[Vanilla]

Well, looks like some decisions have been made. Copied and pasted from the press release:


Hunting and fishing fees for nonresidents will be increased, as follows:

• Nonresident hunting, fishing and combination license fees will not double, but will see a moderate adjustment. Nonresident 365-day fishing licenses will increase from $34 to $49 for youth and from $94 to $120 for adults. Nonresident 365-day hunting licenses will increase from $34 to $44 for youth and from $120 to $144 for adults. Nonresident combination licenses will increase from $38 to $58 for youth and from $150 to $190 for adults. This change will be in effect July 1, 2025.
• Hunt drawing application fees for nonresident hunters will also not be doubled. The new price will be $21 per application, a $5 increase, beginning on Sept. 1, 2025. There will be no changes to the fees for any applications, licenses and permits offered through the current 2025 big game application period.
• Nonresident hunting permit fees will be right-sized to value, based on the species and permit type. For example, limited-entry permit fees will be adjusted more than general-season permit fees, and once-in-a-lifetime species permit fees will generally see a higher increase, proportionally, than other permits. Nonresident buck deer permits for general-season hunts will increase from $418 to $599, and limited-entry permits will increase from $670 to $1,070. Nonresident bull elk permits for general-season hunts will increase from $613 to $849, and limited-entry permits will increase from $1,050 to $1,950.

These permit fee changes will not go through the DWR's typical public process of review — involving the Regional Advisory Councils and Utah Wildlife Board — since they have already received legislative approval.

Changes to nonresident license fees will go into effect on July 1, 2025, and changes to drawing application fees and hunting permits will go into effect Sept. 1, 2025.

 

[colorcountrygunner]

Well that's not AS bad, but good Lord $600 for a gs deer tag and $850 for a gs elk tag are pretty silly. But if the market will bear it...

 

[Vanilla]

Not all that out of whack on what I have to pay to hunt those species in Colorado, if we are comparing across the board.


It sucks, and I maintain all this is doing is screwing the average Joe and eventually leads to eliminating the average Joe from the hunting equation. Exactly what some are working for.

 

[MrShane]

Well that's not AS bad, but good Lord $600 for a gs deer tag and $850 for a gs elk tag are pretty silly. But if the market will bear it...

Sadly the market would bare double that just so a guy can get a pic on Instagram.

 

[johnnycake]

Not all that out of whack on what I have to pay to hunt those species in Colorado, if we are comparing across the board.


It sucks, and I maintain all this is doing is screwing the average Joe and eventually leads to eliminating the average Joe from the hunting equation. Exactly what some are working for.

Given the choice between a CO or UT GS deer/elk tag, CO wins that every time

 

[Vanilla]

Not for me!

 

[colorcountrygunner]

So what do you non-residents think now? Opting out? Still in the game? I'm interested to hear how this changes things for you.

 

[Critter]

I'll stick for the pronghorn, I believe that this is my last year for bison, mostly because of my age.

 

[johnnycake]

At our house we no longer are applying for moose, goat, bison, pronghorn, GS deer (except for kids for now, time will tell), and will not apply for any of the antlerless tags anymore.

 

[MWScott72]

With the way that the DWR has been increasing fees in the past 7-8 years, I wonder how long it will be before they just go for the jugular and bump them up all the way. Any guesses? My estimate is 10-12 years max.

Today is a a sad day. $600 for a GS deer tag already? Unfortunately, that’s in line with many other States, and this whole exercise is to keep up with the Joneses. It won’t be getting g any better from here on out!

 

[Critter]

While we all would like to keep the fee structure like it was 20 years ago, it just isn't possible

I have no idea on how the Utah Legislature dolls out money to the DWR but if you use Wyoming as a example when their Legislature said that they needed to make their own money you can see why the tag prices need to be increased. And the NR is the easiest applicant to do this with. While there will be yelling and screaming the Legislature or the DWR doesn't have to answer to them like they do with a resident.

But residents need to hang on. With each NR increase has came a resident increase in the next year or two.

 

[caddis8]

So what do you non-residents think now? Opting out? Still in the game? I'm interested to hear how this changes things for you.

This is what will be called cost creep. Like point creep. In politics (which this is), there's a principle called the Overton Window. They opened up the window to push it as far as they can, and in an act of "charity" dialed it back a bit. Then the powers that be can say "it's not as bad as it could have been." Trouble is, once hooked on the sauce, they'll keep increasing. I haven't seen a single entity that didn't go full monty where they could to maximize revenue and budgets.

To be clear, I don't fault them. Costs go up. These are sort of palatable. I'll have to think long and hard if I want to buy a 365 combo license to hunt or fish a couple times a year or if I'll just tag along- which is still fine with me. I haven't put in for tags for years because I was so dirt poor when I moved out of state after college (Go Ags) that I couldn't afford out of state tags for several years and lost my points. So, those are out for me. I have had opportunities to hunt CO or WY but haven't, so I'm not sure why I'd at UT to the mix.

