In 2005, a resident gun deer license in Wisconsin cost $24. Today, that tag still costs exactly $24.

The money you pay for that tag, along with every fishing license and waterfowl stamp, goes directly into the state’s Fish and Wildlife Account. This account is the primary engine for Wisconsin conservation. It pays for the wardens patrolling Vilas County, the technicians stocking walleye in Lake Tomahawk, and the biologists managing our public lands.

Because costs have risen nearly 60 percent since 2005 while revenue has remained flat, that account is currently facing a $16 million deficit. How the state chooses to fix that deficit is currently tearing apart a century old sporting contract.

The 2025 Budget Battle and the 90 Percent Ultimatum

The traditional fix for a deficit in a "user pay" system is to raise the fees. Earlier this year, Governor Tony Evers proposed doing exactly that, attempting to raise most resident licenses by $10 to $20.

The legislature's Joint Finance Committee immediately killed the proposal. Led by figures like Senator Rob Stafsholt, critics argued that the Department of Natural Resources had a spending problem, not a revenue problem. To prove it, they ordered a comprehensive state audit.

Released in August 2025, the audit found that only roughly half (49.8 percent) of the Fish and Wildlife Account was spent on activities that strictly benefited hunters and anglers. Another 39.5 percent was spent on "shared benefits" that help both sportsmen and the general public, like forest management and water quality.

Senator Stafsholt used the audit to draw a hard line. He stated he will not consider any future fee increases until the DNR proves that closer to 90 percent of the account is being spent exclusively on the sportsmen who pay the fees.

The Impossible Metric

The problem is that the 90 percent demand is a biological impossibility. You cannot manage a healthy deer herd without managing the forest canopy, invasive species, and water quality.

The Legislative Audit Bureau classifies these as "Shared Benefits." If a warden stops to help a stranded kayaker or investigates an invasive species on a boat trailer, they are technically failing the 90 percent metric because that time does not primarily benefit a license holder. Demanding absolute separation of funds is like trying to separate the sap from the maple.

The High Stakes Multiplier

The real leverage in this debate lies in the federal Pittman Robertson and Dingell Johnson acts. For every $1 we spend from our state license fees, the federal government provides $3 in matching funds.

If the Fish and Wildlife Account runs dry due to a legislative stalemate over the 90 percent rule, we lose the match. That effectively bankrupts conservation efforts across Vilas and Oneida counties. We would be leaving our own tax dollars in Washington D.C. instead of putting them to work in our backyard.

The Forestry Transfer and the Stewardship Gap

To keep the lights on, Madison authorized a $30 million transfer from the Forestry Account into the Fish and Wildlife Account. Because the Forestry Account is funded by a statewide property tax, this transfer uses a tax paid by everyone to bail out an account that is supposed to be funded only by users.

This is a temporary measure that breaks the traditional sporting contract. When the money comes from a general tax transfer rather than license fees, hunters lose their standing as the primary shareholders of the resource. We are trading ownership for dependence on general legislative goodwill.

Ownership, Not Opposition

It is easy to frame this as a battle between the Northwoods and Madison, but that trope ignores reality. We are the government, and the DNR is the tool we use to protect the Northwoods we love.

This funding crisis is a moment to decide. We can keep the sporting contract as a shrinking club, or we can build a modern, transparent Public Trust model where everyone who uses the woods contributes to its survival.

Take Civic Action: Defend the Public Trust

If you believe the 90 percent rule ignores the physical reality of the Northwoods ecosystem, your next step is to make a phone call.

We are the government, and the legislators demanding these accounting metrics work for us. The Department of Natural Resources must formally respond to the legislative audit by March 16, 2026. As a resident, taxpayer, and stakeholder, you have a right to register your stance before that deadline passes.

Please contact the key figures on the Sporting Heritage Committees who are driving this debate.

Who to Call

• Senator Rob Stafsholt (Chair, Senate Sporting Heritage): (608) 266-7745

• Representative Chanz Green (Member, Assembly Sporting Heritage): (608) 237-9174

The Northwoods Stakeholder Script

When you call, you will likely speak to a staffer. Be polite, direct, and focused on the structural issue. Feel free to use or adapt this script:

"Hello, my name is [Your Name] and I am a voting resident of [Your Town]. I am calling regarding the Fish and Wildlife Account deficit and the upcoming March 16 audit response.

I am asking the legislator to drop the demand for a strict 90 percent 'primary benefit' rule on conservation spending. It is a biological impossibility to manage game species without managing the shared ecosystem, like water quality and forest health. > Please protect our $38 million federal match. I expect the legislature to support a realistic, transparent funding model that acknowledges the shared benefits of modern conservation, rather than forcing a temporary bailout from the Forestry Account."