HB1321 There is a bill working it's way thru the legislature and if past will double all license fees for residents. From fishing/small game/youth all the way to elk.
The press releases state "could be doubled" and CPW is saying they would be phased in plus an adjustment for inflation.Guaranteed CPW will go after the biggest jump they can get as the 50% increase has be touted for two years now. They are looking to double their income in resident fees
It doesn't just hit residents though. All application fees for draw hunts will be $20 ,instead of $3
Also, park fees,camping fees, use fees anything coupled with COW is going to increase. Replacement of lost licenses etc will also increase.They have already increased the Return of Tag Fees
I'll still buy & go elk hunting. What I might give up is small game hunting. I buy a license to go grouse hunting--really an excuse to look for elk. I can just camp & hike and do my scouting. I turn 65 in a couple of years----fishing will be at a discount.
The bill you're referring to proposed up to a 50% increase not 100% increase in license fees. The only thing I saw that more than doubled was the outdated fishing ticket fine. So $60ish elk license, $45ish deer, $375 sheep moose goat.
I stand corrected on the 50% increase.However,papers are reporting doubling. At least the article in the Gazette. Everything else still holds.
From CPW....Doug Vilsack, Dept. of Natural Resources <[email protected]>
This bill proposes to: Phase in increased park fees and resident hunting and fishing license prices, generally by no more than 50 percent of current levels, and allow for adjusting prices to keep up with inflation.
Sets the fee for an annual senior fishing license at no more than one-half the price of annual resident fishing licenses.
Increase application fees for limited hunting licenses allocated through a drawing to $20.
Create registration fees for motorized and non-motorized watercraft to help pay for the Aquatic Nuisance Species program.
The bill you're referring to proposed up to a 50% increase not 100% increase in license fees. The only thing I saw that more than doubled was the outdated fishing ticket fine. So $60ish elk license, $45ish deer, $375 sheep moose goat.
Wat about the $20 application fee that is $3 going to to $20. You are not reading the entire bill or you are drinking the CPW Kool Aid.
An example.Bonny Res.was a state park. When all the water was drained, it was turned into a SWA. Who do you think pays for all that maintenance now?
Sets the fee for an annual senior fishing license at no more than one-half the price of annual resident fishing licenses.
Vince:
I've been getting a free fishing license since I turned 65. Does this mean that now I have to pay for my fishing license again?
KC
Yep, Most believe it will only be 1/2 of the present rate,but it will be half of the new rate which brings it up to almost today's regular fishing license cost.
I was at Home Depot today,and a CPW officer pulls up in brand new Ford Super Duty $60,000 truck,loaded which doesn't include all the special gear.Yea,they sure need that fee increase
One good thing may happen is that it may stop a lot of guys applying for limited turkey tags.
New cost of spring tag-------$30 New application fee----------$20 Habitat stamps---------------$15 ______
total $65
I think I paid $125 as a NR in KS for 2 birds last year.
If it stops some from applying it may be good for us diehard gobbler hunters.
Might be better to go out and call some in, take a few photos and then go buy a good eating one for $15. I think this might very well back fire and end up with no more money than they have now. I know I won't be buying anymore deer,pronghorn small game licenses anymore and will only by one elk tag instead of two.
I put it on paper. It takes 5 points to draw a Bosque de Oso spring tag. I'll have a $100 just in application fees. Better for me just to buy a NR KS or NM tag and get to hunt for 2 birds.
Your correct it may backfire & they have less money than they have now. There is the law of diminishing returns.
Does the DOW ever publish how much money in license fees are generated each year? It would be interesting to see how much money is coming in through license fees (broken up resident vs non-resident)!
I've found myself taking advantage of some of the opportunities in surrounding states. I'm not quitting Colorado hunting but increasingly I've found one to two week periods during fall where the surrounding state license opportunities are better.
Does the DOW ever publish how much money in license fees are generated each year? It would be interesting to see how much money is coming in through license fees (broken up resident vs non-resident)!
As a resident hunter, adding up the cost of tags vs the cost of everything else, an increase doesn't bother me.
How CP&W spends the money is an entirely different subject but I have to say, I don't have enough information to comment on that so I won't.
I agree
If it was only an increase in the tags it wouldn't be so bad, but tack another $20 for the application fee,another $5 for the Habitat Stamp( which I don't have to pay) and compound the increase of all tag fees for deer, pronghorn,elk turkey, bear, fishing, park fees ,user fees and it is a substantial hit to the pocket book.Maybe not to some but it sure is for me.Couple that with all the other small increases that the government, local,state, federal gets into the pocket book each year and I am seeing an increase of a few thousand dollars a year. Many of us will be forced to decide which big game hunts we will no longer participate in.
