Georgia wildlife officials told to raise hunting, fishing fees

Is it too cheap to hunt and fish in Georgia?

State auditors are encouraging wildlife officials to charge more for state-issued hunting and fishing licenses, after finding that Georgia's fees are substantially lower than other southeastern states and certain fee exemptions — such as free lifetime licenses for residents 65 and older — prevent the state from qualifying for federal grants worth millions of dollars.

Any bump in price, meanwhile, would need approval from the Georgia Legislature. While state lawmakers have expressed support for the idea in the past, they so far have taken no action.

See how the state agency in charge of the licenses responded and why some hunting and fishing advocates support the increase only "under certain conditions" by clicking here to read our full premium story on myajc.com.

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Kristina Torres

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