Just wondering why is it that other states non resident tags are so expensive while texas is so cheap? For example, Texas tags with every animal included costs about the same as one deer at most other states.

Personally I like how it is low because I have friends from out of state come visit and they can pick up a 3 day license for around 80 bucks. However, I can see how people dislike that...

The licenses are only part of the benefit Texas gets from out of state hunters. The hunters spend money, lots of money on food and lodging and entertainment. Along with keeping literally thousands of people employed year around.

That license money goes to state, those millions of dollars paid to the outfitters, the landowners, motel owners, restaurant owners, bar owners, liquor store owners, gun shops, taxidermists, even the convenience store owners benefit. It is better to have the hunters where a lot benefit than cut down the number of hunters and a lot of people have to find other occupations.

Hunting money is like tourism, it is money that keeps a lot of small Teas towns alive. Keeps the small town grocer in business. No telling how many guides would lose their jobs, these out of state hunters spend more than the locals do, and tip better.

Interesting topic.

Yes but non resident hunters spend that money in other states too to boost other states economy as well? I mean I understand that the lower cost tag fees bring more hunters to Texas. Just doesn't seem fair that for example a New Mexico hunter can put in for tags in Texas and have the same odds of drawing a tag as us residents and Other states that hunt New Mexico only get 10% of the tags and pay almost $400 to hunt one mulie. Just seems like we should match tag fees too seems like it would also probably improve our public land.

What you seem to be hung up on is the fact that we have to pay more to hunt out of state than they do when the come here. New Mexico has elk, we don't have a hunt able population like they do. That right there makes them more valuable than a Texas whitetail, then add in the additional meat and taste factor.

That's true on the elk. But texas has whitetail and lots of them whereas New Mexico doesn't. So should we raise the price to $350 a deer tag because texas has huge whitetail and they can't get them in New Mexico?

No because many, many other states have whitetail (Big Whitetail).

This subject is one that irritates me on a side tangent. If it makes you feel any better the full year non resident is $315....this absolutely sucks. $300 is a LOT of money to me.

Worse yet I've been a student here in texas for going on 6 years now. I basically live here. Yet I can't get a dang resident license. And that kind of payout for a student is rough. I'm already paying out of state tuition. I think they have got their money's worth out of me.

What does the resident hunt package cost like $26 here in Texas? If it makes you feel any better in Washington, in general, it's over double that much for a resident for just one deer. So to have out of state tags be much more doesn't surprise me. And I think there are giant population differences. Could be seen as a supply and demand kind of thing as well. Less deer in Washington, so they cost more, in a sense.

You should look into this more. I was able to get an in state hunting license in PA while going to college there. I believe the law states that college students can choose their residency because they spend 6+ months in that state.

Not saying it will work in Texas as it did for me in PA, just something to look into.

Actually a really good point because I know my brother did it in NC. I contacted fish and game in texas and they said that I had to obtain a texas drivers license (I.e, become a resident).

Kind of a bum deal.

We don't sell by the tag, Texas sells hunting licenses with tags. Texas also doesn't have the public land like NM or CO, these out of state hunters cannot do walk in hunts on public land like they can in NM or CO.

Transfer your driver's license to Texas, register to vote and get Texas plates on your vehicles and in 6 months you would be able to buy a resident Texas license. Or stay a resident of Washington and pay out of state fees for your Texas hunting license.

Texas is the smartest state of all. Don't mess with Texas.

Good looking out Gone to Texas!

I think they should charge more just to be d-bags like the other states. I paid $577 for a bull tag, $215 for an antelope, and about $350 for a mule deer this year in WY. We are by far one of the cheapest if not the cheapest.

Exactly Jensent!!!!

And your reasoning is??? Not based on the fees Jensent paid, but why should we charge that amount???


Total tags sold in 2011, resident and non resident. Bust those fees high enough and how many out of state hunters do we lose?

Look at Oklahoma. You have to buy a separate tag for rifle, archery, and muzzleloader. Costing almost $700 for all 3 tags, so if you pass on deer during archery you have to buy another tag for muzzleloader, and if you pass again you have to buy another rifle tag. We should adopt the same fees. $700 for a deer is a lot of money

And if you want to hunt waterfowl their is another $200 liscense.

no, I buy my dads every year, heck no

I was being sarcastic early, but it doesn't transfer well over written text. I have no problem with our prices being lower. The way I think about it is that Wyoming can charge way more because out there you have a realistic chance of going out and shooting a big Elk bull, whitetail, bear, pronghorn, ect... (free range). Texas doesn't have the same public land opportunities as some of the other states, so our low prices are made up in the high cost of getting a guide. Other states have so many more DIY options and offer so much more public land to hunt on, so why not charge more? A lease that is 5,000 acres should cost more than one that is 50 acres shouldn't it?

Im fine with our prices but i dont think we can realize how many people in different states dream hunt is tx whitetail. This discussion came up when i was in wyoming this yr. I made the comment about them having whitetail. They said its not the same. They want to hunt whitetail in tx.

Who pays for the Federally owned land in any state in the US?

We all do thru our Federal Income Tax's. Every Taxpayer in the US pays the same rates on Federal Income Taxes regardless of State of residence.

Every State raises their necessary Tax Revenues usually thru 1 of 2 ways. Most States have a State Income Tax, and Texas like some other States generate their primary revenue stream from Property Taxes paid thru the County Tax Office.

?? Why then do the State's get to manage Federal Land and charge & restrict access for Non Resident Hunters differently than they charge & restrict access for their Resident State Hunters on Federal Land? IMO this is a violation of the Interstate Commerce Act against selective taxation....but then I ain't a tax lawyer either.

Solution - Create a Federal Lands Hunting License that gives every US Citizen Taxpayer the same access to tags, cost per tag and bag limits on any Federal Lands in any State, and limit participation on a Max Bag Limit Total Lottery - like the Lottery's these States are already doing now but based on specific Federal Lands and Open to all Federal Hunting Licensee's without regard for Residency equally...just like we pay Federal Income Rates without regard for Residency.


Any State & County owned and Private Land's IMO should be open to a State to manage and take taxation from - a Hunting License & tags etc - however that State see's fit.

IMO The theroum argument Texas makes about "tourist dollars" cuts both ways and IMO is a flawed bogus argument. We the Taxpayers of Texas are getting ripped off when the State of Texas allows Non Resident Sportsmen to share in Texas Wild Game - fur/feather/fins - at less cost than we get charged and with extrodinary less access - number of tags available - for the same priveleges in any other State.

FYI The Texas Dept of Insurance issues Non Resident Insurance Agents a Non Resident License for any Agent in Good Standing with their home states' Insurance Board without limiting the number of NR License's for any particular State....at exactly the same $ cost as that State charges a Non Resident Texas Agent seeking to do business in that state. I like that idea...

The TP&W Lottery Hunts being open to Non Residents AT ALL, much less on an equal basis with Texas Taxpayers are an especially sore subject for me since no other State I am aware of allows this practice.

It my understanding that the Lottery Hunts on TP&W owned and operated Parks and WMA's were enacted to provide access to the Hunting Experience on State of Texas Owned Land my State Mandated Property Taxes paid for, like every other Texas Resident Hunter who could not or did not want to hunt on private property.

By & Large, State of Texas Owned Property is not owned or paid for by Non Resident Hunters in Property Taxes.

All of the State's, including Texas, charges Texas Hunters equally on State Sales Tax revenues just like they do with their own Resident Hunters on any in-state taxable purchases.

Old Argument that I am late this year on venting about, but still valid, JMHO & YMMV
Ron