A $3,710 Elk Tag? Utah Set to Double Hunting Fees for Nonresidents

In the previous couple of years many states, notably within the West, have been rising charges for looking license, tag, and utility charges. Regardless of how lengthy it’s been since your state noticed a license payment improve, elevating the price of looking charges isn’t widespread amongst residents. However one technique normally has overwhelming help: Require out-of-staters to shoulder the heftiest worth will increase.

Following this technique, Utah plans to extend nonresident license charges by one hundred pc this 12 months, which can worth many DIY hunters out of the state and — probably — out of the applying course of.

Though Utah has already elevated nonresident hunting fees a number of occasions within the final 5 years. In 2022 it raised costs for each residents and nonresidents. And in 2020, Utah raised the charges for nonresidents whereas resident charges remained in place from 2014. The Utah Division of Wildlife Sources is 92 p.c self-funded and receives solely restricted funding from the state’s Common Fund, the company reported that 12 months.

The latest provisions are included in Senate Bill 8, a large 263-page appropriations proposal that authorizes payment will increase for all nonresident looking and fishing licenses. SB8 already handed the state Home and Senate, and if it’s signed by Governor Spencer Cox, it’ll go into impact this July.

Right here’s a have a look at the value distinction for some key examples:

Charges for nonresident landowner mitigation hunts have additionally doubled, with a cow tag now slated to value $700. You could find the remainder of the payment will increase within the invoice on page 128.

Resident tags will stay unchanged. The language of the invoice units the beneath charges as the utmost quantity the DWR can cost for a looking license payment. So though the DWR might theoretically cost lower than these quantities, it’s unlikely.

Whereas the charges are hefty for nonresidents, the hikes aren’t practically as excessive as what neighboring states have thought-about. (Earlier this 12 months, Wyoming was contemplating quadrupling looking license charges.) Basically, nonresident deer licenses vary from roughly 5 occasions the price of a resident license, as in Pennsylvania, to as a lot as 28 occasions, as in Montana. 

As we’ve reported beforehand, charging nonresident hunters half a grand for a deer tag, say, is a great tradeoff for state companies. In case you’re touring out of state to hunt, your main motivation is probably going recreation moderately than subsistence.

Learn Subsequent: How Much Should a Deer License Cost?

Nonresident hunters are additionally a minority buyer base, so wildlife managers and lawmakers are extra snug subjecting them to excessive worth hikes and maintaining resident hunters glad. And in states like Utah, the place license payment will increase should be accepted by the legislature, politicians usually tend to put the squeeze on out-of-staters than their very own constituents.