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Public land opportunity sucks in Ms. We need more WMAs

All they asked for was copies of SS cards and birth certificates if I recall correctly. I remember a little paperwork but no more than a page or so. I had them back before their first birthday and filed in gun safe since.

Might want to call and ask some one else at MDWFP

After reading all the comments I would like to point out a few things. Mississippi's resident hunting and fishing license prices have remained unchanged since 1993, and are among the lowest in the nation. A license fee increase would be used to fill vacancies in the law Enforcement Bureau. Currently I have 6 counties without an officer and 38 counties with only 1 officer. We have 70 vacancies in Law Enforcement. I am concerned about counties without an officer, but more concerned about 38 counties with officers working alone. Keep in mind in 1993 I was paying about $10,000. for an officers truck that now cost $22,000. Tires have doubled in price since Katrina (2005). ATV's have tripled. Just think of this, most of the same equipment you use to hunt and fish, we have to use to patrol 82 counties and thousands of waterways within the state, and our maintenance cost is just like yours. Think about what ethanol does to your boat motor, I have over 300 boats to maintain. Clothing, boots and other equipment has tripled in price. The law Enforcement Bureau survives solely off license sales we do not receive any general funds (taxes) Although many tell us "their taxes pay our salaries", this is not true. Out of 15 surrounding states Mississippi Conservation officer rank 15 in pay we are the lowest. If you have never witness these officers during emergencies, natural disasters and multiple times of need they are second to none. We have responded to over 150 calls on missing or lost persons, manhunts, assisting other agencies, in the last year alone. Do you have any idea how many drowning victims we recover every year, these often last for several days on each event, so that we can recover the body for loved ones. Unfortunately Law enforcement is usually a thankless job, we are for the most part, unwanted, until times of need, then we are embraced with open arms. I stand firm in saying this increase is needed not simply a want. Regardless of the outcome we will continue to protect the natural resources and people of this state, WE WILL ALWAYS DO OUR JOB!

stevea wrote:After reading all the comments I would like to point out a few things. Mississippi's resident hunting and fishing license prices have remained unchanged since 1993, and are among the lowest in the nation. A license fee increase would be used to fill vacancies in the law Enforcement Bureau. Currently I have 6 counties without an officer and 38 counties with only 1 officer. We have 70 vacancies in Law Enforcement. I am concerned about counties without an officer, but more concerned about 38 counties with officers working alone. Keep in mind in 1993 I was paying about $10,000. for an officers truck that now cost $22,000. Tires have doubled in price since Katrina (2005). ATV's have tripled. Just think of this, most of the same equipment you use to hunt and fish, we have to use to patrol 82 counties and thousands of waterways within the state, and our maintenance cost is just like yours. Think about what ethanol does to your boat motor, I have over 300 boats to maintain. Clothing, boots and other equipment has tripled in price. The law Enforcement Bureau survives solely off license sales we do not receive any general funds (taxes) Although many tell us "their taxes pay our salaries", this is not true. Out of 15 surrounding states Mississippi Conservation officer rank 15 in pay we are the lowest. If you have never witness these officers during emergencies, natural disasters and multiple times of need they are second to none. We have responded to over 150 calls on missing or lost persons, manhunts, assisting other agencies, in the last year alone. Do you have any idea how many drowning victims we recover every year, these often last for several days on each event, so that we can recover the body for loved ones. Unfortunately Law enforcement is usually a thankless job, we are for the most part, unwanted, until times of need, then we are embraced with open arms. I stand firm in saying this increase is needed not simply a want. Regardless of the outcome we will continue to protect the natural resources and people of this state, WE WILL ALWAYS DO OUR JOB!

Great post and Thanks for explaining. It is funny you mention the number of officers per county. If you view some of the past threads on the Bullnettle forum back during deer season folks are complaining there aren't in CO's in their county. Now that MDWFP has asked to raise license they complain about that.

Stevea, you are pretty much preaching to the choir in this one. Granted, nobody likes having to pay more for stuff - services included. But let's face it. The job y'all do is difficult at best and dangerous for certain. In all my years (I'll admit that I am probably older than most on this board) I have only run into a total of two LEOs that were, shall we say "special". (Yes, both gave me a ticket, but that isn't what made them 'special'. One has subsequently been a guest of Parchman, and rumor has it that the other one was asked to retire by his supervisors.) Every other officer I have met, personally and professionally, has been well worth their paycheck in my opinion.

Enough of my $0.02. Y'all have a nice day.

Stevea, . Don't just raise the fees, make it hurt! Raise the fees for out of state hunters, Please! Arkansas just raised their OOS lic again this year It cost 250 bucks to hunt waterfowl and small game in AR. Im sure you know this but they charge us 100 dollars just to hunt the wma's over there. Here is the kicker, AR DEPT is flush with money because of the sales tax % they get on every sale in the state, so they don't need the revenue. They just do it to punish us and think twice about coming at all.

As you know I am not a fan of the department or really any law enforcement agency, but, I think it is wrong, bad wrong not to have local game and fish support for the taxpayers in those counties, and just as bad if not worse to have 1 officer in areas that need 3.

