Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Non-Resident Tag Fees

Different thread got me pondering...


What does your state charge for non resident deer tags (whitetail). Are they OTC or are preference points/draws applicable? Do they whack you for a general hunting license and habitat fund charges as well as the tag itself?


WI is $160 for a gun deer or archery license. They've got a "First Time Buyer" non-res gun deer or archery now for $79.75 (also available to persons that haven't purchased a non res tag for the previous 10 years). Under 12 non res is $7. Non res student I believe is $24. No preference points. No general license required. No extra habitat fee.


Seems compared to other states (looking at you Iowa) and western states WI is practically giving tags away.....


Fair? Not Fair? Discuss.






*Personally I'd like to see WI start to charge non resident purchasers their own state of residence's non-res fees.

For instance - IA preference points are $60.50 (say it takes 5 points or better to have a good chance to draw). Non resident hunting license is $131. Habitat fee is $15. Actual tag is $498 for 1 either sex and and antlerless. SOOOO, IA resident wants a deer license in WI go ahead and buy it OTC - that'll be $946.50, you get one either sex and one anterlerless tag, and you're not eligible to purchase another for 5 years.

Draw for all here, NRs that is in Wyoming.
Big price increase thanks to the outfitters in our state but only for part of the allotment in the NR draw.
I believe a Special draw deer tag in Wyoming will cost $1200 or so in 2024 but we still have regular priced deer licenses that are $373 or so.
Wyoming does offer doe tags for $34 to NRs.

I know if I want to go to Texas and shoot a doe it would cost me $315 or so for NR license but have multiple tags on it.

Here in TX a regular general hunting license is $25 for residents and it is $315 for non-residents. Most the people I know in TX splurge for the resident super combo for $68 which covers all licenses for big game, small game, upland game, freshwater and saltwater fishing as well as archery endorsements etc.... That license is not offered to non-residents.

$115 here and include deer, bear, and turkey.

PA is still $102 for a NR buck and turkey tags. Everything else is extra. I don't think it's changed in years. Ohio has inched up into the $250 range for 1 buck tag. Everything else is extra. NY is $100 for a big/small game license that includes 1 buck and 1 bear tag. Archery, muzzle loader, doe and turkey tags are extra.

Until I see DNR groups actually managing deer herds for the herd and habitat - I kinda feel like NR vs R fees doesn't mean much.

Reality is - the average hunting landowner is probably doing more to maintain the health of deer hunting (all be it super local level but combine them) than the DNR is.

I'm 100% a NR hunter - I do not hunt in WI where I live but hunt MI where I have land. I've always paid the extra, under the idea that somehow I was taking advantage of the work/money being paid in by Resident hunters to manage the herd.

Understand the thought - disagree on the execution. I'm not swooping into the UP to shoot a deer that someone else financed lol. It's my land, my improvements, my agreements with the neighbors that have created the heath of the herd I see and work with.

The DNR takes the money - uses it everywhere else but deer it seems. Which - whatever.

I could be convinced non-res landowner is a different issue.

New Jersey is reciprocal to your state. Last year I spent $1300 on a moose and caribou tag in New Foundland. $315 in Texas to hunt hunt deer, at least in Texas you get a bunch of deer and turkey tags. This year it's elk and deer in New Mexico, elk in Colorado and deer in Texas. It ain't cheap but at least I can afford it.

That's an interesting approach. Seems MI, MN and WI have similar fee structures.

I recalling reading in the MJS that WI gets hunters from all 50 states and a host of foreign countries for the gun deer season – that surprised the hell out of me.

Good find, my friend. And that's just 4 counties - very good counties to be in a tree stand too.

I'd seen it in a CWD write-up that used it as an example of the potential for deer pieces and parts to get scattered to the wind.

I always found it strange that western states changed out of state hunters to hunt on government land. My own state hunting license should be good to hunt on government land anywhere. Just like my drivers license is good to drive on public roads anywhere………Hasbeen.

It doesn't work that way. It's been hashed out countless times here on the fire. Talk about beating a dead horse. Geeze

Does not really matter how many times it’s been discussed. It’s still wrong to charge different prices to people to hunt land owned by all . Hasbeen

In South Carolina a NR license and tag will cost $225 for license and $110 for tags. That will be 4 bucks (2 of them have to be 4points on one side or 12 in minimum spread.
In todays market $335 for 4 deer isn’t too bad. No draw. Over the counter.

