By Louie Stout
Hoosier complaints about Michigans excessive non-resident fishing license fees were heard.
The DNR announced recently its reducing non-resident license fees from $72 a year to $68 after non-resident sales plummeted following the price increase last year.
But is it enough to persuade Indiana anglers to return?
Michigan saw a 41 percent drop in annual non-resident fishing license sales since instituting the fee increase last spring. Not surprisingly, the less expensive, 1 and 3 day fishing license sales leaped by nearly 20,000.
Non-resident hunting sales, which werent reduced for this year, also were down by 20 percent. Statewide deer license sales dropped by 48,000.
In fact, the DNR fell $3 million short of what it expected the new license fees to bring in last year. Despite the shortfall in their forecasts, however, license revenues still increased about $8 million over the previous year, thanks to the higher pricing.
State officials say that the higher-than-expected drop in license sales wasnt entirely due to the fee increase. Weather, they say, had a big hand in it.
Unquestionably, weather affects how often people go fishing and hunting, but the plunge in non-resident licenses is more likely a direct result of people like Hoosiers resisting the high cost of a license.
Will a $4 price cut make a difference? I dont think so.
But you might as well get accustomed to hikes in DNR fees. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, for example, has proposed major hikes in license fees across the board.
If approved, non-residents can expect to pay $50 (it was $41) for an annual fishing (excluding trout) license while 10-day licenses would jump from $25.50 to 30.50. The three-day climbs to $20.50 ($16.50).
Its been awhile since Indiana had a raise and DNR coffers are running thin, but dont look for Gov. Mike Pence to allow a fee increase while hes still contemplating a run at the White House.
But heres the thing if the Indiana DNR continues to cut staffing and services, pitching a new license increase will be a hard sell to Hoosiers without some tangible benefits. Its not likely residents will accept a fee increase under the current status quo.