I say that to say yall have my support on the lic fees going up. MAKE IT HURT! make it hurt those AR folk that come over here and trash our turkey woods and crappie lakes just like they do when we buy our oos lic over there.

stevea, glad to see you wade into the fray.

Are you telling us that this increase will fully fund 70 new officers, 70 new trucks, 70 ATVs and a boat or two. Plus, we'll give every officer a raise so that we can at least get off the bottom and rank 14th, and this will be enough to support this for the next 23 years? Well by gum, okay. but we need it in writing.

Nobody seems willing to make a $$ projection and lay out some math.

'Cause we already know you need more people, stuff costs more, blah blah blah, etc.etc. etc.

I'd say 70 new officers is 2.1 million in salary, health, retirement bennies etc. 70 new trucks is a minimum 1.4 million, so we're at 3.5 million using booger math. That's without ATV's or boats or raises or anything else. What is the departments projection on the math?

Does anyone have different numbers?

Thanks for what you do.

Whats probably happening is all those kid and youth lifetime licence holders are of license buying age and decreasing lic sales and that wasnt built into the long term plan.

Booger my answer is no , this will not be enough to hire 70, buy 70 new trucks or 70 atvs. it will take 2 to 3 years to get staff and equipment where it needs to be. over 36% of the Law enforcement Bureau is eligible for retirement (28+ years), we hired 30 last year and lost close to 25 to retirement.( I have over 33 ys myself). We have to start somewhere and are asking only for a moderate increase. We will still be below surrounding states. And no, this will not carry this agency for another 23 years, but we cant wait till the house burns down before we call the fire dept. Thanks

LODI QUACKER wrote:Whats probably happening is all those kid and youth lifetime licence holders are of license buying age and decreasing lic sales and that wasnt built into the long term plan.

I've often wondered how they track the numbered of this over time. You read about declining license sales etc but how are the lifetime sales factored in. We still buy our stamps, alligator tags, etc but are absent on the license sales. It's a great deal for us but seems like a one time shot in the arm for the state on that license sale.

Oh well, I'd like to see the dept get a % of sales tax from all outdoor related transactions to help fully staff the dept like some states do it.

i am all for increase if you don't see everything around you going up your an idiot.

maverick21 wrote:

LODI QUACKER wrote:Whats probably happening is all those kid and youth lifetime licence holders are of license buying age and decreasing lic sales and that wasnt built into the long term plan.

I've often wondered how they track the numbered of this over time. You read about declining license sales etc but how are the lifetime sales factored in. We still buy our stamps, alligator tags, etc but are absent on the license sales. It's a great deal for us but seems like a one time shot in the arm for the state on that license sale.

Oh well, I'd like to see the dept get a % of sales tax from all outdoor related transactions to help fully staff the dept like some states do it.

They do get a %, Pittman Robertson act

MrGoodtime wrote:

maverick21 wrote:

LODI QUACKER wrote:Whats probably happening is all those kid and youth lifetime licence holders are of license buying age and decreasing lic sales and that wasnt built into the long term plan.

I've often wondered how they track the numbered of this over time. You read about declining license sales etc but how are the lifetime sales factored in. We still buy our stamps, alligator tags, etc but are absent on the license sales. It's a great deal for us but seems like a one time shot in the arm for the state on that license sale.

Oh well, I'd like to see the dept get a % of sales tax from all outdoor related transactions to help fully staff the dept like some states do it.

They do get a %, Pittman Robertson act

Well I won't dive into areas I don't know enough about then, what about tacking $1 to each bag of corn sold in the state? Surely south MS alone would fill the MDWFP coffers

Since they're in bed with the feeder manufacturers, that won't happen.

REBEL DUCK wrote:i am all for increase if you don't see everything around you going up your an idiot.

Here is the address REBEL DUCK, send 'em all you got, don't wait for the increase and don't ask questions.
MDWFP
1505 Eastover Drive
Jackson, MS 39211

I know, I know,I can hear the groans from the audience, hey man dead horse, let it lay, boog is wackadelic, but my point is........... what will the increase bring? If the Sportsman is going up $13.00 fine, why $13? maybe it needs to go up $15? How many Sportsman license were sold last year, times $13 = whut? Now, can we carry this mathematical concept across all of the license type sold, times the dollar increase and get a number? Surely the MDWFP has a bean counter somewhere in the basement who cranks these numbers out, at least I hope so. Maybe the commissioners just roll out Yahtzee dice instead.

So if we have a number, one can theoretically project what we'll get for that. If it's not enough, go ahead and break the news to us now.

The MDWFP really has a sales problem. Selling licenses and selling the current proposed increase. I'm in sales, I can sell flip-flops to Eskimos in January, the MDWFP needs me on the team. I can guarantee you that I can increase license sales, and sell licenses they haven't even thought of to people who don't even need them, to almost double the current figures. Nobody is handling THE most important part of the organization. Doing the same-o same-o, it no worky. Nobody get's paid and nobody get's fished out of the river unless you have sales. Since I believe we're already in salary negotiations, I'll need a commission on the sales increase to motivate me, there is no increase, you don't pay. Send me a PM, everything's negotiable.