ALABAMA SHAFTS FISHERMEN AND WOMEN

[jsb]

I do not know how many of you know what Alabama has done to it fishing license. They have now started doing licenses like Tn. does them. They now run from Oct. 1st. to Aug. 31st. which is no big deal. Now here is where the shafting starts. Your lic. have gone up to $46.00 a year but what they are not telling you is that this year and tell next Aug. it will cost you $46.00 reguardless of when your license expire. I just renewed mine and got them in the mail they were good for only 10 months. So if your license expire in March and you get new ones it will still cost you $46.00 for six months so you are paying double for 6 monthes of you license. In other words giving them $23.00 for nothing. Also, if you license expire in July it will still cost you $46.00 for them. I have been told that there will be know pro-rating of our license.
This is a shame considering the millions of dollars that we spend in Alabama ever year. So the thanks that we fishermen get, is a shafting in the tune of 10 to 20 million dollars the state will rip us off for. I am guessing at this but I bet I am not far off. I bet as a average Tn. people will pay and extra $20, Miss. will pay an ertra $30 and ect.
I suggest that if you do not like being shafted call the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources , Barnett Lawley At 334-242-3886 and let him know your fellings. I would also inform him you may not buy a license tell after Aug. 31st and you will fish else where and spend your money, reguardless if you do or do not. I would also call and inform places you stay and eat or city councils that you will be going other places since Alabama don't seem to want to be fair with fishermen.
I HOPE THIS BOTHERS OTHERS AS MUCH AS IT DOES ME. BOYCOTT ALABAMA LAKES!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bprice]

Sorry to hear that... we pay $41 for a Tennessee license that runs Feb to Feb, and I thought that sucks!</p>

I personally hope you don't boycott, but I know many around here that would be thrilled... selfish fisherman.</p>

I don't think 500,000 people buy out of state fishing licenses though in Alabama, that would make $10M.  I could be wrong.</p>

 

[rsimms]

I just bought my Alabama non-resident Annual Small Game, WMA Permit and Waterfowl Stamp. I noted increase (about $20 more this year) and what I thought was a new expiration date. I well understand your pain. About 10 years ago those AL non-resident licenses cost me less than $50. This year... $122. It pained me some... but the truth is, if I didn't feel I was getting my money's worth, I wouldn't do it. I have a Lifetime License in Tennessee... in essence it wouldn't cost me a dime to duck hunt here. But I'm still willing to give Alabama $122 a year because they've actually done some good stuff for duck hunters down there (compared to East TN). As for calling Lawley, in general I never threaten anyone with what I "might do." I just do it. emoBigsmile

 

[DHaun]

My current AL non-resident license cost me $41 and expires in March. No one likes to pay more for a license, however, resource management costs are higher and I expect prices to increase with the cost of energy and inflation. I understand the frustration with a partial year and I would prefer a full annual license at the time of purchase myself. However, in my opinion the annual increase is not as significant when compared to the cost of mobilizing a vehicle/boat, filling up with gas, along with lodging expenses just to make one trip down there. Many anglers are willing to purchase a fishing rod and a handful of lures, fishing several times a month costing well in excess of the amount of an annual license (I would expect prices of equipment to go up this year as well). Stay here in TN and boycott if you want, but if I can afford the fuel I am Not planning on boycotting any AL lakes, even though I only fish Weiss a few times a year. The fishing can be great and they need all the help they can get with severe drought conditions in the South.

 

[jsb]

It has nothing to do with the $5.00 increase nor does it have anything to do with the Al. and Tn. rilvary. What gets me is that you are paying for some months again that you have already paid for. It is not fair to fisherman who put alot of money into Al.. Also this is not to just out of state fisherman but it also includes you folks from Al.
I guess some of you missed the whole point. I have nothing against Al. as I fish there alot. I just do not think the state is teating us fair. If they were they would pro-rate the lic. up tell Aug. 31st.

 

[Guest]

Alabama has watched how Tennessee gets by without prorating a license so they must have thought it was a good idea.
If you are gonna play you are gonna pay.

 

[Bprice]

I guess I did miss your point, because I never saw in your post about it effected instate fishermen as well.

 

[tso]

The problem in AL may be similar to TN; Sportsmen foot the bill for all wildlife management, including non-game. Several weeks ago there was a report that came out that shows that the largest users of the outdoors is non-hunting/fishing activities in our region. 15% are fishermen, 8% are hunters and the rest of the users fit another category that does not require license. In TN, TWRA manages all of those non-game wildlife without seeing the revenue. Thus, a budget short-fall is created. I am fairly sure that TWRA does not receive general fund tax dollars. Therefore they have to keep raising the license fees to cover the cost which does continue to go up.

I, like Richard, now have a life-time license for TN so the TN fee does not effect me anymore. I also would not pay for the license if I did not receive the value. The shorter period is just part of the cost. Maybe having paid for a date certain license all of these years in TN has numbed us to the issue.

 

[drumking]

If you can't afford it, just stay in Tennessee and hunt and fish until August. Then the problem that is being banted about will all be over. Like my hero Rsimms says, "don't threaten, just do it." Politicians generally turn a deaf ear to things that are only of a temporary nature.

Relax, take a deep breath, count to ten, and let it go. I keep telling myself this all the time. (I don't always do it, but it is always the best course of action.) emoBigsmile emoGeezer

 

[Davo]

Well shoot, I always thought that Bama had a great thing going with the license being good for a year from the time it was purchased and hoped that TN would follow suit. I still think that TN loses some revenue by having all the licenses expire in Feb, regardless of when they were purchased. My younger brother doesn't want to buy a license for the next couple of months, but would if it would last for a year. For me, it's not about the money increase because that is understandable, I just hate having a set time for it to expire.

 

[Guest]

The game and fish commissions from both states bring in a bunch of extra money by having a set date on the license. When the renewal date arrives, the fishing possee's hit the water to catch the dumb ones for a month or so then you won't see them any more untill the next year.

 

[2jigs]

I thimk both Commissions are more about $$$ than they are the good of the hunting or fishing

just the way it is now days. All the more reason to get out & vote!

 

[djbogle]

Bama residents that buy TN non-resident fishing liscenses had better watch out. I remember reading that Alabama and Tennessee had an agreement to charge each other the same amount. Anybody else ever seen that?

 

[Fishing machine]

Last month I bought my out of state ( Ala. ) big game license, they to have gone up to $ 275.00 and I didn't like that too much either but I'm smart enough to know " PAY or stay in Tn ". I choose to pay because one other thing I know, there is not a soul in Alabama that cares what I think about their license or how much they cost. I'm glad they allow me to hunt there.

 

[RangerRob]

If $46 were all we had to worry about as sportsmen, we'd be alright. You'll spend that much on tickets to the Chattanooga Aquarium and you can't even catch those fish. If no one from TN fishes Alabama anymore (which they won't) it won't be from an increase in the cost of licenses ... it'll be because no one can afford the gas to drive to Alabama.

 

[dryhorn2]

With gas prices going up I won't be going to mud creek this spring...

 

[crdodge45]

Us folks from Georgia that fish both Tenn. and Alabama get have to pay twice no matter which way we go, gas for the truck and both my AL. and Tenn.run out in Feb.