GreggH

That makes good sense Mike, you are right

You are a fool. The game animals belong to the individual states. SCOTUS has ruled that way. You have the right to use any federally owned lands in the nation. They are not charging non-residents anything to use the land. You want to go to a national forest? Go. You want to go to BLM land? Go. You wanting to go to National Grasslands? Go. Nobody stopping you and nobody is charging you. But the federal govt doesn't own the game, the people in the individual states do and it is the states that issues hunting licenses. Period.

Alabama NR all species including deer and turkey is $350 for annual license or $216 for a 10 day trip , or $153 for a 3 day license. Me… free

This was added to Public Law 109-13 and signed into law in 2005 or 2006.
Look up Section 6036
Don't like it get the law changed or get hunting stopped on Federal lands, and that would be for all if it happens.


Reported to Senate (04/21/2005)
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 339 Reported in Senate (RS)]






Calendar No. 85
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 339

To reaffirm the authority of States to regulate certain hunting and
fishing activities.


_______________________________________________________________________


IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 9, 2005

Mr. Reid (for himself, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska,
Mr. Ensign, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Salazar,
Mr. Craig, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Thomas, and Mr. Kyl) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary

April 21, 2005

Reported by Mr. Specter, without amendment

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL



To reaffirm the authority of States to regulate certain hunting and
fishing activities.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Reaffirmation of State Regulation of
Resident and Nonresident Hunting and Fishing Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY AND CONSTRUCTION OF CONGRESSIONAL
SILENCE.

(a) In General.--It is the policy of Congress that it is in the
public interest for each State to continue to regulate the taking for
any purpose of fish and wildlife within its boundaries, including by
means of laws or regulations that differentiate between residents and
nonresidents of such State with respect to the availability of licenses
or permits for taking of particular species of fish or wildlife, the
kind and numbers of fish and wildlife that may be taken, or the fees
charged in connection with issuance of licenses or permits for hunting
or fishing.
(b) Construction of Congressional Silence.--Silence on the part of
Congress shall not be construed to impose any barrier under clause 3 of
Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution (commonly referred to as the
``commerce clause'') to the regulation of hunting or fishing by a State
or Indian tribe.

SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed--
(1) to limit the applicability or effect of any Federal law
related to the protection or management of fish or wildlife or
to the regulation of commerce;
(2) to limit the authority of the United States to prohibit
hunting or fishing on any portion of the lands owned by the
United States; or
(3) to abrogate, abridge, affect, modify, supersede or
alter any treaty-reserved right or other right of any Indian
tribe as recognized by any other means, including, but not
limited to, agreements with the United States, Executive
Orders, statutes, and judicial decrees, and by Federal law.

SEC. 4. STATE DEFINED.

For purposes of this Act, the term ``State'' includes the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands.




Calendar No. 85

109th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 339

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To reaffirm the authority of States to regulate certain hunting and
fishing activities.

_______________________________________________________________________

April 21, 2005

Reported without amendment

You can access the land all you want. Wildlife including big game and fish don't belong to all, they belong to the people of each state.

Does your state charge more for non-resident hunters and fishermen?

Don’t have to worry about preference points here but I live in NC and do most of my hunting in S.C.

even though I own property in S.C. and pay a fortune in Property taxes I still have to spend $500 / year for myself and another $500 / year for my son for us to be able to legally hunt and fish my own land.

Not only are non resident licenses in South Carolina a lot more expensive than resident licenses, but the bag limits are tighter too. For example, Joe Redneck who lives in a trailer in South Carolina gets 3 turkey tags. As a non resident landowner who spends more time and money than I can to admit managing my land for turkey I only get 2 tags

I was born and raised in CO. After I retired from active duty I settled in TX but still own property in CO that I pay taxes on every year but if I want to hunt in CO I have to pay non res fees. It is what it is.