The CPW commissioners are appointed by the governor.Most of them are great folks, but those dozen members will decide how much/when these fee increases will take place. I am pretty sure they will be looking out for the CPW and not the consumer.
It's like the guy saying premium bullets are such a small part of the cost of the hunt,it doesn't matter. All those small parts add up.
They are sending 6% of their funds to other agencies. So that is probably not helping either.
I'd be very comfortable saying that any gov agency could benefit from some cost cutting initiatives. So for example. All of the residents and non-residents who sent in money for just a preference point, no desire to draw a tag at all. Why have them send in the entire amount? That is forcing the DOW to cut checks and mail all of those back out again. Send in the amount of the point only like other states are already doing.
And another. Don't send out the hundreds of thousands of paper big game brochures. I have 4 people at my place who apply for tags. Each year we get 4 big game brochures and 4 sheep and goat brochures. Make that luxury something that you have to request if you aren't capable of looking at it online. That alone would save millions between print costs and postage costs.
Its just another inept gov bureaucracy but in this case they know that instead of raising taxes, all they have to do is raise license fees and that will solve their financial incompetence for a few more years.
Montgomery Wards and Sears used to print really big catalogs back in the day. Don't see those so much anymore. I do a lot of direct mail work and those big game brochures would add up to a lot of postage funds going out the door.
No big deal, just raise fees and keep doing things the way they always have done them.
If it was only an increase in the tags it wouldn't be so bad, but tack another $20 for the application fee,another $5 for the Habitat Stamp( which I don't have to pay) and compound the increase of all tag fees for deer, pronghorn,elk turkey, bear, fishing, park fees ,user fees and it is a substantial hit to the pocket book.Maybe not to some but it sure is for me.Couple that with all the other small increases that the government, local,state, federal gets into the pocket book each year and I am seeing an increase of a few thousand dollars a year. Many of us will be forced to decide which big game hunts we will no longer participate in.
The CPW commissioners are appointed by the governor.Most of them are great folks, but those dozen members will decide how much/when these fee increases will take place. I am pretty sure they will be looking out for the CPW and not the consumer.
It's like the guy saying premium bullets are such a small part of the cost of the hunt,it doesn't matter. All those small parts add up.
I can't agree more with what you said, Saddlesore. For those of us that put in for multiple animals, that increase in application fees will add up. Put an increase on the license fees and it becomes too much. The fishermen buy one license and are done. Hunters that hunt multiple species end up footing the bill for everyone else. I think maybe CPW ought to look at cutting back to fit within the budget they have. Or else make every person that hikes our trails or enters parks or recreation areas pay a fee. Otherwise, the commissioners are going to be increasing the license and application fees every few years.
I would like to know why CPW is in the business of owning lakes, land and such that they have to maintain.They should be administering the wildlife/fishery and the state should own that land or lake. Just like Lake Pueblo.The dam is federal I believe. Antero is owned by the city of Denver. The repair cost of some of these dams is outstanding.
I'm a non-resident, I will buy a bull tag, cow tag and deer tag costing me about $1500. I have a choice, pay it and hunt or don't pay it and don't hunt, I choose to pay it. The same resident tags cost around $130 dollars. Just don't tell me I'm getting a bargain!
Anytime the wildlife division has to take the parks dept. you are garented to get hosed!! The dog walkers and joggers are a constant whimpering drain on the wildlife dept.
I'm a non-resident, I will buy a bull tag, cow tag and deer tag costing me about $1500. I have a choice, pay it and hunt or don't pay it and don't hunt, I choose to pay it. The same resident tags cost around $130 dollars. Just don't tell me I'm getting a bargain!
I pay out of state rates too, and I think out of state residents should pay more if your hunting on STATE ground since the locals pay those taxes. What burns my butt is paying so much more for hunting the National Parks which is funded by federal taxes that I DO pay. I hate for anyone to have to pay more, but the in-state people great a great deal hunting their local federal land by comparison.
I'm a non-resident, I will buy a bull tag, cow tag and deer tag costing me about $1500. I have a choice, pay it and hunt or don't pay it and don't hunt, I choose to pay it. The same resident tags cost around $130 dollars. Just don't tell me I'm getting a bargain!
