Going Fishing... Or Not

I cleaned out my storage unit recently and have been consolidating all my outdoor gear. I have three nice rods- fly, spin and bait. Living less than 5 minutes from Cherry Creek, I thought I should get back into it. When I have nothing to do, go across the street and chase some walleyes.

Today I looked at fishing license cost. $41.83!

I had to look twice to make sure that was the resident price. Yup. Non-resident is $117!

Time to compare prices. Colorado is one of the highest states, 4th after California, Oregon and New Hampshire (according to one list I found).

I know that hatcheries need money and all the other services the CPW provides are nice, but the costs seem unusually high compared to the rest of the country.

I also realize that forty bucks isn't a huge hardship, having wasted way more than that on much more frivolous nonsense (Charter Arms).

It just struck me as excessive and wanted to see what others think, especially any avid anglers.

oh, just go fishing.

and don't forget to vote for jared polis and his new underlings on the wildlife commission.

I don't think $40 is out of the ordinary for the fishing license alone, you do have to also buy the habitat stamp which is BS though. I grew up in Minnesota, there are specific seasons for fishing specific species so there is a 2-3 month period of the year where you cannot fish. Colorado there are no closed seasons. Also other states break out trout as a separate license or stamp whereas in Colorado everything is included.

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Originally Posted by Hummer

oh, just go fishing.

and don't forget to vote for jared polis and his new underlings on the wildlife commission.

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Oh, I bought it. I just wanted to bitch a little bit.

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Originally Posted by eddiememphis

Oh, I bought it. I just wanted to bitch a little bit.

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I know and I get it. The trickle down Bidenomics effects everyone and only .gov benefits.

(I'm quietly bitching here too.) I had to buy a fishing license in order to go hunting. I ought to go fishing since there's a trout steam outside my door.

Result of combining DOW and Parks. CO DOW used to be a good example of relatively successful gov/bureaucracy until they hung it with parks(the conservationists were slowly being replaced by socialist environmentalists even 40 yrs ago)

I despise the result but still pony up all the fees to fish/hunt/camp.

Colorado "outdoors/back country/mountains/plains" of 40-50 years ago were the best in the world and am glad I got to experience it as a youngster. Am hugely disappointed that I cannot give my grandkids the same experiences but still do what I can.

Used to be easy to walk off into the wilderness and not see another human until you chose to. Now our challenge is to see if we can sneak off into the wilderness and dodge other humans for 3 days.

If you're unarmed, you are a victim.

Forty-two dollars is crazy! When I had to start buying a license, I think they cost $20.00. A small game license cost the same. Or, you could buy a combination license for $30.00 and save $10.00. No habitat or search and rescue fees. I bought a combo license with an extra rod stamp last month and spent $85.00. The cost increase has been incremental. Lots of people thought the SAR fee was stupid. Then the habitat fee... It started cheap enough but has gone up a lot. Buffalobo is correct. The bug increase happened when DOW and Parks were combined. But I get out a lot so despite the steep cost, I don't feel bad. As stated earlier, Colorado is pretty easy going compared to some other states.

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Originally Posted by JohnnyDrama

It started cheap enough but has gone up a lot.

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Sounds like most things in government.

$42 is a lot cheaper than the fines you'd face if caught fishing without a license... but if you leave your ID at home and tell the Game Warden "No hable englais" they'll probably just let you go... unless of course they're bilingual, then you'll get several more citations, lol.

I actually pony’d up for mine so I could use the range near the Chaffee county landfill. As long as you have a fishing, hunting or parks pass you can use the range. Since the boy goes to school in Gunnison I plan to stop to and from when I head up there.
Also gave me a reason to bust out the fly rod to have in the truck.

Fishing out here is still free.99. The question is, who owns the fish?

When they started the Habitat Stamp scam it was $10. This year it's $12.15 + the $0.25 Search & Rescue Fee + the $1.50 Wildlife Education Fee (hell, we're paying to educate the wildlife now too?).

It used to cost me $3.00 for each big game hunting preference point. This year, preference points cost $8.00/ea.

On top of all of this, applying for big game licenses or preference points used to cost you the price of a stamp. Now there's a few dollar fee because it's mandatory to apply online.

I didn't hunt deer or elk in 2022 because they moved 2nd Season (my usual big game hunting season) later - right over Halloween and my wedding anniversary, plus I was displeased with the state.
I didn't hunt deer or elk in 2023 because I'd just had major surgery a week prior and was bed-ridden.
I won't hunt deer or elk this year because I have a 2+ week work trip out of state.

I now have 2 deer points (been using them as I get them; will have 3 by next year) and 20 elk points (21 next year).

My plan is to cash the elk points out (draw) in the next year or two for a trophy elk hunt (was planning on going to Trinchera Ranch but they're no longer participating in the program). Same year I'll probably cash out the deer points for my usual deer spots in Unit 80. At that point, I'm likely done hunting big game. The state can go f' themselves as they'll only get an extra rod stamp fee from me from then on (I have a lifetime fishing/small game combo license which also covers the Habitat stamp fee.

By the preference point assignment this year, my son will have 15 deer and 16 elk points. When he's ready to cash those out, I'll go with him to "guide"/help haul out the animals.

If my grandson expresses an interest in big game hunting when he's a few years older (he's 9 now), I'll take him since I know his dad never will. Aside from that, I'm basically done with big game hunting. Same thing for my granddaughter.

I know many former big game hunters that the state has run off from the sport due to policies, season changes and fees. Word is that LOTS of folks are giving up the "wildlife" side of CPW. What happens when the reduced revenues from wildlife can no longer support the "parks" side of CPW? I know, let's create a program where we charge folks for it when they register their vehicles. Eventually enough folks will get sick of the price increases and just stop hunting and fishing.

This whole combining the 2 agencies was idiotic from the start. If parks was bleeding money that bad then they should have re-evaluated the "why" vice combining with wildlife and stealing their surplus. Now, both sides are being poorly run.

The state started this BS "Keep Colorado Wild" pass which is automatic UNLESS you opt out (most folks are unaware of the opt out option - which the state is counting on). I have Disabled Veteran (DV) plates on all of my vehicles. I had to pay an extra $50/ea for these plates for two of those vehicles and the only advantage was they got me into state parks & recreational areas for free. I just renewed my truck registration last week. The "Keep Colorado Wild" program says you won't be charged the pass fee if you have DV plates. I was charged. So, what was the advantage for having these plates?

Just more reasons good people of Colorado are moving to other states.

$53.98 for a single rod. My brother is in Alabama now. like 15 bucks. i kinda feel like a sucker.

When was the last time a Fish Cop got tarred and Feathered?

Just wait, in another few years you will have to make an advance reservation for entry.

Went to 3 locations to get my fishing license yesterday. All 3 said their printer was down, or their system was down. What a fuckijg joke. Did it online.

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Originally Posted by XJ

Just wait, in another few years you will have to make an advance reservation for entry.

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This.

Took the mtb to Lair O the Bear with some friends last Sunday (Memorial Day weekend) and we made a point of getting to the parking lot by 7:15am. It was already 2/3rds full. By the time we got down a couple hours later, the parking lot was a non-stop merry go round with a line of cars waiting on the access road. I honestly expected less traffic because lots of folks would be out of town, but it was still crazy.