$102 gets you a NR hunting license over the counter or online in VT. It comes with a rifle season buck tag and one bear tag…maybe turkey tags too; I forget. A VT resident can hunt on his/her own land without a license. Nonresident landowners need a license. I just go online and print a new resident license every January…no charge. I paid my $50 years ago.

i do agree with your post ,what the problem is these western states are just too greedy with us so called non-residents and alot of the land in these western states is also Federal land that we all own . in June this year 2023 the section corner lawsuit starts in Wyoming this might change these western states non-resident prices too and/ or who knows maybe the Federal land we all own might change the price of a non resident license to a resident ? how can they tell us Federal land is non-Resident ? we were born in America we are all residents.

But you are not a resident of Wyoming and the game belongs to the state. If you don't like the price hunt elk at home. Most of the states have deer, turkey and maybe black bear. Small game is mostly lost. The western states are charged with all the crap that goes with the endangered species act. I don't dislike nonres. hunters, but living in Wy. with the long distances, cold weather and all the other problems is a hassle... I am sorry if you don't like the game don't play. Hunt elk at home simple.

It does NOT matter if the land if federally owned! Nobody is saying you cannot use the land. You want to go to the National Forest? Go. You want to go to the National Grassland? Go. You want to go to BLM land? Go. You want to go to a National Park? Go. You want to go to a National Wildlife Refuge? Go. Nobody is stopping you!

But, and this is a big but that seems to be lost on many folks, the Fed Govt DOES NOT control the hunting licenses or rules in the states. Both the Govt itself and the SCOTUS have ruled that issuing hunting license is up to the states. Only an IDIOT would want the federal govt in charge of it. Do you really want someone like Pelosi or AOC having any input on your ability to hunt?

There is that pissant attitude again.

Arkansas Non resident All game hunting is 350 for a year or can be bought in trips 1 day 55, 3 day 125, 5 day 180, State duck stamp 35. Some WMAs are open for everyone and some you have to draw for deer and turkey. Most you can Hunt Archery without a Draw. Bear is a quota system. Have to call in daily to see if quota is met. There are some big tracts of National Forest land and many WMAs Scattered all over the state.

As an Arkansas resident, I can pay $35.50 to hunt. But I load my license up with extra stuff I don't need like federal duck, AR waterfowl, turkey, etc. stamps to support conservation programs in the state so I wind up paying a bit over $100 ($117 maybe?). I have a good Louisiana friend who has a great hunting camp in Mississippi. So paying the non-resident licensing isn't as much of a burden since I can otherwise hunt there cheaply & often. I paid around $475 this last year for their NR MS Super Sportsman license. It looks like it's going up to $514 this year. In Louisiana, I just get a NR Fishing license since since I haven't hunted there since I was in college. I'll pay around $750 for licenses in three states this year. Whenever I hunt in Texas I usually just get a license for a few days since this isn't a regular thing. All together it's not cheap but for the number of days I spend outdoors & the amount of enjoyment I have, I think it's worth it. If it ever becomes problematic I can always just stay local & pay the minimum.

Read the law posted pissant. Change it if you don't like it.

Idaho has both whitetails and mulies. In general - with lots of overlap - WT's are in the north half of the state and mulies in the south.
A NR license is $185, a deer tag is $350. Be sure to buy some wolf tags while you're at it. NR tags are only $30 and you can buy an unlimited number of them.
The issue isn't the cost, it's the availability of NR tags. We have both OTC and draw hunts. Most draw hunts have low odds of drawing and NR hunters are limited to 10% of the tags in any particular hunt.
The OTC tags are a whole different ball game. All NR OTC tags, deer and elk, are put on sale online on Dec 1 and it's a madhouse to get one. This year, they put about 30k tags on sale online all at the same time, 1st come 1st served. There were something like 64k hunters online all at the same time to get them. It was an unprecedented number of hunters and it crashed the system. They'll have to do something different this year but we won't know what until fall.

So you agree with every court ruling. And you call me a fool. Lol.
Everyone should have the same rights. And not be charged more to hunt on land owned by all. Tags on government land should cost everyone the same money. Hasbeen

Our constitution created the court system to settle disputes. No matter what the decision, one side will disagree. That's what happened years ago with wildlife. The SCOTUS decided that the states owned all wildlife and they have the final word. Of course many don't agree, just like with any other court decision. If you don't like it, you can take it up with the court. Good luck with that.

