Lifetime License?

[mntnguide]

Just thought i would see how many of us Idaho residents have bought a Lifetime license. I bought my Lifetime hunting license last fall, as with my job of guiding and jumping state to state, If i do end up taking residency somewhere else I always want to come back and hunt here, and figured paying the $380 for my life instead of $154 every year as a non-res will pay off if i do leave idaho. If i had the money I would have bought the fish/hunt combo but O well. How many of you have gone the Lifetime route?

 

[T43]

I've thought about it but haven't done it yet. I figure if I ever move out of state I'll do it before I go.

 

[wolftalonID]

Me too. The math is 33 years to cover the cost at resident price as of today. With the way they raise the cost, its probably more like 20 to be equal. At my age its a wash, and if I cant afford a hunting license in my 60's then I shouldn't be hunting.

Now if you figure your going to move out of state, then I can see how it would help, but then you would have to plan on traveling to hunt here everyyear. I live where I hunt more or less. For now I dont see the savings, let me make my money work for me for 33 years and Ill come out ahead.

 

[IdahoPredator]

I have a lifetime license. I bought mine 15 years ago. If I remember correctly, the price was only $160 or something like that. Whatever it was, it seemed like alot of money at the time. Of course now I realize that it was a very good investment. I was only in my early twenties at the time and I actually lived out of state for a couple years since then. Another good thing about having one is that I don't have go to a vendor to get my license (it is mailed to me) and I have it before January 1st every year.

 

[THEBUGLER]

I coughed up the 300+ dollars back in 2001. I moved to Oregon and hunted Idaho as a NR for five years until I returned, and it totally paid for its self. Plus as a RES, you also get a discounted sportsmans pack each year. If your a NR, and NR tags are sold out, as long as there are RES tags available you can purchase one at the NR fee. It was a good investment.

 

[MT.MAN]

Yes, I bought mine several years ago back when the price was $203.50 I believe. I know I have paid it off and then some. My son is now 9 months old and I promise before he turns 2 for that price jump he will have a lifetime license.

 

[IdahoPredator]

That's the way to do it MT Man. Buy it for him now and save a ton of money. I remember having good intentions of doing that for my son but like an idiot I put it off til it was too late.

 

[bullbuster]

The lifetime license is especially good if you bird hunt. I've moved away, but return to bird hunt every year, and get back the initial cost every few years. The real lure is to be counted as a resident with respect to big game drawing odds. My only concern is that there's no documentation to show that I'm entered as a resident in these drawings. We have to take their word for it, but every year I pay double the resident drawing fees (and get turned down), I wonder.

 

[IdahoPredator]

It's funny you mention that bullbuster. For several years after buying my lifetime license, I never drew on a single hunt. I thought that it had something to do with my lifetime license number. I remember even contacting the headquarters and asking them if there was something up with it. Now I realize that it was just coincidence and that I just had bad luck for that stretch because I do draw every once in a while now.

 

[MT.MAN]

Last week we took the plunge and got my son his lifetime license. The cut-off for the price jump used to be 2yr. olds but they changed it to 1yr. old so we had to hurry.

 

[HUNT]

It's funny you mention that bullbuster. For several years after buying my lifetime license, I never drew on a single hunt. I thought that it had something to do with my lifetime license number. I remember even contacting the headquarters and asking them if there was something up with it. Now I realize that it was just coincidence and that I just had bad luck for that stretch because I do draw every once in a while now.

I have had my lifetime license for over 14 years. Bought it right before I moved out of state. Best investment I've ever made. I've been back to hunt every year since.

I had the same question though about being counted in the resident quota for draws. I had a couple emails from the IFG stating that I was indeed included in the resident quota.

This year I found out they were right. I drew a Unit 6 moose tag putting in for the first time for moose. When the draw odds were posted, sure enough no nonresidents drew the tag that I drew. Now I know for sure. I just had bad luck for the first 13 years.....