Hoshour,
Not over 75% of license revenue is paid by NR's. From that link: $23,388,725 combined NR hunting and fishing licenses. Resident licenses $9,046,052
Advanced math, that's about 27.9% of the revenue from licenses is generated from Residents.
The annual operating budget for the GF is in the neighborhood of 74-78 million a year, meaning NR license fees are funding just shy of 30% of the GF budget a year.
As to breaking your arm patting yourself on the back for "carrying that huge load"...I often wonder how many NR's are spending vacation days attending meetings with the USFS, BLM, Game and Fish Leadership, county commissioners, state lands board, Governor, Secretary of State, a whole host of wildlife/sporting related NGO's, attending fund raisers and financially supporting those NGO's, donating time and money to wildlife outside of license sales and the GF budget, volunteering time for wildlife related work, etc. etc. etc.
I can tell you that many Wyoming Residents would find cutting checks for NR license fees the cheap and easy way out...both in time and money.
To take it one step further, when people step back and look at the 15,000 foot view, NR's get off damn cheap...that's a fact.
Each year when I travel out of state to hunt, I cant help but feel a bit guilty that all I've contributed in most cases, is the price of a NR hunting license. I realize the astronomical amount of work put in by the dedicated sportsmen of those States where I hunt as a NR. The level of commitment and work that goes on unnoticed, unrecognized, and under-appreciated by a small portion of each individual States resident sportsmen is truly humbling. Those small, handful of people deserve one hell of a lot more respect and thanks than they'll ever get. The last thing you'll ever hear from me is how I'm "carrying the financial load of the States license budget as a NR hunter"...last thing.
Those in the trenches working to ensure the future of the sport, protecting public lands, public wildlife, and influencing positive change for all that...they know exactly what I'm talking about. Sadly, there are too few, carrying wayyy too much of the real load.
Cutting checks for NR license fees is, by far, the cheapest, and easiest thing I do all year...no question.
