Holiday Antlerless Season

[Shadowrider]

I got my lifetime in 05 but the Choctaws have recently started this.
Not sure what other tribes are offering but it may help some people out.

https://huntingandfishing.choctawnation.com/

That's a cool deal!

My dad had a lifetime combo license through the National Guard. Never did figure that one out, but we were checked several times by rangers and they never once questioned it.

 

[Dave70968]

Oh I’m sure it’s an increase on out of staters...

There are no nonresident lifetime licenses.

 

[dennishoddy]

Well they were losing money in the early 2000’s on the deal that’s why they were considering doing away with it. Had several employees tell us this in my college courses. (I was a wildlife major)

So I’m assuming it’s still hurting them. I mean logically it has to be. Just think about it. The price is really set waaaaaaay to low for the value you recieve. Guys “pay it off” in 5-7 years easy depending on how many deer tags they woulda purchased and then hunt “for free” for the remainder of their lives. Coupled with the fact that interest rates have been super low. That hurts even more.

Even with good interest rates it can’t keep up. Think of it this way. Guy spends $775 on lifetime. Say interest is 5%. That’s a measly $39 a year the ODWC receives from that purchase. Heck a combo license and one deer tag is more than that. It’s tough for a Wildlife department to make a go of it essentially giving out free deer tags to their hunters year after year.

Look at other states with lifetime licenses. Either the price is WAY higher OR it doesn’t include big game tags. Either way it typically takes you 20 years or so to “pay off” lifetime licenses in those states. That’s a helluva difference between that and 5-7 years!

I’m telling ya it’s killing them. Has to be. Granted they’ve learned to live without that money so they are doing a really good job with what they’ve got.

I personally would love to hear from the ODWC on this subject to see if anything has changed since I was last “informed” about it.

Well, you haven't provided any proof other than speculation or second hand hearsay about the fiscal results of the lifetime license fees, so we really don't know.
I'm thinking since this is a public entity, the budget and the results of the investment should be public knowledge if one knows how and where to search for it.

 

[ElkStalkR]

Oh you can find how much they are making on the interest of the licenses. In fact I believe somebody posted a financial report from the ODWC here at one point. Maybe last year?

I know I saw one somewhere on the Internet in the last couple years.

Granted it’s just a report showing where all thier money comes from. It doesn’t discuss how successful the lifetime license interest is or if they would be better off doing away with them. From a financial standpoint that is. You’d probably have to call and talk to thier budget crew directly to find that answer.

 

[ElkStalkR]

Maybe this is what I remember:

https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/sites/default/files/Annual Report FY 15_FINAL.pdf

Has some interesting numbers. Unfortunately doesn’t show what the principal amount is in the trust fund. But does note that over 50% of Oklahoma hunters do not purchase annual licenses anymore!

 

[ElkStalkR]

Found this years after some digging!

https://spark.adobe.com/page/wub6QNiDFs4bI/

Obviously they are investing the trust fund money differently now! Huge jump in income if you look at 2015 vs 2018! Nice! I would say things have definitely changed regarding the lifetime license money!

 

[retrieverman]

There are no nonresident lifetime licenses.

I know that, but I’m just saying any increase in license fees will more than likely be on out of staters...like this year.

 

[Deer Slayer]

Okieshooter777 - Does the announcement have to do with the lifetime price increasing? No. There is no plan for a price increase in the lifetime license, if my memory serves me correctly. If the ODWC were hurting for funds, they would not be doing something. Patience grasshopper.