New veterans' program, discounts make it easy to share the fun

Recently returning Wisconsin resident veterans may receive a one-time free annual fishing license under a 2013 law.

Veterans who wish to receive a free license must first contact the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs to determine their eligibility for this program. Such eligibility-related questions should be directed to the Veterans Benefits Resource Center via web chat [www.wisvets.com (exit DNR)], email wisvets@dva.wisconsin.gov or phone 1-800-WIS-VETS (947-8387).

Anglers who have never purchased a fishing license - or who haven't purchased one in 10 years - can get a discounted "first time buyers" license. The discounts are automatically applied when the license is purchased. Residents' discounted license is $5 and non-residents' is $25.75 for the annual licenses.

Anglers who recruit new people into the sport can get rewarded for their efforts. Wisconsin residents who have been designated as a recruiter three or more times within one license year are eligible for a discount on the license of their choice the next year.

Anglers can buy a one-day fishing license that allows them to take someone out to try fishing, and if they like it, the purchase price of that one-day license will be credited toward purchase of an annual license. The one day license is $8 for residents and $10 for nonresidents.

Wisconsin residents and nonresidents 16 years old or older need a fishing license to fish in any waters of the state. Residents born before Jan. 1, 1927, do not need a license and resident members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty are entitled to obtain a free fishing license when on furlough or leave.

The Conservation Patron License offers something for everyone

As a kid growing up in Wisconsin, I, like so many of you, enjoyed and continue to enjoy all the wonderful outdoor recreational opportunities available to us, including hunting, fishing and trapping.

If you are one of the tens of thousands of Wisconsin citizens that enjoys our beautiful and bountiful natural resources, and would like to help protect and enhance our state's gems, a Conservation Patron license might be the perfect win-win purchase for you, a family member or a friend.

Besides the countless hours that this license offers hunters, trappers and anglers to enjoy our natural resources, it also offers outdoor enthusiasts, including wildlife watchers, hikers and campers, many benefits as well. Even if you don't hunt or fish, there are many advantages to purchasing the conservation patron's license.

Purchase of the Conservation Patron's license includes a state park sticker. Our state parks are nature's masterpieces. A state park sticker gives you a little extra incentive to get out there and offers the convenience to just pull in instead of passing by.

A subscription to the award winning Natural Resources Magazine also comes with the Conservation Patron's license. This bi-monthly publication is filled with photos and stories on the state's fish, fowl and furry creatures, along with its flora and fauna, and also lists fun outdoor events to help you find a new way to enjoy them.

If you're a bird watcher or outdoor photographer, you know how important good habitat is to successful natural resources management, and all the beautiful natural sights to see.

Do you hike, bike, ride an ATV, horse or snowmobile on state trails? It's a great way to experience our outdoors. A state trails pass is also included in the Conservation Patron's license

The purchase of a Conservation Patron license includes licenses and stamps necessary to enjoy many of the fishing and hunting seasons in the state at a discounted rate from purchasing them individually.

Opportunities abound. But even if you don't have the time or interest in pursuing all the seasons and adventures associated with the license purchase, know that funds generated by the Conservation Patrons license go directly back to species habitat protection and enhancement programs.

Your Conservation Patron's license also helps pay for your conservation wardens. These are the dedicated men and women that are out there every day protecting your rights to enjoy our natural resources, and providing public safety when you are participating in outdoor activities and ensure that our fish and game laws are being adhered to.

Were you once an angler or hunter and no longer participate in these outdoor activities? Ever considered being a mentor for someone to introduce them to the thrills and excitement of pursuing fish and game? Having a Conservation Patron's license allows you to go afield or on the water without the worry of being in compliance with license requirements for mentors.

If you have natural resource conservation on your list of things you strongly support, purchasing the Conservation Patron license is a way to put your personal resources directly into Wisconsin's natural resources.

