Hunting fees stand pat

Hunting license fees for Tennessee sportsmen will not increase this year. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission decided last week that this was not the right time to raise fees, in spite of a dramatic rise in the cost of doing business.

Instead, the TWRC is making significant cuts to the 2009 operating budget of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The first slash in spending amounts to $4.5 million. More cuts will be announced in the next few months.

Certain programs have been hit hard in the first phase of budget reductions. Contributions to Ducks Unlimited for instate projects were decreased by $154,000; the "Tennessee's Wild Side" television show lost $200,000; and the TWRA's magazine "Tennessee Wildlife" lost $152,000.

The TWRC is hoping that these cuts will have minimal impact on the average sportsman, but TWRA employees will get the brunt of them in this round and the next one. Five full-time and 37 part-time positions will be eliminated; full-timers will be transferred to other vacant jobs and no layoffs are anticipated at this time.

Employee expenditures will be reduced on such budgeted items as equipment purchases, uniform allotments and out-of-state travel.

Two programs did not sustain budget cuts: Becoming an Outdoors Women and the Scholastic Clay Target Program. The TWRC acknowledged that these endeavors are invaluable to hunter recruitment.

n More money news. The cost of boat registration in Tennessee is increasing, the first change in 10 years. These adjustments by the TWRA are based on the changes in the national Consumer Price Index.

The new fees go into effect on July 1. They reflect an increase of three to five dollars per year for most boat owners, which will not be felt until they have to renew. Registration can be done for one, two or three years.

The new fees follow, with prices listed for one, two and three years: Boats up to 16 feet long, $13-$24-$25; boats 17-25 feet, $25-$48-$71; boats 26-39 feet, $38-$72-$107; boats 40 feet and over, $51-$97-$142.

n Nine out of ten boating-related drownings involve a victim who was not wearing a personal floatation device. While it is not legally required, everyone should wear one the entire time spent in an open boat. Besides, new designs in life vests have made them very comfortable.

And don't overlook this boating regulation. Anytime a vessel is moving, even if it is only adrift, any passenger under age 13 must, by law, wear a personal flotation device.

If a boat is not docked or tied to a fixed object, then a young passenger is required to wear a PFD. A boat does not have to be under the power of a motor for the law to apply. It applies even if the boat is just drifting. Young boaters that are in a cabin or enclosed area are not required to wear a PFD. This law has been required several years by TWRA, but it is now a U.S. Coast Guard regulation nationwide.

n The Quality Deer Management Association is offering a free online edition of its flagship publication, "Quality Whitetails." Guests at www.QDMA.com who have high-speed Internet connections can "flip" through a free, digital edition of the 100-page June 2008 issue, or they can choose articles from the table of contents.

The QDMA strives to teach whitetail hunters about the benefits of sound deer management. Other efforts include "Quality Whitetails" television on the Outdoor Channel, the Deer Steward certification courses, and many educational books and posters.

n The Quality Deer Management Association will hold its National Convention at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga on July 24-27. QDMA is for anyone interested in better deer and better deer hunting, and it is committed to ethical hunting, sound deer management and the preservation of the deer hunting heritage. The hunter is a key element of quality deer management.

The QDMA annual convention includes dozens of speakers and deer experts plus banquets, auctions, and the Whitetail Expo, the only deer hunting show in the nation that is focused on quality deer management.

Founded in 1988, QDMA is a nonprofit wildlife conservation organization with more than 50,000 members in all 50 states and several foreign countries. For more information about the convention and why QDMA is the future of deer hunting, call 800-209-3337 or visit www.QDMA.com.

Tom Wiest welcomes news, questions and comments from readers. Contact him via e-mail at his new address, wiest.tom@gmail.com.