At the same time, the states also own all the wildlife on private land. That doesn't apply to pen raised animals which are livestock.

He wont do that. He is just a punk that likes to talk tough and complain. He does the same thing on the TX Hunting Forum.

Can’t believe a thread started out as a question about fees in different members states and it turns into a bitch fest about nothing to do about the OP. Amazing.


GreggH

It’s the Campfire way. Find an argument or make one!

If I went to Oklahoma, hunted deer on the Rez. it would be free.

I have yet to partake in this.

I think, it's some people's quest to start a crap-fire.

It's not just a court ruling, IT IS A LAW now passed in 2005-2006 and on the books. Change the law or quit complaining. Best yet, don't move to a Western state with your views.

let`s wait and see what happens with the section corner rule in Wyoming this year. i believe all of us will be able to corner cross the corners in all states and the people that own land in these situations that don`t agree have been way to selfish for many years .

I have to admit I'm glad WI is as reasonable as it is for non-res tags. A good number of the hunting camp kids moved out of state after HS or college. Having them come back to hunt, often with their kids, helps keep the camp going. Having a few youngin' 2A fans in NY city and SF, CA don't suck, either.

Oklahoma - Non-Resident Deer $300
Does not include "tag" - $20
Some public access areas require land use fees and trespass fees above and beyond hunting license and tags.

$760 in Montana when it's all said and done. Getting ridiculous....

Mn. $185 NR deer. I bought a lifetime license years ago. Still good even though I am no longer a resident.

yes it is

How long have you been here? This is standard procedure on the fire.

That's right, I think there's even a sticky note at the top of the forum that says no thread can go more than 3 pages without a tangent.

And I'm not ogiving either.

B’ and Smoke’,

Flabbergasted a simple question about a expense question turns into teenage girl responses. The question was how much in your state? Can not anyone just answer $xx? Not that hard!

GreggH

This is going to be a big fight if the court says we can corner cross . The western residents here say ," you can go on federal land all you want".. However there is a lot of land that non residents and residents cant go on. It was the dumbest thing to cross corner federal land . I never saw anything like it in the midwest. I hope the court lets us cross corner. It only makes sense . However you can bet there will be some real A holes that will physically try to stop people from cross cornering on to federal land. They will come out with guns to intimidate , they will block roads , and likely flatten out of state license plate tires. Count on it. There are many out there that honestly believe it is " their " land.
As for Wisconsin, I dont think $185? is much , and honestly, I dont mind them at all. I see grouse hunters all the time in NW Wis. and deer hunters too. I even tell the grouse hunters where I seen a lot of grouse . It does not bother me at all . It helps pay the DNR , despite I am suspicious that much is wasted ,,, ,, it is a government agency , so... Non residents help pay for the DNR buying land and lease land from some private land owners for access and to hunt. I only went non resident one time, that was Minnesota for a bear . It was about $200 in 2003. Not bad. They were even nice to this Packer fan in northern Minn. I would also like to add that most NR hunters hunt private land with friends and do good , or they hunt public and their success is very limited anyway

Missouri seems to be one of the cheaper states. No hunting license required just your permit. Landowners owning more then 20 acres qualify for free tags.

As a landowner i get free archery and firearms deer tags as well as free spring and fall turkey tags.

Any-Deer

Resident
Price
$19.00 Archery $17.00 firearms

Resident Landowner
Price
$0.00

Nonresident
Price
$265.00

Nonresident Landowner
Price
$195.00

Youth (6-15)
Price
$9.50

Antlerless per county quotas

Resident
Price
$7.00

Resident Landowner
Price
$0.00

Nonresident
Price
$25.00

Youth (6-15)
Price
$3.50

Unless you confront a Hmong in one of your treestands on private property.

You're really out in the weeds with some of this.
If courts deem legal to corner cross then no roads will not get illegally blocked, sheriffs will take care of that. Guns drawn over legal corner crossing, no it won't happen. Blocking corner access, maybe but remember that pesky law about blocking access to federal lands.
Flatten tires, not really very common out here, the roads take care of that for us.

Good point! 😀
Though that county particular county is now the pits (compared to what it once was).

