I noticed today when I stopped in at Academy to get my hunting/fishing license that it increased again. Last year was $39.30. Online it shows $39.90 for this year yet in store it was $42.10. Guess its time to just buy a lifetime since it seems to keep rising over the years.

If I buy the lifetime at $780.95 that's roughly 19 years worth of buying. I've still got 30 years plus till 65.

Yes I know these are not major increases. Was just sharing.

Wow

This is why I got lifetime at 18, that was 20 years ago and $450 at that time

Yeah I wish I did when I was 18. I didn't hunt back then. I didn't start till mid 20's

Who uses a hunting license?

When the legislature voted on the last price increase, the bill had a provision in it that allowed for for future price increases. I believe it's tied to the Consumer Price Index. This means that they do not have to get legislative approval anymore. As the CPI goes up, they can adjust prices accordingly. You are almost certainly guaranteed small increases over time. I'm fairly certain this happened in 2007 because after reading about it, I immediately bought my lifetime license while the old prices were still in effect.

$42.10 still cheap. Paid close to $70 in Texas and you only get four deer tags. Three if you live in a one buck county. If you hunt in a county that is is antler restricted, it must measure 13" or better. Everyone then complains about the number of spikes.

CPI index varies every year like 1.5%. That is the most it can go up. Hardly anything to get upset over in my opinion. $0.60 a year.
https://www.bls.gov/regions/southeast/news-release/consumerpriceindex_south.htm

The reason it keeps going up is because about 10ish years ago the Conservation Department got the Legislature to allow it to minimally increase the license cost when necessary to keep up with inflation.

Minimally being key. Thirty cents a year isn't much. A dollar or two over the course of 3-4 years isn't much. Anyone can squall about "they should be doing this!" or "they shouldn't be driving new fancy vehicles!" or whatever, but the department ain't flush with money. This isn't specifically targeting the OP or Alabama, either; these issues are common throughout the country.

The reason for the increase 10ish years ago was because the license costs had not been increased in more than 20 years - like many states. Ohio is going through this right now. Wildlife agencies need increases and legislators don't want to do it because they catch chit from the voters. So there's a stalemate, services get whittled, equipment gets old, research and/or programs/projects die, state parks close or turn into "this used to be a nice place" places, and then a lot of times the voters -- hunters, anglers, outdoorsmen - add another layer of bitching about how chitty the agency is.

The minimal increases every couple of years, perhaps each year, isn't great if you buy annually and see an increase. But IMO it's better than going 20-25 years and then a license jumping from $20 to $50 or so (like some states have done) or the addition of weapons- and/or seasons-specific payments for hunting or fishing like a turkey stamp, muzzleloader permit, trout stamps, etc.

I'm not going to worry about it after this year, Lifetime licenses for me and the girls. We live next to a 'lake' and we "fish" weekly, the question I have is, is it worth it to buy a life time freshwater license?

$42 is a drop in the bucket compared to what most of us will spend on hunting equipment, clothing, gas, food, meat processing, taxidermy every year.

This^^^ if you calculate the cost per pound of deer meat based on every dollar many hunters spend on hunting it would make Wagyu beef seem cheap by comparison.

I bought my annual back becore they went up.

Fishing from shore? If so, no way. In fact those privileges may come with a lifetime hunting license.

Cheapest part of hunting in AL!!!

I think my lifetime license was $300 when I got it about 30 years ago.

When my Dad gave me a combo hunting/fishing license for Christmas back in 1984, it was a total of $500.

I'm gonna buy lifetime fishing in 2 years when I turn fifty.

I am actually glad I read this. I forgot. I was getting my boy for his bday. He turns 2. Freshwater and hunting is 475 I think.

I paid $300 for mine in 1989. It covered hunting and fishing. When they started the saltwater license, I was grandfathered on that. To hunt and fish for everything in Oregon, it costs a resident $180 per year or more, depending on tags and other add-ons. And you get one buck tag per year.