Legislators are stalled in the decision of whether or not to increase certain hunting license fees. Members of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voted four in favor and four against increasing nonrefundable application fees for resident bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and elk licenses. Tony Leif is the Wildlife Division Director for the Game Fish and Parks. He says House Bill 1014 raises the fee to ten dollars. He says more funds are needed for research and wildlife management. He says the current five dollar fee doesn’t go as far as it did when it was created in 1987.
“So it is time to adjust this fee and restore the buying power and also provide the department the financial ability to better manage elk and meet the management desires of our state’s landowners and hunters,” Leif says. “And I think most importantly, the majority of them have said they are willing to pay more to get more and have more elk in the Black Hills.”
But opponents say the Game Fish and Parks department already has the funds it needs for management in this area. Senator Larry Rhoden says he disagrees with the idea of a ten dollar application fee, since the majority of people who apply won’t receive a license. Committee members take up the bill again next week when an additional senator is present.