If you had a fishing license last year, it expired in March. And, you’re being encouraged to buy another to make you legal through this year.
But, it doesn’t just mean you’ve paid for the privilege of fishing in Indiana. Every time someone buys a license, part of the money goes to help maintain everything the Dept. of Natural Resources does in the state, said Matt Burlingame, who crunches numbers for DNR.
“I like to say the little picture of what we do is manage Indiana’s fisheries and wildlife resources and those habitats that all those critters live in. But, I think our big picture is we’re trying to increase the quality of life for all Hoosiers by conserving the natural resources,” he said in an interview on Indiana Outdoors.
Burlingame said people who never hunt or fish benefit from the money generated by fishing and hunting licenses.
“If you’re a birder, hiker, canoer or kayaker-all those people benefit from the habitat that Fish and Wildlife managers, the properties we maintain, the access sites and boat launches.”
Burlingame said if you just buy the bare minimum hunting and fishing combo license for $25, you are helping DNR get way more than that.
“Every fishing license and hunting license that we sell, we get a kickback from the federal government,” said Burlingame.
The $25 license gets a $58 match from the federal government. That totals $83 for one license.