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Last chance to buy licenses before new fee takes
effect |
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April 25, 2017 |
By Roger Phillips
IDFG Public Information Specialist
Hunters, anglers and trappers will see new
prices starting May 1 with the addition of a $5
access/depredation fee for resident adults and
$10 for nonresident adults when they buy their
first annual license.
The new fee will pay for land access for
sportsmen and women, and depredation prevention
and payments to farmers and ranchers if big game
damages their operations.
Fish and Game commissioners recognized that
maintaining abundant big game herds means
increased responsibility to mitigate for their
effects to farmers’ and ranchers’ livelihoods.
Animals can do significant damage to crops,
haystacks and other agriculture commodities.
Commissioners also want to enhance access to
private lands for hunting, fishing and trapping
in response to changing patterns of land
ownership, changing traditional access, and the
growing need to compensate private landowners
for access.
The Access/Depredation fee is expected to raise
$1 million annually for sportsmen’s access, and
another $1 million annually for depredation
prevention and damage compensation.
The fee will also be applied to other annual
licenses with a $2 fee charged for junior,
senior, Disabled American Veteran and military
furlough licenses. A $4 fee will be charged to
nonresident junior and Disabled American Veteran
licenses.
Anyone who already bought, or who buys an annual
2017 hunting, fishing or trapping license before
May 1 is exempt from the new fee for this year.
Also, those who buy a three-year license will
only be charged for two years of the fee.
The new fee is in addition to “Price Lock,”
which takes effect when 2018 licenses go on sale
in December. Under Price Lock, anyone who buys
any resident annual license (hunting, fishing,
trapping, combination, Sportsman’s package,
etc.) is exempt from the 20-percent fee increase
for 2018 licenses and permits. However, all
license buyers must still pay the
Access/Depredation fee annually.
For at least five years, resident hunters,
anglers and trappers will pay 2017 prices for
licenses and tags as long as they buy any annual
license each year, which locks them in at 2017
prices for all other licenses and tags. |
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