Hunting license fees have increased over the past few years in many states. The Colorado legislature is currently hearing a bill that would allow for the increase in hunting license fees in order to help sustain the state parks and game lands. But where does Colorado rank nationally as far as hunting license fees for residents and non-residents? Colorado is a huge destination state with large numbers of non-resident hunters coming to hunt everything from pheasants and waterfowl to deer and elk. Additionally, Colorado has seen a population boom in recent years unlike anything since the Gold Rush. Most if not all of these new residents are taking part in outdoor activities on our public lands and forests, and some are hunters and fishers.
The graph here shows the price of a license across the United States for Resident and Non-Resident hunters. The licenses depicted are those that are the cheapest for each state. For example, some states require different licenses if hunters wish to pursue big game. Those big game licenses are, unsurprisingly, more expensive than those licenses just to hunt waterfowl or pheasant. Where the state requires a different license, the cheapest option is depicted here.
As you can see, Colorado falls near the bottom for resident and non-resident licenses. While the story is much different for big game, it is difficult to compare as not all states 1) allow big game hunting for non-residents, and 2) do not offer similar big game hunting. For a more accurate reading and for exact prices, refer to the chart below.
