Where does/hunting fishing license money go?
Attention all hunters and fisher-people! The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife is reminding you to check the expiration date on your licenses.
March 1 is the start of Ohio’s licensing year. Ohio’s annual resident hunting licenses are $19 and valid through February 28, 2021. Fishing licenses are $25 and good for one year from the day of purchase.
According to the head of the Division of Wildlife, Kendra Wecker, that money goes to a good cause.
“The Division of Wildlife maintains successful wildlife and habitat management thanks to the continued support of Ohio’s sportsmen and women.”
They can be purchased either online or at wildohio.gov or in person at participating agents in the state. Finding out how to purchase those licenses online can be kind of tricky though but after about twenty minutes of going to the links suggested by ODNR, I found the right link for buying a license, which is here: https://oh-web.s3licensing.com/. There’s also a search engine for finding a local agent that just plain doesn’t work. Though many places that sell hunting and fishing equipment also offer licenses. So, if ODNR isn’t spending that license money on web development, where does it go?
ODNR says funds from hunting and fishing licenses and money from special taxes on hunting and fishing equipment are used for habitat conservation efforts. The agency says in 2019, the Division of Wildlife was able to purchase thousands of acres of high-quality land that will be open to the public. Money also helps pay for fishing access, shooting ranges, and wildlife areas.