Would still be a bargain at twice the price... JMO. Put a calculator to it and figure out what it costs/day, per season... including fishing and stuff...

Now, that should get some debate. I'm headed up to the shop. I'll check in after dinner.



BTW, That is my honest opinion. I have a few more things I like to do (my wife calls them hobbies ) that cost waaaaaay more.


There ya go.

All states surrounding have WAY cheapper prices for residents.

Point?

I'm not talking about other states. I'm speaking only for TN. What we get to do for an entire year for $136 bucks is cheap.

The point? Then point is that you think that it is a bargain to hunt in TN. I personally think its outrageous. I moved here from another state (NC) and I could buy 3 sportsman licenses there at 40 bucks apiece for what one will cost here. Add the annual saltwater priviledge to that and their $55. Just from my brief time here, and travels to west and east tn, I think that NC has more deer as far as overall numbers from what I've seen, and to some extent small game also.

Now before I get jumped by every native Tennessean on here, I understand that I would probably feel different if I had been born and raised here OR came from a state with higher prices. Tn offers more freshwater fishing opportunities, but NC has saltwater fishing. Tn has the Miss flyway and NC has the Atlantic(it sucks:)). TWRA is separate from the state, NCWRC is part of the state. I really can't complain about either, but both do have their faults. And I do somewhat understand the reasoning behind the high price.
I'm in no way bashing this state, i'm just trying to give a different perspective of the license price. You did mention wanting some debate, and I feel that without something to compare it to, you have nothing to debate for or against.

I feel the price of the Sportsman license is fair, considering everything that goes along with it.

Point?

I'm not talking about other states. I'm speaking only for TN. What we get to do for an entire year for $136 bucks is cheap.

I am glad i got my lifetime lic.

Cambell yes and some twra i got the disabled veterans lic.Lbl is still 20 for me.

Next year my family and friends are coming down here and will spend less than a 1/4 on non-res fees and hunt some good middle GA property.

does N.C have a state income tax?

Would still be a bargain at twice the price... JMO. Put a calculator to it and figure out what it costs/day, per season... including fishing and stuff...

Now, that should get some debate. I'm headed up to the shop. I'll check in after dinner.



BTW, That is my honest opinion. I have a few more things I like to do (my wife calls them hobbies ) that cost waaaaaay more.


There ya go.

Wow $136.00 bucks for instate?

That's gonna make a strong case for the poor man to just hunt illegally. Not condoning it, but at 136.00 I'm sure its happening just for that reason in some cases

Ok folks here is the deal on hunting license cost. The TWRA does not get a single red cent from the state of Tennessee. It is supported by license sales and federal excise taxes. Now licenses could be cheaper if TWRA was part of the Tennessee state budget But by the same token, the TWRA budget could be raided at will by the governor if TWRA were part of the state budget. So, by being seperate from the state budget, they are much more stable, allowing for long range palnning, and they are not beholding to anyone. Imagine what condition TWRA would be in right now if they were part of the state budget. You think licenses are high? They would be getting alot higher if the governor thought it was a source of revenue.

You think its too high? I think its a cheap price to pay to keep the politicians out of TWRAs pockets.

With all that being said, If you don't like the prices.....Go hunt somewhere else. Its a good system.

landowners DO pay for the privilege of hunting through property taxes.

I disagree....the animals that he hunts on his land do not belong to him. Now, if he wants to (high)fence in his property and raise his own animals to hunt, then fine....but ,IMO, he is hunting and killing animals that my license fees help manage (TWRA)thusly he should have to pay for the privilege. Now if he can get some of his property taxes designated to the TWRA, then I'm good with that.....

JMO......



BH

we'll just have to disagree on this one.

i hunt under landowner exemption AND buy a license.

you're a good man....

one more thought........if I hunt and pay to hunt on a certain tract of land and my payment goes to pay the property taxes, then isn't that the same as the landowner paying property taxes? Should I be allowed to hunt on that tract without a license since my payment is paying the taxes?

If a landowner starts a hunting club and instead of charging a fee, he allows the members to make payments on the land that will eventually be theirs. Should the hunters that are buying the land be able to hunt there for free (no license)because they are buying the land??.....maybe they do already, I have no idea.....

something to think about...

thanks

BH

The only landowner exemption I use is only for quota stuff.

All landowners should have to buy a license if they hunt. The fish and game of this state belong to everyone, and no one should be exempt for paying for the rights to enjoy them.

not concerned with a landowner taking a couple of deer, but when you have a family of eight or ten and they all hunt on this land along with tenants and their children..etc. well, then I have a problem with that.......

Now, if the TWRA would restrict it to land that landowners live on (family farm, home place), then that is another thing...Living on a nice tract of land and going out behind the house one day and killing a deer is not a problem to me...but
owning ten acres and not living on it and it's in between two huge tracts of land and you are getting to hunt the deer that cross your property just doesn't seem right to me.....

again, JMO.

