They fee isn't about Dow making money, it's about charging the guys who just put in for points every year and never buy a license. The idea was to try and help the in state guys who if are true sportsman usually buy sometime of license every year. If you buy ANY license the previous year (big game, fishing or small game) you will not be charged the fee. Everyone wants to bitch about the money, but they are the first to bitch when there is no access to ground, no road maintenance, no fish in the lakes, or all the winter kill because Dow didn't have the funds to air drop feed to the herds. If you want to bitch, call your politicians. They are the ones who combine the Dow with parks and rec. those dam bicycles get to use the ground and trails and search and rescue on our dime. Our hunting dollars fund these and they use them for free.