Georgia DNR to Consider Increasing Hunting and Fishing Fees

The State of Georgia is set to consider higher hunting and fishing fees in the near future.

Georgia DNR Spokesperson Jennifer Hancock says they are set to hold a series of open forums starting in mid-June.

“Our primary goal right now is to engage sportsmen and sportswomen into a dialogue about changing the structure of our licenses and fees”, explained Hancock.

She says that stagnant revenues have forced some cutbacks in a number of programs and increasing or restructuring fees could change that.

Hancock explains that higher fees will be essential for any expansion of programs.

“To give hunters and anglers the opportunity that they are telling us that they want and are looking for, we would have to go up on prices”, she said.

Any money raised by increased license fees could potentially increase access to public fishing areas, among other things.

“We currently are only open five days a week and we could restore that to seven days a week and we could open up more opportunities for quota hunts and things of that nature”, said Hancock.

She added that Georgia DNR will seek input from the outdoors types on which programs they’d like to see increased in general.

“Is that more quota hunting opportunities, is that more boating access, is that more fish stocking”, listed Hancock.

Currently, Hancock says that Georgia’s hunting and fishing license costs are among the lowest in the nation.

Hunters pay $10 annually and fisherman pay $9.