Let' s face it fellow Buckeyes, Taft is a bad governor. If the Democrats had provided a choice other than the ultra-liberal Timmy Tinkles, Taft would be out of work. I was a member of the news media (please don' t hate me, I had to feed my family) so I know a little about politics. I also worked in the Hagan family' s backyard so I know their political leanings.

I even researched a possible recall for Taft, but it is not in the Ohio Code. He would have to be impeached and that would come from the legislature just like the federal government.

Our best advice is a constant stream of letters and phone calls, not to Taft who will send you a generic reply, but to the Republican and Democrat parties. When the National Republican party calls to solicit funds, I tell them that I no longer give because of Taft. I tell them my contributions go to the NRA, U.S. Sportsmen' s Alliance, etc.

" It' s not that I mind paying for the higher priced license, and I reckon I will. I realize prices go up over the years, and $4 in ten years isn' t that bad. The thing is that I can' t help but think that Taft is behind this. It' s also hard to swallow that all the money is going to stay in the ODNR or the USFW. The way this state is, this country for that matter, I just don' t believe some of the money won' t be used for other things. If I knew the ODNR was getting all the money, then I wouldn' t mind at all. I don' t believe that though, and it rubs me a little bit rough to think we' re being taxed to front the problems through out the rest of the state.

Brandan "

Brandan,

All of the money from hunting and fishing license goes to the ODNR. The government cannot use this money for other purposes. That is the law and it will take a lot more than Gov. Taft to override this law. ODNR is close to losing money from the general fund and since hunting licenses are down they need to find a way to increase funds or face losing more resources. I guess you can blame Taft for this in a round about way. We are already the 47th state in purchasing land to set aside for hunting and fishing uses. If we continue to lose the finding then we will be 50th and olur children and oru grandchildren will have no place to hunt or fish.

Kyhuntsman, I realize that it' s set up for all money to go to the ODNR and USFW. I also realize that everything in Washington and Columbus doesn' t always operate as it' s set up to. I don' t want to see all the sportmen of Ohio pay for this, then Columbus decide they need some to " balance the budget." It wouldn' t be the first time they acted without askin, why should I think it' ll be the last? I remember readin an article in Toledo Blade last year saying the federal government still owed the ODNR over one million dollars. I forget how much it was exactly, but it was a heavy price tag. Did they ever get that money they' re owed? I also know that all the money doesn' t go to the ODNR. Part of it is collected by the federal government and distributed among the states according to need according to license sales. So it' s still supporting hunting...in Texas.

Brandan

I beg to differ with you. All money collected by the state goes to the state that collected it. Ohio license fees do NOT go to Texas or any other state. The federal government has nothing to say about state fees. Now you may be talking about a waterfowl stamp fee which is federally legislated, but not your typical hunting license, turkey tags, deer tags, fishing license etc.... Whoever told you otherwise does not know what they are talking about.

Also, the way the federal grants work concerning fish and game is that you have to spend the entire amount within the allotted time or you do not receive that grant. In essence, the state of Ohio has to have that $1M in an account somewhere before they receive any money from the Fed Gov' t. They also have to spend the entire amount or they do NOT receive the grant. I know that seems bass backwards, and I agree that it is backwards, but that is the way the Fed Gov' t works. It remionds me of getting reimbursed from your work with more restrictions.

It' s not the $4...It' s the fact that money has been MIS-MANAGED, and we' re paying for it. In WV, they can get a sportsman' s license for $26. That' s hunting, fishing, and 3 deer tags.

The same thing in Ohio with the new prices will be $110. I realize you can' t kill 3 deer in Ohio...but if you could. Now, if you buy all turkey and deer tags, you' ll have (if my math is right) $120 invested. I realize that if you spend your time in the woods, it' s well worth it...but how much do hikers have to pay?

Another farce in this issue is the fact that the FREE SENIOR licenses are now a thing of the past. The price will now be reduced to $10, and the seniors now HAVE TO BUY ALL TAGS!!!!! There were complaints that a large number of hunters over 65 were getting free licenses. I wonder how many really use them. My father has received them for a few years, and hasn' t used them much. Now many seniors simply won' t buy them.

Seniors born 1937 or earlier will be grandfathered.

Let' s be honest here...In a state that is 30% farmland like Ohio...Just how much managing does the DNR have to do? I know they do well, and the CO' s work hard...but I' m tired of mid-western DNR' s patting themselves on the back for deer numbers and big bucks. It' s a sign of the times and of the terrain. The DNR' s biggest job in Ohio is figuring out how many deer to kill.

I' m not anti-DNR...But it' s just another poorly run state department.

This is the exact wording of it. I found it in a phamplet that' s produced every year. It has a bunch of things we call laws and regulations. It happened to mention this. And oh yeah...it was put out by the ODNR. Am I really supposed to be so naive that all the upright and honest people that work in Washington are going to make sure every cent goes to the ODNR that they deserve?


As far as cutting out the free senior licenses, I kind of agree with that. My grandpa gets a free license every year, and is old enough to be grandfathered, but he hasn' t gone huntin in I don' t know how long. It' s just a waste of money to issue the license ' cause it isn' t being used in the slightest. For those who have to buy the license, I think the stamps should be half priced too.

Brandan

Ohio hunters spend millions of dollars annually to support wildlife and wildlife restoration projects in the sate by paying a special tax. It' s an excise tax that you pay on hunting grear, guns, and ammo. It all started 63 years ago when hunters, concerned about habitat loss, created a program allowing the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT to place an additional tax on the equipment they use; the funds are earmarked for wildlife conservation.

These special funds helped bring back the wild turkey, the white-tailed deer, the wood duck, and other great game species. These dollars, along with your license and permit fees, pay for land acquisition, wildlife research, and hunter education.

Perhaps you should read this again but a little slower this time. The special tax on ammunition, weapons, hunting equipment, etc... is what is regulated by the Federal government, NOT state license fees.

If you reread this one you' ll see that you are wrong yet again: These dollars, along with your license and permit fees, pay for land acquisition, wildlife research, and hunter education. The key work here is along. Or, in addition. This special tax is regulated by the Federal Government and distributed to the states. The states then use this money, in addition to the license fees for land purchases, research, education, etc...

I' ll say this again, the ODNR keeps ALL license fees period. Look up Ohio law and you will see that I am right on this one.

on a little further it states that these fees plus the license fees help pay for land, which the state buys with this money.

The way I read this is the USFW collects the money from the excise tax, along with license and permits fees, and distributes it to the states according to size and license sales. It says nothing about sole going to Ohio, but plainly says it' s collected by the USFW and distributed among the states. If that' s not true, you can thank your ODNR for publishing misleading material.

Brandan

Then go ahead and thank the ODNR for publishing misleading materials. Personally, I didn' t have any troubles reading it or interpretting it at all.

I also happen to hunt in Kentucky and know for a fact that the Federal Government does NOT get license fees. I am friends with a conservation officer in KY and have hunted with him on his farm. He is good friend' s with my brother and this had never come up in all of their discussion about the state' s budget (my brother is a police officer and they have talked about budget' s many a time).

WOW! I did not realize how hot this topic would be. Thank you all for your opinions and advice.