Is it any wonder, after reviewing the facts regarding the fees Louisiana charges compared to Mississippi, why Mississippi is the leader of the two states in so many Wildlife Management Areas? From first hand experiences, Louisiana WMA’s, like the PRWMA (Pearl River Wildlife Management Area), have always struggled through low budgets, and Rangers claim they can’t afford to put rocks on the roadways, or afford to hire enough rangers to cut the grass on trails.
Many folks from Mississippi come to use the “Honey Island Shooting Range”, which is located within the PRWMA, and for good reason, it’s a whole lot cheaper than using Mississippi’s WMA shooting ranges. That’s right, Louisiana hunters who pay a $15 fee to be able to use the Louisiana WMA’s subsidies Mississippi folks that want to save money and come to Louisiana to use the Range inside our PRWMA.
Perhaps a look at the facts will shed some light on just how much money Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries leaves on the table. It’s plain it is to see that folks in Mississippi, along with many Louisiana residents, are well aware of deal to be had, and take advantage of Louisiana’s failure to adequately charge those that use our WMA’s and WMA Ranges.
(Information below was taken from The Mississippi Outdoor Digest (pages 6 and 8).
MISSISSIPPI WMA FEES vs. LOUISIANA WMA FEES
• In Mississippi, EVERYONE entering a WMA must purchase a “Wildlife Management Area User Permit” – Resident = $15, Non-Resident $30
• In Louisiana, only HUNTERS are required to purchase a “WMA Hunting Permit @ $15 – Resident, $15 Non-Resident
• In Mississippi, if you want to use the Range on a WMA you are required to purchase “Annual Resident Range Permit” @ $40, and Non-Resident @ $80
• In Louisiana, to use the Range on the PRWMA you are minimally required to purchase “Wild Louisiana Stamp” @ $2 for both Resident and Non-Resident
JUST HOW MUCH IS LOUISIANA WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES LEAVING ON THE TABLE
• Using numbers from the “Honey Island Shooting Range” (located inside the PRWMA) they have an average of 20,000 plus users a year
• Subtracting 25% for youth under 16, that puts the number of paying adults at 15K that use the PRWMA Range (aka Honey Island Shooting Range)
• Estimates put those paying adults that use the Range that are from Mississippi at 15%
• If Louisiana simply matched Mississippi, and changed the “WMA Hunting Permit” to the “WMA User Permit”, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries would rake in an estimated $258,750.00 just from the PRWMA for those using the Range, and that’s without adding in the Bird Watchers, Hikers, etc., just by changing the name and intent of one permit to match Mississippi
• Then there Mississippi’s “Resident Annual Range Permit” of $40 per year, per person, and the “Annual Non-Resident Range Fee” of $80 per year, per person that Louisiana doesn’t charge, and why so many folks from Mississippi come to the PRWMA Range to shoot.
• If Louisiana would simple follow Mississippi’s lead, and institute the same fees to use our WMA range at PRWMA the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries would net an estimated $1,530,000.00 more per year just on those using the WMA Range (and this is just from one range)
• So, what does the LDWF get from the “Honey Island Shooting Range” for being granted the rights to use public land, paid for and supported by hunters, NOTHING! That’s right, the LDWF granted a second 10 year lease to SELFS, Inc (Southeast Louisiana Firearms Safety, Inc.) for the total amount of $0.00 per year!
• In addition to not collecting the estimated fees of just under 2 million dollars a year, the LDWF pays additionally to continuously repair the roads leading to the PRWMA Range, as those roads have so much more traffic than the roads hunters use.
It’s a no brainer why folks in Mississippi use the Louisiana WMA Range at PRWMA, it make perfect sense to them because it’s CHEAP. However, anyone with a little bit of common sense is left to wonder why LDWF has created this disparity between bordering state’s fees that has caused our WMA’s to be overused and underfunded.
Many folks from Mississippi come to use the “Honey Island Shooting Range”, which is located within the PRWMA, and for good reason, it’s a whole lot cheaper than using Mississippi’s WMA shooting ranges. That’s right, Louisiana hunters who pay a $15 fee to be able to use the Louisiana WMA’s subsidies Mississippi folks that want to save money and come to Louisiana to use the Range inside our PRWMA.
Perhaps a look at the facts will shed some light on just how much money Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries leaves on the table. It’s plain it is to see that folks in Mississippi, along with many Louisiana residents, are well aware of deal to be had, and take advantage of Louisiana’s failure to adequately charge those that use our WMA’s and WMA Ranges.
(Information below was taken from The Mississippi Outdoor Digest (pages 6 and 8).
MISSISSIPPI WMA FEES vs. LOUISIANA WMA FEES
• In Mississippi, EVERYONE entering a WMA must purchase a “Wildlife Management Area User Permit” – Resident = $15, Non-Resident $30
• In Louisiana, only HUNTERS are required to purchase a “WMA Hunting Permit @ $15 – Resident, $15 Non-Resident
• In Mississippi, if you want to use the Range on a WMA you are required to purchase “Annual Resident Range Permit” @ $40, and Non-Resident @ $80
• In Louisiana, to use the Range on the PRWMA you are minimally required to purchase “Wild Louisiana Stamp” @ $2 for both Resident and Non-Resident
JUST HOW MUCH IS LOUISIANA WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES LEAVING ON THE TABLE
• Using numbers from the “Honey Island Shooting Range” (located inside the PRWMA) they have an average of 20,000 plus users a year
• Subtracting 25% for youth under 16, that puts the number of paying adults at 15K that use the PRWMA Range (aka Honey Island Shooting Range)
• Estimates put those paying adults that use the Range that are from Mississippi at 15%
• If Louisiana simply matched Mississippi, and changed the “WMA Hunting Permit” to the “WMA User Permit”, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries would rake in an estimated $258,750.00 just from the PRWMA for those using the Range, and that’s without adding in the Bird Watchers, Hikers, etc., just by changing the name and intent of one permit to match Mississippi
• Then there Mississippi’s “Resident Annual Range Permit” of $40 per year, per person, and the “Annual Non-Resident Range Fee” of $80 per year, per person that Louisiana doesn’t charge, and why so many folks from Mississippi come to the PRWMA Range to shoot.
• If Louisiana would simple follow Mississippi’s lead, and institute the same fees to use our WMA range at PRWMA the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries would net an estimated $1,530,000.00 more per year just on those using the WMA Range (and this is just from one range)
• So, what does the LDWF get from the “Honey Island Shooting Range” for being granted the rights to use public land, paid for and supported by hunters, NOTHING! That’s right, the LDWF granted a second 10 year lease to SELFS, Inc (Southeast Louisiana Firearms Safety, Inc.) for the total amount of $0.00 per year!
• In addition to not collecting the estimated fees of just under 2 million dollars a year, the LDWF pays additionally to continuously repair the roads leading to the PRWMA Range, as those roads have so much more traffic than the roads hunters use.
It’s a no brainer why folks in Mississippi use the Louisiana WMA Range at PRWMA, it make perfect sense to them because it’s CHEAP. However, anyone with a little bit of common sense is left to wonder why LDWF has created this disparity between bordering state’s fees that has caused our WMA’s to be overused and underfunded.