BH

I am shocked that there are folks who think our license prices are too high. I guess they do not take into consideration what we have available in this state, thanks to TWRA. I personally believe the folks who complain about our license prices never get more then 10 miles from home, and have yet to explore many of the opportunities our licenses afford us each season.

I also think EVERYONE who hunts or fishes under the age of 13 or over the age of 80 should have to buy the same licenses at the same cost. No more gov't handouts or entitlements, that is a major part of what is wrong with this country, everyone wants something for free.

When you're used to paying these sort of prices, it seems like a good deal...it's like paying 2.50 for gas now...no one is fussing now , but what about a couple of years ago.....

I still think that everyone should pay for the privilege of hunting....even landowners.....

bash away!!!

i can take it...haha.

BH

so how many of these states that surround us have no state income tax? i have yet to see anybody answer that ? & what is the % ? ,mike243

Dang, with all the regulation hungry folks around here, why not just have a govt mandate opening private prop to all hunters, heck, it's their right to hunt the "state's" deer anyway, right? Oh, I forgot, you need landowner permission to cross onto private property to retrieve the state owned deer after you shoot it. Oh well, just have that overturned/thrown out and you're good to go. Yep, there would be your "liberal" hunting regulations there alright. Landowners and their risks of having, and keeping, the land mean absolutely nothing compared to what the "state" owns and is entitled to, along with all the other hunters who are less fortunate and do not or cannot own land. Why risk it? Just turn all land rights over to the state, but you can still keep the risk of ownership, paying the payments, insurance, taxes and what not, just let folks have their rights to the states property ON your property.


rant off

Being a landowner, I do not feel like I deserve to have a free lunch. So what if I pay property taxes every year. No one forced me to buy the property or maintain ownership of it as well. All landowners should have to buy a license just like the non-landowners in this state. Sorry, but I don't need the gov't giving me a handout just because I am different from others.

Yet you want to afford the govt more control over private property and landowners, interesting.

All states surrounding have WAY cheapper prices for residents.

More control? I do not see that angle.

Do you want the govt to pay for your drivers license or registration fees on your vehicle? Same premise as the govt allowing landowners to hunt for free. It is absurd, and remember I am a proud license buying landowner. We all enjoy the resource and we should all pay an equal amount.

You will have a difficult time casting the liberal stone in my direction. Especially taking the stance of wanting to keep an entitlement program in place.

It's not about entitlement, it's about intrusion. I'm not for anyone telling me what I can or can't do on my own property, period. Understand?

Do you want the govt to pay for your drivers license or registration fees on your vehicle? Same premise as the govt allowing landowners to hunt for free.

It's not about entitlement, it's about intrusion. I'm not for anyone telling me what I can or can't do on my own property, period. Understand?

I don't follow your reasoning on this,....
I don't think they should be able to reguire me to pay a registration and tag fee to operate my vehicle on my own land either...

So let me understand more clearly, you are fine with the govt telling you it is okay to hunt for free because you own a scrap of dirt, but the rest of the state has to pay for the right since they may not own a scrap of dirt. You want no govt intervention except when they can offer you a free lunch.

Or are you saying we need to have wide open choices. No TWRA no GOVT period, each person decides their own seasons and limits, everything is legal, and nothing is illegal.

Next, you can only use a shotgun on your property. You can't decide if it's safe or not yourself, so the govt tells you what is and what isn't. Or, only certain calibers, or types of firearms. Being done already, and I'm not for it. If I want to hunt with an "evil, black, assault," rifle, on my place, I want to be able to do it, with no interference from the govt. Yea, right wing nut job I am.

do you pay for a building permit to build a permanent structure on your residence......?

Also, go try to build a permanent structure on your property too close to the property line....you'll be moving it.
BH

I see now, you are one of the abolish TWRA folks, just have wide open regs.

Zero regulations, zero limits, "No one tells me what to do" seasons, bags, and laws.

It would be wonderful if we could have it that way, but we tried that before, guess you don't know how that worked out for the fish/game we now enjoy killing and catching. Do some research and see what you learn about market hunting etc, and see how well things worked with no rules.

Nice spin SM, but no, I'm not one of those. I just want to enjoy my private property within our current regulations. But, I sure don't need any more of them being thrust onto me.

Nope, sure don't BH. I live in a county that I don't have to have a building permit to build a house, and I can build that house right up against my property line if I so choose. City ordinance is a different matter here, but not in the county.

You just said in another post that you didn't like being told which weapon you could use on your own property? So which is is it?

I guess that's why folks are buying up all this property for sale in this co by the millions of dollars worth.

No one says you have to buy a licenses.
If you don't like the price move or hunt elsewhere.
No state tax and look at what you get.
Look at the amount of hunting days you have in this state and do the math.

What the heck is wrong with you people.....
You don't like it then don't hunt.....

Flattery will get you into a position to kill a spike TR! That's all I could promise!

Point?

I'm not talking about other states. I'm speaking only for TN. What we get to do for an entire year for $136 bucks is cheap.

Would still be a bargain at twice the price... JMO. Put a calculator to it and figure out what it costs/day, per season... including fishing and stuff...