Governor Tony Evers’ budget proposal includes a potential $20 increase in Wisconsin hunting license fees, raising the resident deer hunting license from $24 to $44. This adjustment would be the first increase since 2005, as the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) faces a projected $15.5 million deficit, primarily due to stagnant license sales and rising operational costs over the last two decades.
The proposed fee hikes extend beyond deer licenses, with small game hunting licenses also seeing significant increases. Resident annual licenses would rise from $18 to $38, while nonresident licenses would jump from $90 to $110. With many licenses remaining unchanged since 2005 amidst a backdrop of 59% overall inflation, the DNR stresses that these adjustments are essential to sustaining fish, wildlife, and law enforcement programs critical to the state.
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