That's what she said.

Deer tags are only about $455 for NRs in Colorado.

Colorado NR fees need to go up to the price of Wyoming- at least $1,000 for an elk tag and at least $700 for a deer tag. Colorado also needs to cut back on the number of NR tags issued- 10% should be the new standard for deer, elk and Pronghorn, like it is in most other states.

Colorado should also eliminate the OTC elk units and cap them and run a first come first served list like Idaho or Utah does; along with an application fee of $50 extra. By increasing tag costs, and reducing NR tags and charging an application or administrative fee, there should be no loss in revenue for CO. People would still line up to buy tags in Colorado - demand is high. You don't have to like it but this is the direction most Colorado residents feel this should go in.

Lefty, if NR tags are capped and prices adjusted per your post, CPW will eventually have to significantly increase the homeboy licenses and they will be whining about what happened to $40 elk tags. Outfitters, restaurants, motels, and all manner of retail outfits will lose significant revenue as well.

I think $50 licenses for residents in most western states is too cheap.

It's about time those 80-90% of all tags that go to residents cost at least as much as filling your truck up with fuel: $75+ for mule deer and $150+ for an elk tag. I doubt that will happen but some increase for residents is only reasonable - let's put that money to get more and better quality animals on the mountain.

Oh look, it's Scott Neigh of Hamilton , Ontario. The leftist activist cuck who writes blogs against conservatism, who reviews queer bars in Toronto, who trolls this site to see what conservatives are interested in.

https://twitter.com/canadianlefty?lang=en


https://m.facebook.com/scott.neigh

longarm, you are knowingly spreading false accusations. I refer you to this,
Source: https://www.thebusinesslitigators.com/libel-vs-slander-vs-defamation-what-are-the-differences.html


I have placed you on ignore. Thank you.

Pffft! Pretty weak try there, fruit cup. I'll come after you every time I see you post, commie.

You and longarm duke it out but if you think a tag increased cost will lead to more and better animals on the mountain your on dope, bad dope better get off of it while you can. In most states license and tag revenue go.back to the general fund. The dept of wildlife gets a budget from the legislature the extra will go to some pork project.. way it is...mb

Hope isn't a strategy so I put my conservation dollars towards a bunch of life memberships, raffle tickets, auctions and donations. I volunteer and do what I can to help. If you have a way or insight into how the everyday sportsperson can make a better difference, love to chat or hear it. I have no experience on the funding/government side of things, I suspect that you are right that there is much waste in the system when it comes to licensing fees, but some states do a better job than others.

Ideology goes so far then it's just plain bs. Get a job with a government agency keep your eyes open and ears tuned you will find out in a hurry what reality is. How politics constantly messes with engineers , biologists, and other professionals of ALL types to keep them from doing their best for the job needs. Nothing is better after a gov't fugs with it..mb

Add a couple digits to the front of that, make Montana deer tags somewhere north of $10,000 - should keep some of the riff raff out.

I'd go along with that. It's mostly about killing for actually nothing more than sport by guy's that can afford it. Had a guy here years ago quit paying tresspass fees for elk on a local ranch because for the same money he figured he could hunt plains game in Africa. Of course in Africa he didn't get to keep the meat nor did he care I'd guess. I just wonder how many trophy hunter's would leave the meat here rather than recover it if they could?

What a joke. CPW has far more money than it needs already to screw everything up already. The Wolf introduction will go on as planned. Wyoming and Colorado are nothing but grifters when it comes to wildlife management.

That horse is not dead you airhead.

The game animals, at least in Montana. have been ruled to be the property of the people of the state not a certain person and not the property of non residence. This does not mean the resdent can treaspass or paoch and must still get the proper license

Pretty sure the SCOTUS has made that clear for all states...

They have. USO Outfitters tried to sue both AZ and UT because they limit non-res tags. USO claimed because outfitted hunts were legal and most clients of outfitted hunts were non-res then tags had to covered under the Commerce Clause and not state regs. SCOTUS said BS! It became a done deal with that case. States own the free ranging game animals and controls the tags regardless if the animals are on public, private, state or federal land. The only exception is animals classified as livestock and not free ranging game which is the case of exotics and things of that nature as well as totally captive herds.