Because it has been so long since the last increase in hunting and fishing permit prices in Missouri, anglers and hunters may not recall that they have the opportunity to give their two cents about proposed changes.
From July 4 through Aug. 2, the state Department of Conservation will accept online comments at mdc.mo.gov/permits/permit-price-adjustments-2023.
Some of my suggestions might include, “Is that all?” and “Why did you wait so long?” Or how about, “The cost of the hunting and fishing permit is definitely one of the least expensive parts of the excursion.” If you go fishing a dozen times in a year (a good minimum goal), your $12 resident fishing permit is a dollar a day. That’s less than the cost of almost anything else you bring to the river or lake.
The state suggested raising permit prices at the May meeting of the Missouri Conservation Commission. Most prices have not increased in more than 20 years. In a press release, conservation department director Sara Parker Pauley compared the proposed increases to the rising costs of services and goods.
“In June 1999, the price of a resident deer hunting permit was $17 and the cost of a gallon of diesel fuel was $1.07,” she said. “Jump ahead two-plus decades to April 2023 when the cost of a resident firearms deer permit was still $17, while the cost of a gallon of diesel fuel was $4.08. That cost increase really adds up, considering MDC purchased nearly 400,000 gallons of diesel in 2022 to run vehicles and equipment.”
After the conservation department collects all the comments, the commission will consider the input and make a final proposal for approval at a Sept. 8 public meeting. Any changes would go into effect March 1, 2024.
The proposed permit price increases include:
■ Resident fishing permit from $12 to $13.
■ Resident small game hunting permit from $10 to $10.50.
■ Resident combination hunting and fishing permit from $19 to $20.50.
■ Resident trapping permit from $10 to $11.
■ Resident spring turkey hunting permit from $17 to $18.
■ Resident firearms any-deer permit from $17 to $18.
■ Resident firearms antlerless deer permit from $7 to $7.50.
The price increases would raise an estimated $800,000 for the department in 2024, and about $2 million annually in subsequent years.
“Compared to other states, Missouri permit prices are in the middle-to-lower end of the scale and would still be a bargain compared to surrounding states,” Parker Pauley said. “The average price of a resident firearms deer hunting permit for surrounding states is $54 compared to Missouri at $17.”
Permit sales account for about 17 percent of the department’s annual revenue. The statewide conservation sales tax raises about 62 percent of the budget, and federal reimbursements provide another 15 percent. Sales, rentals, interest income and other sources make up the remaining 6 percent. The department does not receive any money from the state’s general revenue or from fines or citations.
With the funding it receives, the department maintains 15 nature and interpretive centers, nine fish hatcheries, 70 public shooting ranges and 1,000 conservation areas. Other services include youth education programs, landowner support, wildlife research, endangered species protection and invasive species reduction or removal.
“In addition to everything we offer and the work we are known for, we have new and expensive challenges,” Parker Pauley said. “Our staff are dealing with more and new invasive species and wildlife disease outbreaks. And the costs of many things we must buy regularly keep going up, from fuel to fish food.”
To make comments or read more about the proposed changes, visit the aforementioned department web address. And be thankful for our cost-efficient guardians of wildlife in Missouri.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and is the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine. If you have story ideas for the Leader outdoor news page, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can find more outdoor news and updates at johnjwink.com.