Hunters facing hike in license fee

By Martha Raffaele
The Associated Press
o3/28/06

HARRISBURG -- Pennsylvania hunters could pay $10 to $15 more for an adult hunting license under legislation designed to boost state game revenues.
Rep. Bruce Smith, chairman of the House Game and Fisheries Committee, said the current revenue from licenses and fees does not cover the state game commission's operating costs.
The commission does not get any funding from state tax revenues.
Smith, R-York, is introducing two bills with varying fee increases which would take effect July 1, 2007. One would raise the basic adult resident hunting license from $19 to $29; the other would raise the fee to $34.
Smith acknowledged that the prospect for either bill's passage is uncertain in an election year. He is not seeking re-election.
"These two bills ... are a starting point. They are not carved in stone. No one enjoys paying more," Smith said.
The state sold more than 1 million licenses during the 2004-05 fiscal year.
Smith, one of only two House members sponsoring the legislation, was joined at a Capitol news conference by representatives of several sportsmen's groups. He noted that the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs voted last fall to support a hunting-license fee increase.
Ted Onufrak, president of the sportsmen's federation, said he was disappointed that more legislators who hunt are not supporting Smith.
"It is our hope that others will also do the right thing and show their support and commitment to keeping the game commission adequately funded," Onufrak said.
The game commission has cut services over the years to compensate for gas-price increases and other rising costs, spokesman Jerry Feaser said.
The agency has left 66 of 732 salaried job vacant, shut down regional toll-free numbers, and halved the number of pheasants it raises for hunters from 200,000 to 100,000 birds a year, he said.
"We want to be able to conduct hunter and trapper education courses and other wildlife programs," Feaser said. "We want to be able to respond to calls about poaching and other violations."
Rep. Edward G. Staback, the ranking Democrat on Smith's committee, said he would have a hard time supporting a hunting license increase, given that hunters in his district frequently complain the commission's deer management policy has excessively thinned the herd.
"How am I going to vote for a hunting license increase and try to justify it? It isn't going to work. You've got to start paying some attention to what the hunting public (is) trying to tell you," said Staback, D-Lackawanna.
Smith is also introducing a third bill that would create a $20 conservation stamp that both hunters and non-hunters -- such as hikers and bird-watchers -- would have to purchase to use state game lands.
Lawmakers considered creating such a stamp before approving the last license-free increase, but sportsmen's organizations opposed the idea, Smith said.
"Many of their members view the gamelands as belonging to sportsmen and hunters. They want it to stay completely under the jurisdiction of sportsmen and hunters," he said

Staback is a clown.I heard him speak and heard some of his opinions at a deer hearing last week.When someone mentioned that they were trapping and tagging deer in the Sproul state forest,he actually thought they were trapping them and relocating them to areas with less deer.He didn't appear to be up on the issues for a guy that's on the game and fisheries committee.Anyone that wouldoppose a lisence increase isbiting their nose off to spite their face.We need the PGC now more than ever.If the PGC goes belly-up,we'll have an agency funded by non-hunter's dollars or be taken over byDCNR.Everyone whining about no deer will really have something to whine about when that happens.The PGC hasn't recieved a lisence increase in over 9 years.Who can any entity be expected to keep up with inflation and rising operating costs without more money?

Yeh I agree, they need an increase, whether a person agrees or disagrees with them, by the way, did I read somewhere right, does the governer appoint an empty commisioner's seat when they retire????



The last issue of the PA outdoor News was talking about commisioner Mohr out of Lancaster retiring and Rendell then appoints his vaccancy, is that right????

As much as I hate to pay more money for anything, I support an increase as well. I have been hunting for the past 6 years by only paying $15-$21. $9 for the Junior Comb. Lic. that includes the regular lic, archery stamp, muzzleloader stamp, and furtakers lic. Then I got 1 or 2 antlerless tags. So for under $25 bucks I was able to hunt everything I wanted. A great deal in my eyes. An increase will cost me a lot more this year because I have to buy the adult lic, but still, I love hunting so much that the increase won't deter my mind that I'm getting a great deal.

As a non resident I am already paying $101. for Pa. NR license, we dont charge that much in Delaware for NR license. Wealso pay taxes on the camp and contribute some to the economy, groceries, gas, liqour, there are about 15 or 16 in our camp during the two week stretch, and adjoining camps from Delaware also have approx 2 doz hunters for the time frame...and again for Spring Gobbler,

I spent 84.00 last season for a hunting licence here in NY,that includes bow,muzzleloader,regular gun season,small game,turkey and trapping. It's was well worth the price and I didn't even kill a deer.

I support the increase.The other option is for the dcnr to take over and that would mean antis getting their foot in the door.Look at that mess in NJ with the bear hunt.
But I am against the conservation stamp for SGL's.These lands were bought by the sportsmen and should stay being the main focus of hunting.If other groups started having a say we'd see big changes.
Maybe an option for sportsmen when they purchase their license to donate to conservation on gamelands and/or the purchase of additional SGL's.
Under the limited manpower and funds the PGC does a pretty darned good job of habitat improvement on those lands.But SGL's are managed for wildlife and if you compare the forest lands you'll see what I mean.

A license increase is long overdue. TheHouse Game and Fisheries committee knew the PGC would need one within 6 or 7 years, when they finally got around to granting them the last one in '98 or '99.

Now the committee members are pretendingthey weren't told this back then and using hunter discontent for an excuse to monkey around and play politician. Phooey.

And who do you think is calling the shots as far as HR is concerned in PA today the DCNR. Think back about one year ago when DCNR was withholding funding to purchase game-lands if their demands were not met. Look at the land enrolled in the DMAP program 95% of that land is State forestland managed by the DCNR. If you think anyone in Harrisburg is worried about how you as a hunter feel on Hr your fooling yourself. Don’t get me wrong the PAGC is a good organization but until they put hunters first and stop catering to every threat and whimper that DCNR has about DCNR wanting more doe killed I’m not behind any license increase. If they do receive this increase will it allow them to become self reliant when it comes to purchasing land or will they still be the red headed step child knocking at DCNR’s door begging for a hand out. And in the end we as hunters of this state are given the shaft

20.00 doe tags also is needed. 1 million doe tags.that is 20,000,000