It's the one license that covers just about anything an outdoor enthusiast would want. From hunting and fishing to hiking and reading great articles out of the Natural Resources Magazine. It's one-stop shopping for Wisconsin's outdoors -- and it's all available for $165.

With the purchase of a Conservation Patron License, you can have all these great opportunities that normally would cost about $325 and you will have them all. Not to mention the hours of pleasure you'll have re-connecting with the outdoors, and the priceless adventures and memories to follow.

For more information, call 1-888-WDNR-INFo (I-888-936-7463)

Oh, and hint, it makes a great Mother's or Father's Day present.

New senior hunt/fish combo license gives resident seniors price break, refund

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is making it easier for Michigan seniors age 65 and older to get a price break on the hunt/fish combo license. The new senior hunt/fish combo license includes a fishing license (good for all legal species), a base hunting license and two deer licenses for $43.

When purchasing the 2014 licenses without a senior discount, seniors who purchased the regular hunt/fish combo license paid $76. The only way to get a senior discount on these items was to purchase them separately as senior licenses.

The newly packaged discounted license is available for purchase as of April 14. In addition, resident seniors who paid the higher $76 price for a 2014 license will be receiving a letter from the DNR offering a refund of $33 -- the difference between the regular hunt/fish combo and the senior hunt/fish combo.

"When the license year began on March 1, we had quite a few seniors who qualified for discounts on individual licenses but were buying a hunt/fish combo and missing out on the senior discount,” said Denise Gruben, manager of Licensing and Reservations for the DNR. “This packaged senior hunt/fish combo provides an easy checkout for seniors to get their discount and get the combo all at once.”

Seniors who qualify for the refund will be receiving a letter in the mail within the next three weeks, giving recipients the option of getting a refund. Those who opt for the refund will receive a check from the State of Michigan. The DNR asks seniors not to seek refunds from the location where they purchased their license. Seniors who are eligible for the refund should keep the license they received when they purchased the hunt/fish combo; these licenses are valid and do not need to be replaced.

New fishing, hunting licenses go on sale March 5

MADISON --Wisconsin hunting, fishing, trapping and other licenses for the 2014-15 seasons go on sale Wednesday, March 5. The new annual licenses are valid through March 31, 2015. Hunting and fishing licenses for the 2013-14 license year will expire March 31, 2014.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources encourages long-time license buyers in Wisconsin to consider purchasing a Conservation Patron license. A Conservation Patron license gives the license holder all of the basic fishing and hunting privileges at a great price, $165 for Wisconsin residents and $75 for Wisconsin residents under age 18.

Revenue from Conservation Patron license sales is distributed amongst the fishing, wildlife and trapping programs and also helps fund fish and wildlife habitat improvement programs.

In its third year, the first-time buyer license continues to offer an affordable opportunity to explore a number of outdoor activities available throughout Wisconsin. Certain resident licenses are available for as little as $5 for those who have never purchased a Wisconsin license or those who have not purchased a Wisconsin license in any of the 10 years preceding the date of application.

Hunting and fishing licenses can be purchased through the Online Licensing Center on the DNR website, at all authorized license agents, at DNR Service Centers (Hours for service centers vary; check the DNR website for service center days and hours of operation; DNR Service Centers are not open on Saturdays), or by calling toll-free 1-877-LICENSE (1-877-945-4236).

DNR Customer Service staff is available to assist the public online and via phone from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Spanish and Hmong bilingual customer service representatives are also available. Customers may reach customer service at 1-888-WDNR INFo (1-888-936-7463) or by e-mail at csweb@wisconsin.gov. An online chat link is also available

Fishing in Michigan

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Attention all anglers, a new fishing license season begins April 1!

Michigan’s fishing licenses were restructured on March 1 – there are now five options to choose from when making your purchase. All fishing licenses are good for all species.

