Hunting is a huge part of what makes Pennsylvania great. In previous blog posts, we have talked adamantly about how hunting is in our blood, embedded in our DNA, passed from our great-grandfathers to us and, if all goes well, we will in turn pass this heritage onto our great-grandchildren. That’s fine, but there’s one problem: hunting is expensive, especially if you consider how much it costs to book a trip, not to mention having the correct equipment and gear. Unfortunately, the price may go up if the Pennsylvania Game Commission has their way, as reported in this Lehigh Valley Live article.
Jim Flagg writes, “The Pennsylvania Game Commission is proposing to raise the fee for resident hunting licenses, from $19 to $39 over a five-year period, to cover rising employee benefit costs. Most other permits and licenses would go up, except for junior hunting, junior combination and senior hunting licenses. Any recommendation by the commission is subject to approval by the state Legislature.”
As to be expected, local hunters are not happy at all, with many of them thinking the Pennsylvania Game Commission should change other things they do instead of raising the fee for resident hunting licenses, such as raising out-of-staters’ licenses or having no fee for seniors 65 and over. In response to these complaints and suggestions, the Commission claims that it hasn’t increased license fees for 16 years despite its own personal costs almost doubling over that timeframe.
If you’re a hunter, chances are you’re on the side of not raising the fee for resident hunting licenses. Will the Commission back down from their proposal? Only time will tell…