I pay out of state rates too, and I think out of state residents should pay more if your hunting on STATE ground since the locals pay those taxes. What burns my butt is paying so much more for hunting the National Parks which is funded by federal taxes that I DO pay. I hate for anyone to have to pay more, but the in-state people great a great deal hunting their local federal land by comparison.
I don't know of any National Parks anyone can hunt on.Certainly not Rocky Mountain National Park or Sand Dunes.
However, that aside, the reason is the states own the wildlife ,but not the federal land. Anyone can use the federal land ,but they can't fish on it hunt it without a state license.The silly thing is hunters and fisherman must buy the Habitat stamp to hunt or fish on federal land,but all others do not.
You are paying to hunt or fish the wildlife,not to hunt or fish on federal land
I'm a non-resident, I will buy a bull tag, cow tag and deer tag costing me about $1500. I have a choice, pay it and hunt or don't pay it and don't hunt, I choose to pay it. The same resident tags cost around $130 dollars. Just don't tell me I'm getting a bargain!
I pay out of state rates too, and I think out of state residents should pay more if your hunting on STATE ground since the locals pay those taxes. What burns my butt is paying so much more for hunting the National Parks which is funded by federal taxes that I DO pay. I hate for anyone to have to pay more, but the in-state people great a great deal hunting their local federal land by comparison.
I don't know of any National Parks anyone can hunt on.Certainly not Rocky Mountain National Park or Sand Dunes.
However, that aside, the reason is the states own the wildlife ,but not the federal land. Anyone can use the federal land ,but they can't fish on it hunt it without a state license.The silly thing is hunters and fisherman must buy the Habitat stamp to hunt or fish on federal land,but all others do not.
You are paying to hunt or fish the wildlife,not to hunt or fish on federal land
I did mean National Forest not Parks. I guess it makes more sense when you explain it that way - in a legal sense. So essentially state property (elk) are trespassing on Federal land. I wonder if we should refer to them as "undocumented ungulates" .
It is just getting so expensive for the average working person to hunt in state, let alone out of state.
Think about ski areas. All of them that I know about in Colorado are on federal land except maybe the lift terminals,etc. Runs on mountains are on NF lands.Folks pay billions of dollars every year to slide down them hills. Exception is the ski company leases that land for the right to put improvements on it.
Prior CO resident here. The NR license fees are obscene enough. Raising them means that I will have reached the limit of my tolerance. Paying nearly $500 for a nil chance at a cow elk is not my idea of fun. I suppose I will draw licenses for the aggregate 35 pref. points I have and be done with CO hunting.
Saddlesore, your a great guy and I have personally received great advice and assistance from you in the past. I'm not trying to argue, but must be honest that it is frustrating that there is such a huge discrepancy paying >$600 for the same tag in-state residents pay $60 for hunting on Federal land. It has been years since I skied there, but I don't believe the resorts charge out of state clients more for their lift tickets than CO residents.
The one advantage I can see is that - I suspect - out-of-state hunters may actually have an advantage in the draws since the state will make more $ on the higher $ tags. Plus, the benefit to the local businesses (hotel, gas, grocery etc.)
An Iowa whitetail tag would cost me over $600 now. You have to pay for points and then finally draw and pay for tags. I elect not to do that anymore. Feel free to exercise your same right not to hunt elk here any longer.
Not Saddlesore, but while ski lift tickets are not marketed at out of state and instate rates, some of it does exist in practice. Most (all?) of the major Colorado mountains offer season passes and other lift ticket packages at reduced pricing. To take advantage of may of these offers, you have to come to a Colorado-based location to have your photo taken for the pass and to register. I suspect a frequent flyer could figure out how to get it done without living in the state, but for a family that does not live in Colorado, it would probably be hard to accomplish.
As an example, Copper Mountain offers a "Four Pass", meaning four days of skiing for about $140, if purchased well before the beginning of the season (now). A family flying in to ski for a long weekend would probably pay over $100 per day per person for lift passes at Copper.
I sent Colorado over 2k in application fees 3 weeks ago so for me to think non residents are getting by cheap.....no
But we do thank you...
One reason I won't buy an antelope buck tag in Wyoming is the $225 NR cost. I can buy two NR doe tags for about $38 each and double my fun.
I'd suggest moving to CO but it's going to pot - literally and figuratively.
Anyway, I empathize with you out of state hunters. We have land back in Iowa where I could hunt pheasant while visiting family. Last time I checked I think a 2-day NR license was $80. Thanks, but no thanks.