•    Resident Annual - $26

•    Non-Resident Annual - $76

•    Senior Annual (for residents age 65 or older) - $11

•    24-Hour (resident or non-resident) - $10

•    72-Hour (resident or non-resident) - $30

Residents and non-residents can also purchase the Hunt/Fish combo license for $76 and $266 respectively that consists of a base license, annual fishing license, and two deer tags. Please note, a base license is not required when just purchasing a fishing license.

Michigan’s new fishing licenses will bring additional revenue into the state that will be invested into the state’s fisheries; including providing greater access to world-class fishing opportunities, improving fisheries habitat in inland lakes and streams, and increasing the health and quantity of fish stocked in the state.

Fisheries Division does not receive any general funds and depends on angler dollars (through license sales and federal excise tax dollars for fishing tackle) to manage the state’s fisheries. Buying a fishing license, even if you do not plan to fish, can make a big difference to the future health of Michigan’s prized freshwaters.

There are two simple ways to purchase a fishing license in Michigan:

1.    Visit your local license retailer or DNR Operations Service Center and make a purchase in person.

2.    Use the E-License system to buy a license online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Just visit www.mdnr-elicense.com on your computer, smartphone or tablet to get started.

Don’t miss your chance to experience some of the finest freshwater fishing in the world! For more information on fishing in Michigan, visit www.michigan.gov/fishing.

April 1 marks start of open period for 2013 fishing tournament permit applications

MADISON – Organizers planning fishing tournaments for 2013 can apply for their permits starting April 1, 2012, and should do so before June 30 to have the best chance of securing the date and water they want, state fisheries officials say.

There is a cap on the maximum amount of tournament fishing pressure allowed on some waters, so to give tournament organizers a fair shot at reserving their spots, the Department of Natural Resources runs an open application period from April 1 through June 30.

Permit applications from tournament organizers applying after June 30, 2012, for events in 2013 will be considered on a first-come first-served basis, according to Jon Hansen, the DNR fisheries biologist who coordinates the fishing tournament permit system.

All applications for 2013 events DNR received during the open period will be reviewed by Aug. 1, 2012, and in the unlikely event that another tournament conflicts with an organizer’s choice of dates or waters, DNR fisheries biologists will discuss options with the tournament organizers, Hansen says.

In 2011, 559 applications were approved from the 603 submitted. None of the applications were denied but some applications were withdrawn and some events cancelled.

Organizers can still apply for 2012 tournaments

Tournament organizers can still apply for 2012 tournaments, but the DNR must receive completed applications at least 30 days before the start of the applicant’s tournament, Hansen says. These applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until the caps have been reached.

Tournament organizers will need a permit if the tournament:

• involves 20 or more boats, or 100 or more participants;
• targets any trout species on waters classified as trout streams;
• is a catch-hold-release tournament with an off-site weigh-in;
• will have fewer than 20 boats but participants will cull bass; or
• has total prize value of $10,000 or greater.

An application fee must accompany all permit applications. The fee will vary depending on the type of tournament and the value of prizes awarded. For more details on the tournament rules and fee structure, to submit an application, or to view a tournament event calendar, visit the DNR website and search for fishing tournaments.

Tournament numbers down, but fishing hours and fish caught up in 2011

The number of fishing tournaments with permits declined in 2011 but anglers participating in those tournaments caught more fish and spent more time fishing than did tournament anglers in the previous two years, DNR statistics show.

Hansen speculates that the decrease in tournament applications, and thus permitted tournaments, largely reflects the fact that the tournament rules are now three years old and that organizers of smaller tournaments are learning they may fall under the thresholds necessary for a permit and so are not applying.

The 559 permitted tournaments drew more than 75,000 anglers and awarded prizes totaling nearly $3.2 million. Anglers fished 1.58 million hours and caught 98,205 fish and released about 48 percent of them, down from previous years.

Top counties for permitted tournaments included Winnebago County, with 50, Oneida County with 28, Waukesha and Polk with 25 each, and Vilas County with 22, Hansen says.