that is what the WDFW are after any way.  But they will only put in for an OIL tag or just deer and elk. 
4.  Most will not buy the hunting license as they will go for the fishing.  They will be meat fishing and screw the rules bring the kids down to collect their four salmon, poach a deer or two with a bow and they just fed their family. 

This should be a good experiment to watch the results. 

[Bob33]

Here's a table showing 2000 prices compared to 2010 prices, with the CPI also listed for reference.
[smg id=10045]

[Kain]

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,61426.msg763542.html#msg763542

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,60946.msg755337.html#msg755337

Couple of other threads on the subject.  Feel free to use any of my posts.

[bigtex]

I don't get why so many people are so pissed off with license increases, the license is usually the cheapest part of my hunting season. I buy the big game combo with all 4 species for about $80. By the time I gas up my truck, buy food, gear, amo, etc I have already spent more for one trip then I do for a license! I went fishing on the Hump a couple weeks ago and it cost me $54 in gas round trip, which is more then a combo fishing license. Do you really think increasing the big game license by say $20 is really going to drop that many people off from hunting? Considering $20 is only about 7 gallons is gas these days. I know people who are unemployed who still get their combo license and hunt every weekend. Hell if they wanted to raise it by $40 if it was to go to increased enforcement I wouldnt care.

It would be interesting if you were to list all of the purchases you made for hunting season (ammo, gas, food, gear, butcher, etc) and see how that compares to your license. I am willing to bet the license would make up maybe 25% of your total spending.

[bigtex]

I agree these prices will
1.  Increase poaching, a lot...   Most good old boys will turn their head.

I worked many years in enforcement and there is no connection between an increase in fees and poaching. People who want to break the laws will do so, no matter if the license is $5 or $500. Besides a lot of the "thrill killing" poaching we are seeing now are drunk/high high school/college kids. Most do not hunt, they are shooters who just want a live target.

[WAcoueshunter]

Here's a table showing 2000 prices compared to 2010 prices, with the CPI also listed for reference.
[smg id=10045]

Thanks Bob33 for bringing some reality to this forum.  

[bigtex]

Here's a table showing 2000 prices compared to 2010 prices, with the CPI also listed for reference.
[smg id=10045]

You also forgot to add in that the 10% surcharge on all licenses goes away after this year....

[bobcat]

It would be interesting if you were to list all of the purchases you made for hunting season (ammo, gas, food, gear, butcher, etc) and see how that compares to your license. I am willing to bet the license would make up maybe 25% of your total spending.

25%?  No way, that is way too high. For me it would be somewhere between 1% and 5%. I spend money on gas and other things related to hunting all year 'round. The license fee is a very, very small part of the total cost. Actually if you include the cost of a truck, and RV, rifles, optics, etc.-- even the 1% to 5% guess might be too high. If I didn't hunt, I wouldn't have spent $40,000 on a truck and I probably would not have spent $10,000 on an RV.

Spending around $100 for a hunting license and all the tags for a year's hunting is nothing.

[bigtex]

It would be interesting if you were to list all of the purchases you made for hunting season (ammo, gas, food, gear, butcher, etc) and see how that compares to your license. I am willing to bet the license would make up maybe 25% of your total spending.

25%?  No way, that is way too high. For me it would be somewhere between 1% and 5%. I spend money on gas and other things related to hunting all year 'round. The license fee is a very, very small part of the total cost. Actually if you include the cost of a truck, and RV, rifles, optics, etc.-- even the 1% to 5% guess might be too high. If I didn't hunt, I wouldn't have spent $40,000 on a truck and I probably would not have spent $10,000 on an RV.

Spending around $100 for a hunting license and all the tags for a year's hunting is nothing.

 
Totally agree