75th Celebration: A License to Take - and Give

December is a good time to think about a gift that's always in style, never the wrong size or color, and useable every day of the year. Gifts that are good for a lifetime are rare, but this one is available at any Fish and Game office in Idaho - gift certificates for a lifetime license. Licenses for 2014 went on sale December 1. In Idaho, hunting and fishing licenses have been required in Idaho since 1903. But not always for women. The Idaho Fish and Game department was created by the state Legislature in 1899. Gov. Frank Steunenberg appointed Charles H. Arbuckle the first state game warden. His salary was $1,200 per year and another $300 was allowed for running the department. Deputy game wardens, appointed in each county, were paid half of each fine they obtained. Realizing that enforcing the law was not practical on $300 a year, Arbuckle proposed a continuing source of revenue, such as was being done in 16 other states, in the form of annual hunting and fishing licenses. He recommended a $2 license for residents and $25 for nonresidents to fish and hunt small game or $40 to fish and hunt any game with an open season. But his proposals were rejected. In 1903, however, the Legislature required resident males over the age of 12 buy a $1 license to hunt and fish. For nonresidents it was $5 to hunt birds and $25 to hunt big game. Women did not need a license. Money from the sale of licenses and any fines collected went into the fish and game fund. Game wardens no longer kept any part of the fines they collected. William H. Thorp, state game warden in 1918, recommended raising the cost of game license to $1.50 with the extra 50 cents to be used to pay for screening ditches and canals. "Millions of fish are being lost annually in this state because canals and ditches are not screened," he said. The increase took effect in 1919. In 1921, Warden Otto M. Jones convinced the Legislature to require women and children over age 12 to buy a hunting and fishing license, and increased the fee to $2. The requirement was later rescinded, and in 1927, women were again required to have licenses to hunt and fish. Nonresident hunting licenses were raised to $50. Today a resident hunting license costs $12.75 and a nonresident license is $154.75; a resident fishing license is $25.75 and a nonresident license is $98.25. Hunting and fishing licenses also come in a combination license as well as junior licenses and small game licenses. Discount licenses also are available for seniors, veterans and disabled persons. Since 1986, Fish and Game has been offering lifetime licenses. And in 2013, Fish and Game added the option to buy three-year licenses.