Mike Wilson is an Oklahoma native who has hunted on a family lease since he was 12 years old. Now living in Frisco with two sons, he said new nonresident fee increases have him reconsidering whether he will continue returning to the longtime family lease in his native state, just 2 1/2 hours away from Frisco.
Other Texans, especially from the northern part of the state, have taken advantage of lower hunting lease rates in the state across the Red River.
The Oklahoma legislature took notice, likely in response to complaints by local hunters about license plates from out-of state trucks dotting the hunting landscape.
The legislature created what was penned the Wildlife License Modernization Act, sponsored by state Sen. David Bullard, of Durant, and Rep. Ty Burns, of Watchorn.
“After more than 20 years, we have finally simplified our hunting and fishing licenses, and given residents more for their money,” Bullard said. “We also were able to get out-of-state licenses up to the regional average. This is a big step forward for Oklahoma outdoorsmen, especially residents.”
The bill, which was signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt and takes effect July 1, was touted as combining multiple licenses, cutting red tape and modernizing the license-purchasing process.
For nonresident deer hunters, fees increased to $299 per season for a general hunting license, plus $500 for each deer season (archery, rifle and primitive).
Wilson said if he hunts archery (his preferred method), rifle (a 10-day season) and primitive (muzzleloader), he’s looking at $1,500 plus the general license for himself and his sons, who are now over 18 years old.
“I have two boys who hunt,” he said. “They aren’t making it friendly for young people who want to hunt. Instead, they are making it where they can’t afford to do it.”
On the Texas Hunting Forum, BOBO described himself as a Texas resident who owns land in the Oklahoma Panhandle.
“It’s going to cost me roughly $2,800 if I hunt all seasons on my own land,” he posted, noting he hunts pronghorn as well and the Texas rate for nonresidents is far less, with a Super Combo license less than $400.
“I normally get two pronghorn doe rifle depredation permits each year,” he wrote. “It now will cost me (or my kids killing them) $1,016 to kill two pronghorn depredation does.”
Texans who hunt in Oklahoma remind new hunters in the state to keep something else in mind, especially in that first year. Since the state’s hunting licenses run for the calendar year, when seasons extend into January, a new license is required. Wilson said the changes could cause his family and other Texans to search for somewhere else to hunt.
“I don’t think it’s right to just target the nonresidents,” he said.
