The last price increase for hunting and fishing licenses was in 1993, and if we are going to prepare the state for the next generation of hunters, a fee bump is a good idea.

The Mississippi legislature is studying a bill that would do just that — House Bill 1151. The bill proposes raising the combination fishing and small-game hunting license, which excludes hunting turkey and deer, from $8 to $10. A fishing and hunting license, which allows hunting of turkey and deer, would increase from $17 to $25. The cost of a sportsmen’s license, for fishing and for hunting that includes primitive weapons and bow and arrow, would increase from $32 to $45.

These price hikes help pay for game wardens that will not only keep animals safe from the small percentage of folks who improperly or unethically hunt or behave. At the same time, those wardens keep the woods safer for your child to go out on hunts.

Hunting gear and weapons can be expensive, and this is just one more cost that often comes prior to the holidays, but the little extra cost is worth helping preserve a tradition for Mississippians that is priceless.