With inflation raging out of control the past five years, can you name a business or agency that hasn’t raised its prices on goods or services?

That’s a tough one. Most of us are paying more each year, sometimes for less.

Now take a look at the Department of Natural Resources. It’s been 21 years since Wisconsin residents have seen an increase in hunting or fishing license fees.

In recent years, the DNR’s fish and wildlife account has faced a shortfall of about $16 million. A coalition of conservation and sporting groups supported raising fees last year, and thousands of citizens who voted in person or online in last month’s fish and wildlife meetings were also in favor.

Republican lawmakers shot down large hikes proposed by Gov. Evers last year. But instead of offering an alternative, they chose to do nothing.

I’d like to see a $5 hike in the general fishing license and a $6 jump for gun, bow and crossbow deer hunting — to $25 and $30, respectively. That would raise about $11 million for the fish and wildlife account. Add some smaller increases on other resident licenses and stamps, $10 to $15 extra on the Conservation Patron, and a nonresident increase in line with other Midwest states, and the deficit would be taken care of.

At the same time, there needs to be accountability on how funds are spent. I’m all in on fish and pheasant stocking, in-the-field fish and wildlife management and research, and public access/public land habitat restoration, but not more bureaucracy and CWD testing.
Some have suggested a one-time fee for kayaks, canoes and other watercraft not already requiring registration, and there’s been talk of a quarter-percent sales tax going toward natural resources.

What do you think is best? Send your comments to gofishwisconsin@gmail.com.

DNR gets funding

Last month, the DNR announced it would have to close some fish hatcheries and make significant cuts in the stocking of muskies, walleyes, trout and pheasants because the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) didn’t release funding in a timely manner.

Fish hatcheries in Brule and Osceola would be closed, and about 40,000 fewer muskies (inland), 240,000-plus fewer trout (inland and Lake Superior), and nearly 300,000 fewer inland walleye would be stocked.

While the DNR pointed fingers at lawmakers, some legislators fired back.

In a JFC meeting broadcast on WisconsinEye last week, Senator Romaine Robert Quinn (R-Birchwood), blasted the agency.

“We passed our budget last July — nine months ago — and then we get a request from the DNR on March 31, that if we don’t respond within 12 days, they’re going to permanently close two fish hatcheries and cut stocking for this year,” Quinn said. “That is absurd.”

Quinn said that earlier, legislators allocated $2.5 million to fix two hatcheries, and Gov. Evers vetoed it.

The committee did vote to approve the DNR’s request for about $2.8 million for fish culture and stocking, fish monitoring and assessments, and fisheries habitat management and protection.

About $1.3 million was for raising and releasing fish.

Quinn said stocking would continue to take place at expected levels. He added that if the DNR can’t figure out how to do it in state hatcheries, they’d better contract with private hatcheries to do it. He also noted that proposed pheasant stocking cuts were stopped as well.

Muskie season opens

The Green Bay muskie season opens Saturday, with a 54-inch minimum. Most anglers release any muskies they catch, but a few likely leave the bay each year. Some real giants have already been caught and released during the spawn in the Fox and other bay tributaries.

Meanwhile, the yellow perch season on the bay reopened Wednesday. There’s a 15-fish limit. The perch season in Lake Michigan and lakeside tributaries remains closed until June 5.

There’s a five-fish bag after that.

Smallmouth bass fishing remains closed to harvest until July 1 in Green Bay waters, and in all Lake Michigan waters within five miles of the Door County shoreline.