Fishing Licenses: Another Great Freebie for Senior Citizens

When I was younger, I could hardly wait until fishing season opened so I could rush down to a local store that sold fishing licenses and pick up my new one for the year. I just knew that little piece of plastic was somehow going to help me catch more fish that year than ever before. The real truth is that I never became much of a fisherwoman, in spite of sitting on a rock by the lake for hours on end (no pun intended), and going home once more with nothing, or at least very little to show for my efforts.

As the years went by, the price of my annual fishing license went up to the point where I began to wonder if the expenditure for gas, worms, fishing tackle, and license was really worth the chance that I might, just possibly, catch a fish or two that season.

Then, my mother informed me that the state of Oregon, where I had lived all my life, provided free fishing and hunting licenses to citizens who were 65 and who had lived 50 of those 65 years in Oregon. Not only was the license free-it was also permanent. You didn't have to bother renewing it year after year. What a deal.

I wasn't quite 65 when she told me that, but it gave me something to look forward to when I did reach that milestone in the not too distant future.

The other day, during a brief sunny break in our near freezing temperature, I got to thinking about fishing season. Only a couple of months before time to hit the lakes and streams to try my luck.

What about your state? If you are a senior citizen, does your state offer a free fishing or hunting license, or both, to people over 65? I got to wondering about this and checked out a few of the Western states, including Oregon, in my area of the country and here are some of the things I found.

1. Washington charges a yearly fee of $5.48 for a senior citizen fishing license, and you must be at least 70 to apply for it. You do have to reapply each year, but $5.48 is pretty reasonable.

2. Oregon requires you to be 65 and have lived in the state for 50 years and for the last 6 months prior to applying for your license. It is a combination fishing and hunting license, and, if you apply online or by mail, there is a $2 fee for shipping and handling. The license is permanent and referred to as a Pioneer License.

3. California offers free or reduced fee licenses to seniors at least 65 years of age, to the blind, to low income Indians, and to persons who are severely disabled developmentally or physically. These requirements are checked carefully so be prepared to document your disability if you live in California.

4. Idaho had no pioneer license listed, but does issue a lifetime license to residents over 51 at the reduced cost of $481.75. If you want to purchase a combination license that includes fishing and hunting, the fee is $636.75. Both fees are much cheaper than the fees charged for regular licenses, but still high enough to make me happy to be living in Oregon instead of Idaho.

5. Wyoming issues a combination pioneer and honorably discharged veteran's bird, fish and small game license to those who have resided continuously in Wyoming for 30 years and who are over 65.

6. Nevada offers a senior fishing license for $13, for those over 65 with 5 years of continuous residency. This is less than half the fee for a regular license; a nice saving, but you do have to reapply and pay a new fee each year. They also offer veterans who offer proof of active duty service a reduced fee of only $9, so if you qualify for both, take the one with the lower fee.

7. Arizona's requirements for a pioneer fishing license are similar to Oregon's. The applicant must be 70 years old and have lived in Arizona for 25 consecutive years. The license is free and does not have to be renewed.

To find more details on any of the above states, links are listed below. If you live in some other state and wish to find out if you are qualified for a discount, go online and do a Google search by writing in the name of your state followed by a comma and the words pioneer fishing license, or senior fishing license. Most of these sites also offer information concerning actual fishing and hunting regulations in that state, special closures, dates for free fishing days, and a description of the types of fish common to the area. All of this information varies from state to state and from year to year so bring yourself up to date by checking it out before you pack up your tackle box and head for the lake

(1) Washington: government website,

https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wdfw/licenses_fees.html

(2) Oregon: government website,

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/commercial/pioneer_application.pdf

(3) California: government website,

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/08-09-inland-fish-regs.pdf

(4) Idaho: government website,

http://fishgame.idaho.gov/apps/fees/lifetime.cfm

(5) Wyoming: government website,

http://gf.state.wy.us/downloads/pdf/Apps/PioneerApplInfo.pdf

(6) Nevada: government website,

http://ndow.org/law/licenses/pdf/reslic.pdf

(7) Arizona: government website,

http://www.azgfd.gov/eservices/special_licenses/pioneer.shtml