NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — There are only 60 days in Tennessee's duck hunting season, which means for at least 40 of those days, you can find Matt Carey and his bird dog Juno retrieving real mallards or practicing for the real deal.
"She knows hand signals. The single whistle means to stop," said Carey, as he practiced with Juno in a field near Percy Priest Lake.
But next duck season, Matt may end up paying a lot more for this sport he loves. Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency is proposing a 28% increase for hunting and fishing licenses and a 22% increase in boat registration fees.
"A lot of people are not really happy with TWRA," said Carey. "I think a lot of hunters are going to be really unhappy with it if they do raise it."
Prices vary widely for Tennessee licenses. For instance, an entry-level hunting license will go up to about $40 under the new fee structure. But the waterfowl package, which duck hunters might need, will now be well over $200 a year.
So why the big rate hike? I asked the TWRA. A spokesperson said the agency relies on those fees for about 70% of their budget and rates haven't gone up in nearly a decade.
"A well-funded agency benefits everyone," said Emily Buck, TWRA's Director of Communications.
Buck said the agency has also run up a $8 million dollar deficit.
"So this license price increase is pretty vital to ensure we can continue to provide the services Tennesseans have expected from us," said Buck.
TWRA also hopes more revenue will mean more improvements for areas they manage.
"We’ll be able to close, hopefully, a backlog of maintenance," said Buck.
Carey told us access improvements would take some of the sting out of the license fee hike.
"The access is pretty awful in a lot of places, and it’s getting worse as we get more developed," said Carey.
But the avid duck and turkey hunter does wish TWRA would have passed on more of the price increases to out-of-state hunters instead of local ones.
"People drive from Ohio and Illinois and wherever you can think of to come turkey hunt here," said Carey. "If they charged some people some more, or did like a quota system or however they want to do it, maybe we could win a little."
Carey says it'll be hard next year to retrieve those extra dollars for his license, but he'll still pay for it.
Because these 60 days of Tennessee's duck season are some of his favorite days of the year.
"For me, it’s a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle, chance to be quiet," said Carey. "Just recharge myself, my mind, my soul."
Not a done deal
The license increase is not officially a done deal. While the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the proposal, the Tennessee Attorney General and the Joint Committee on Government Operations in the legislature still have to give their approval.
If they do approve, the new fee structure will go into place July 1, 2025.
More price-conscious hunters can always lock in the current rates by renewing their licenses before July 1.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
We all know Dolly Parton as a Tennessee treasure, I believe Mr. Jimmy Wren might join her. In honoring his 101st birthday, we got to know this WWII veteran and Orlinda native. His stories are captivating, and he'll leave you in stitches. Enjoy this story from Chris Davis and photojournalist, Catherine Steward.
-Carrie Sharp
