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Michigan hunting tag price going up! updated with contact info

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whitebuffalo:
Not sure how I feel about it yet. I know the inflation on alot of my normal objects in life have gone up in price namely Gasoline,milk,ect. I see their isues as well but I'm haveing a hard time parting with the cheeper tag prices of now. I also keep in mind what this could do for or state and our protection from anit's,loosing huntin ground ect. Theres more than just little old me in the big old picture of our resources in our great state. Anyway I emailed them cause I heard rumor and the nice lady down at the state office sent me this I thought I would share.Click on the link to see there proposal.


In January 2006, I appointed a Hunting and Fishing License Package
Development Work Group.  This work group was chaired by Natural Resources
Commissioner Frank Wheatlake, chairman of the Natural Resources
Commission (NRC) Policy Committee on Finance and Administration, and was
comprised of representatives from conservation groups throughout the state.  
The group was charged with developing revisions to the current hunting
and fishing license fee structure, which would address the projected
deficits in the Game and Fish Protection Fund and continue the state’s
work in conservation efforts.  The work group met ten times over the
course of the year and finalized its recommendations this fall.

The work group presented its recommendations to the NRC on November 9,
2006.  The NRC accepted and approved the report which can be accessed
at:    http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/final_report_177934_7.pdf     Some of the highlights of the report are:

*   The last hunting and fishing license fee package was approved in
1996.
*   If nothing changes, the Game and Fish Protection Fund will have a
projected deficit of $9 million to $11 million by Fiscal Year 2007-2008,
due to decreasing license sales and inflationary impacts.
*   Hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing contribute over $3 billion
annually to Michigan’s economy.
*   Cuts in conservation programs not only threaten our fish, wildlife
and public land resources, they also threaten Michigan’s economy.
*   Recommended fee increases will accommodate inflationary impacts and
make Michigan’s fees commensurate with surrounding states.
*   The Department of Natural Resources should seek legislative authority
to discount license fees.
*   Senior discounts would be decreased from 60 percent to 20 percent to
reflect the 2002 elimination of the General Fund subsidy and to be more
in line with senior discounts in the private sector.

The NRC and work group will be working diligently to garner support for
this license package as it progresses through the legislative process.  
Approval of the fee increase will begin to provide the financial
support needed to continue the conservation, protection, management, use, and
enjoyment of the state’s natural resources.  Please feel free to
contact Teresa Gloden, Assistant to the NRC, at 517-373-2352, if you have
any questions.

Thank you for your interest in Michigan’s natural resources.

Sincerely,


Keith J. Charters
Chair
Natural Resources Commission

Dalebow:
Hey Id buy a tag if someone would invite me to hunt in MI:-)

Arwin:
I think it is hard to justify raising the license fee. Hunting on mostly state land, I don't see the improvements in the habitat or deer quality to make me want to pay more.
 I'm by far not a trophy hunter, but it would be nice if our deer were managed so that an average hunter doesn't have to spend all season just to try and find a year and a half old buck. And that is what is mostly out in the area I hunt. You sure don't have to try hard if you want to kill a doe, theres thousands of them!
 The majority(15 or more,I forget) of the doe I have taken were between 3.5 to 5 years of age. The 4 bucks I have taken were all 1.5 in age (I try to hold out till the end). I have started passing up bucks this age this year to see what else is out there. I've only had an encounter with one buck that was over 2yrs. old. And trust me, I've put some hours in on stand and in a ton of different areas, doing all the things a carefull bowhunter should do! I know someone occasionally gets lucky and tags a good one, but I think our heard is too mismanaged to pay a big price for hunting scrub bucks and doe.
 I wonder what that is doing for our herd? A bunch of mature doe being bred by 1.5yr. old bucks. Hmmmmmm..........

vermonster13:
You haven't had an increase in 10 years, hard to complain to loudly. A lot of states will be having increases in the next year or face running in the red which is not a good thing. If the departments can't be supported by license fees, what do you think will happen next?

Bobby Urban:
as long as it continues to fund hunting and nothing else I don't mind.  As a resident in Michigan you can pretty much fish(all species) hunt all animals taking 3-5 deer and trap for under $150.00.  Hard to beat the price of entertainment around here.

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