Saddlesore, your a great guy and I have personally received great advice and assistance from you in the past. I'm not trying to argue, but must be honest that it is frustrating that there is such a huge discrepancy paying >$600 for the same tag in-state residents pay $60 for hunting on Federal land. It has been years since I skied there, but I don't believe the resorts charge out of state clients more for their lift tickets than CO residents.
The one advantage I can see is that - I suspect - out-of-state hunters may actually have an advantage in the draws since the state will make more $ on the higher $ tags. Plus, the benefit to the local businesses (hotel, gas, grocery etc.)
Take care
djb.No offense taken.I was only trying to explain the reason why folks have to pay to hunt,fish,Or ski on public land. I feel your pain for NRC tags. I would like to hunt NM ,but I can't pay that $850 for the High Desireable tags where I known where to hunt.
I paid for a NR tag twice in my like.Once when CO offered the Sportmans Tag ($35 back then for all three big game)and another time I went to Alberta for elk.
What we need to do is charge residents $600 and non-residents $60 to hunt on Federal land. That would even out things out.
Why is it always a texan that can't understand the basics?
Come tromp around on the federal land to your heart's content. Pitch a tent, have a fire if there isn't a fire ban in effect. Want to shoot one of Colorado's critters? Pay the non resident fee for it, because those are COLORADO'S critters and you're not a resident of Colorado. Savvy?
WRONG!! Hit one those critters with your truck and see if Colorado claims it?? No state claims to (own) wildlife!! too much liability
Come to Colorado and poach a 6x bull elk. Get fined $15,000+ for killing a trophy elk without a license and see who you write the check to.If the state don't own and manage the wildlife,they sure got a good scam going.
Several Supreme Court decisions have confirmed the powers of the individual states to control and manage wildlife. The case which has blocked most of the subsequent efforts to do otherwise was Geer vs. Connecticut in 1996. Justice White included the following in his brief:
Undoubtedly this attribute of government to control the taking of animals ferae naturae , which was thus recognized and enforced by the common law of England, was vested in the colonial governments, where not denied by their charters, or in conflict with grants of the royal prerogative. Its also certain that the power which the colonies thus possessed passed to the states with the separation from the mother country, and remains in them at the present day, in so far as its exercise may be not incompatible with, or restrained by, the rights conveyed to the Federal government by the Constitution.
Subsequent cases have eroded those powers somewhat, but they are almost entirely confined to issues of wildlife in interstate commerce where the federal powers remain supreme.
if you hit a farmers cow and can prove it is his he is liable for damages
[video:youtube] [/video]
Jane (modick), you ignorant slut.... Colorado is an 'open range' state. If you hit farmer Johns prize cow, it will be YOU paying for his critter, not the other way around like you seem to think....... Drive safe, and don't hit no cows here.
What we need to do is charge residents $600 and non-residents $60 to hunt on Federal land. That would even out things out.
Why is it always a texan that can't understand the basics?
Come tromp around on the federal land to your heart's content. Pitch a tent, have a fire if there isn't a fire ban in effect. Want to shoot one of Colorado's critters? Pay the non resident fee for it, because those are COLORADO'S critters and you're not a resident of Colorado. Savvy?
Leave it to entitled coloradoan to think it's his "right" to hunt on Federal land. Nearly all hunting is a PRIVILEGE, especially on FEDERAL LAND. Many Federal areas charge a fee for hunting and charging residents like you extra would be a great idea!
Hunting on your own land is not a privilege,yet CPW insists that you buy a hunting license to do it.That deer ,although it eats all it needs on your land is not yours. Let it get out on the road and you hit it with your vehicle, you can have it at no charge, all you do is call CPW and tell them you are picking up a road kill.
What we need to do is charge residents $600 and non-residents $60 to hunt on Federal land. That would even out things out.
Why is it always a texan that can't understand the basics?
Come tromp around on the federal land to your heart's content. Pitch a tent, have a fire if there isn't a fire ban in effect. Want to shoot one of Colorado's critters? Pay the non resident fee for it, because those are COLORADO'S critters and you're not a resident of Colorado. Savvy?
Leave it to entitled coloradoan to think it's his "right" to hunt on Federal land. Nearly all hunting is a PRIVILEGE, especially on FEDERAL LAND. Many Federal areas charge a fee for hunting and charging residents like you extra would be a great idea!