 

[Fogtripper]

This is getting to be so ridiculous. Looks like the legislature approved these fees in the 11th hour of the session. $2200 for NRs to hunt an LE mule deer? 4K+ to hunt OIAL species? $240 for a hunting license just to “play the game”? Fees are getting out of control. Pretty soon, no one will be able to hunt out of their resident State due to the ungodly cost to do so.

I’m not sure if this has gone to Gov. Cox’s desk for signature yet, but I would recommend that anyone and everyone contact him and voice displeasure about this crap. What a bunch of garbage!

Honest question: As a Utah resident, why should I be concerned that non-resident costs are high?

 

[caddis8]

Honest question: As a Utah resident, why should I be concerned that non-resident costs are high?

Because Non residents bring other dollars in with them. A lot of the places non residents hunt are smaller towns that impact local economies. The bigger outfitters often aren't buying local. They'll make a massive run to Sam's Club or Costco before they come to camp and they often don't leave camp to go eat.

 

[johnnycake]

Honest question: As a Utah resident, why should I be concerned that non-resident costs are high?

In addition to what caddis8 said, if you as a Utah resident ever hunt in other states, tit for tat is a real biotch.

 

[colorcountrygunner]

In addition to what caddis8 said, if you as a Utah resident ever hunt in other states, tit for tat is a real biotch.

Yes it is. I have seen cucksliders calling for reciprocal pricing for Utards. As an individual, I never asked for these price increases, nor do I support them but f*** me, right? As long as I can remember, hunters have always had a bug up their arse about nonresident hunters anyway. I think a lot of them would fully support eliminating non-resident hunting opportunity in their state and catering entirely to residents. But if, let's say Wyoming goes and makes things untenable for me to try to hunt there as a nonresident, what do you think I'm gonna do when the wolfies are at their door? If the wolfies unleash a proposal to double the number of wolves and put a complete ban on wolf hunting, do you think I'm gonna come running in to help protect a big game population that the residents made clear I am not welcome to hunt? Nah. I may even throw a couple hundred bucks toward the wolfies GoFundMe page and sign their little petition. Because eff you, EFF me, EFF everyone!

 

[Critter]

I don't know if it is so much tick for tack, but just plain cost.

Lets say that over the last few years the DWR is getting along on a $100 budget from the state, but their vehicles are wearing out, the buildings need a few new roofs, the officers need a raise. All of a sudden their budget has increased 50% and the old guy up at the capital says that they can't have that 50% increase, they need to get the money from somewhere.

It is no different than most of the member on the forums here. Our cost for our housing, vehicles, food, and everything else has increased and the money needs to come from somewhere. I hunt in 3 different states, and each one of them have increased the fees that the hunter needs to pay for the privilege to hunt there. Colorado just went to where all non residents need to apply in the draw to bow hunt where in the past they could walk into any license agent or get online and buy their OTC tag. CP&W says it was because of over crowding, perhaps it was. I know a lot of hunters who archery hunted elk here in Colorado just for the reason that they could buy their tags over the counter, and the increase of the price of tags hasn't deterred them. Going to a draw just might.

 

[middlefork]

SB8: State Agency Fees and Internal Service Fund Rate Authorization and Appropriations
This new law allows the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to increase nonresident license fees up to double the previous cost in order to purchase large blocks of land for hunting and fishing. However, the bill does not mandate that those fees will automatically increase by double. All resident fees will remain the same.

 

[Catherder]

As long as I can remember, hunters have always had a bug up their arse about nonresident hunters anyway. I think a lot of them would fully support eliminating non-resident hunting opportunity in their state and catering entirely to residents.

I'm pretty much out of the out-of-state hunting game at this point, but when I lived in Vegas and was a D%*# Nevadan coming up for hunts, I got to see this firsthand, even though my party and I had more experience on the mountain than the person flipping me off.

The sad thing is that there are always some "others" to hate to take the place of the out of staters. If it isn't the Nevadans, it's the losers from the Wasatch Front. If not them, it's the dudes from the adjoining county. It never ends and it's sad and counter productive.

The point about not being interested to help other states with regulatory/litigation issues when they haven't been very welcoming is also spot on.

 

[colorcountrygunner]

I'm pretty much out of the out-of-state hunting game at this point, but when I lived in Vegas and was a D%*# Nevadan coming up for hunts, I got to see this firsthand, even though my party and I had more experience on the mountain than the person flipping me off.

The sad thing is that there is always some "others" to hate to take the place of the out of staters. if it isn't the Nevadans, it's the losers from the Wasatch Front. If not them, it's the dudes from the adjoining county. It never ends and it's sad and counter productive.

The point about not being interested to help other states with regulatory/litigation issues when they haven't been very welcoming is also spot on.

I hate where the state of hunting is going, but I’m gonna pop some popcorn and enjoy the comedy of everyone being excited about watching their “opponents” lose hunting opportunity while being seemingly oblivious that their head is up next on the chopping block.