I disagree on every count. No one mentioned a right to hunt on federal land. Hunting is not necessarily a privilege. Many places it is a simple commodity, private stock and range, sold to what the market will bear. Most people think of public land in 3 main categories - Parks, NF, and BLM. I have not heard of charges for hunting federal land. If you have please share examples of the 'many' areas that charge a fee.
It is peculiar to me that this gripe comes up from time to time. There are maybe a dozen or so states where someone can hunt elk. In most all of them non-residents pay 5 to 10 times what a state resident pays. Colorado provides the most non-resident elk opportunities of anywhere yet I hear this argument that Colorado hunting is somehow not a fair deal.
if you hit a farmers cow and can prove it is his he is liable for damages
[video:youtube] [/video]
Jane (modick), you ignorant slut.... Colorado is an 'open range' state. If you hit farmer Johns prize cow, it will be YOU paying for his critter, not the other way around like you seem to think....... Drive safe, and don't hit no cows here.
Here is a radical thought, regarding the fee increase for resident senior fishing licenses, it should probably be double what it is for non-seniors. The reason is that seniors have all the time to fish and put much greater pressure on the resources. BTW, I am a senior and probably fish 4X as much as I did before I retired.
Regarding resident hunting fees going up 50%, put it in perspective. A $20 increase in an elk tag is a nit with regard to what most of us sportsmen whiz away on all of the other costs of a hunting trip. Consider all of the toys that we need for an elk hunt. Many of which need to be replenished each year.
Now if they actually do implement a $20 application fee, that would be extremely detrimental to CPW. If everyone said screw it and waited for the Leftover draw, it would totally screw up the draw process for the state and possibly reduce revenues significantly.
Here is a radical thought, regarding the fee increase for resident senior fishing licenses, it should probably be double what it is for non-seniors. The reason is that seniors have all the time to fish and put much greater pressure on the resources. BTW, I am a senior and probably fish 4X as much as I did before I retired.
Regarding resident hunting fees going up 50%, put it in perspective. A $20 increase in an elk tag is a nit with regard to what most of us sportsmen whiz away on all of the other costs of a hunting trip. Consider all of the toys that we need for an elk hunt. Many of which need to be replenished each year.
On the other hand I have had a fishing license for the last four years ,plus a 2nd rod stamp and I have not wet a line in those four years.So what you are proposing is only an opinion,not backed up by facts.Ditto for small game license.
Same with your theory of elk license. I have not bought a gadget/toy/ firearm for hunting for many years,and I don't whiz away money for hunts.
CPW whizzes away a whole lot more money.Like dumping a lot of trout into lakes that have northern pike which eat more than 50% of the trout stocked, or the sage grouse study they did in NW CO that cost and average of$50,000 per bird they capture. That info from the people who were doing the study in Unit 201,Cold Spring Mountain, in 2009, or paying for hunter access on private land in eastern CO where a lot of the land s questionable habitat for species to be hunted.
Leave it to entitled coloradoan to think it's his "right" to hunt on Federal land.
If you want the same deal as a resident hunter, the thing to do is become a resident.
That's not a Colorado thing, every state is that way.
Funny thing is if you look at the percentages of how much more a non resident tag is versus a resident tag in Colorado and Texas they are about the same. Charging non residents more isn't unique to Colorado, it's how it is and how it should be in most places
I am a native Texan in Colorado. If a Texan would factor in the cost of leases and tags in TX they'd realize that Colorado is a value
The only reason I buy a small game license anymore is just in case I come across a coyote on my farm, or have to kill a rattlesnake around my house and someone hassles me.
Can you believe that rattlers are now game animals here in CO, and there is a season on them?
Man that really sucks!! Must be money hungry there, don't have to have any license here to hunt your own property,or fish , landowner deer tags are free also but you do have to have a tag, used to just put your name on a piece of paper. turkey same deal . over 65 now so don't need hunting or fishing license anyway. except deer and turkey
I used to live in MO. Last I heard MO was the meth capital of America but that is besides the point. Moved to CO and have killed bighorn, mtn goat, moose, antelope, elk, whitetails, and mule deer. My sheep cost me $150 back in the day. And I like shooting elk for $50 as they fill the freezer nicely. Good luck with the meth heads and whitetails.
I simply asked a question about having to have a license for your own property!! Sorry you pot smokin druggie fuggers got so bent out of shape !! Used to meet some nice folks when I hunted there , so guess they aren't a$$holes just the ones on here !!!!!
This bill died in the Senate committee. It failed to pass on a 3-2 party line vote. I guess they will have to go back to drawing board. I read it in this AM paper.
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