FISCAL NOTE

Date Requested: February 21, 2017
Time Requested: 01:23 PM
Agency: Natural Resources, WV Division of
CBD Number: Version: Bill Number: Resolution Number:
2203 Introduced HB2627
CBD Subject: Counties


FUND(S):

0265

Sources of Revenue:

General Fund

Legislation creates:

Neither Program nor Fund



Fiscal Note Summary


Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.


Purpose of this bill is to allow Sunday hunting on private and public lands unless prohibited by county election. Currently, 33 counties in West Virginia permit Sunday hunting on private lands. The typical hunter spends on average $22 per day while hunting. Based on current hunting season schedules, an estimated 25 additional days of hunting will be available for use by hunters. Given an estimated 25% participation rate of all hunters, 61,716 would be eligible to participate in Sunday hunting. Because deer is the primary species being hunted, only 6 (25%) of the 25 additional days will fall into deer hunting season, and therefore are expected to be used by Sunday hunters. Therefore, an estimated 385,725 hunter days would be spent by West Virginia hunters on Sundays. Based on these estimates, the annual economic impact of adding Sunday hunting will generate an estimated increase of $8,485,950 (=385,725 hunter days X $22 per day) to the State’s economy. An annual estimated increase of $509,157 or 6% will be added to the State’s coffers generated as tax revenue from the estimated $8,485,950. The fiscal impact to the Division of Natural Resources will be minimal because hunters will already have acquired a hunting license and few hunters will purchase a license just to hunt on the additional Sunday. This bill also requires the open hunting season for big game begin on a Saturday. Because deer hunting has a long tradition, it is difficult to estimate the fiscal impact of a Saturday opening day. A Saturday opening day before the Thanksgiving holiday not only has adverse biological concerns, but sociological as well. Many hunters are opposed to hunting on Sunday placing other priorities above hunting. Equally important are hunters opposed to opening the buck firearms season prior to the current November date. Based on hunting and fishing regulation surveys, 72%-74% of hunters oppose an earlier opening date for the buck firearms season. The adverse impact of opening the season on a Saturday is difficult to determine but could significantly alter the hunting convention and participation



Fiscal Note Detail


Effect of Proposal Fiscal Year
2017
Increase/Decrease
(use"-")
2018
Increase/Decrease
(use"-")
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation)
1. Estmated Total Cost 0 0 0
Personal Services 0 0 0
Current Expenses 0 0 0
Repairs and Alterations 0 0 0
Assets 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0
2. Estimated Total Revenues 0 509,157 509,157


Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):


Given: Total WV Hunters (Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service Surveys, 2011) 246,864 Avg $ spent per trip (hunting day) per hunter in WV = (Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service Surveys, 2011) $22 Number of Hunters participating on Sundays (Assume 25% of 246,864) 61,716 Additional hunting days allowing Sunday hunting 25 Assume 25% participation rate of Sunday hunting days (occurs during deer season) = (25 X 25%) 6.25 Est. additional hunting participation days allowing Sunday hunting = (61,716 hunters X 6.25 days) 385,725 Est. economic impact to state for Sunday hunting in all 55 counties = ($22 X 385,725 hunting days) $8,485,950 Percent for State Tax Revenue based on Southwick Associates calculations 6% Estimated State tax income for Sunday hunting = ($8,485,950 X 6%) $509,157



Memorandum


This bill also impacts the Natural Resources Commission’s ability to set big game season dates. The current West Virginia November firearm deer (buck) season which opens on the Monday of Thanksgiving week, was first established by the Natural Resources Commission in 1965. The harvest from this November firearm buck season is a valuable index of deer population in the county management units. Prior to 1965, the season opened the Monday following Thanksgiving, a biologically safe time that assured that mature bucks would have the opportunity to breed before being harvested. The advancement of the season one week earlier was not as biologically safe to the deer herd but did allow hunters to take advantage of a traditional holiday in the annual deer hunt. This bill would limit the options to open the buck firearm season either 2 days earlier or 5 days later than the current season. In order to assure bucks have a chance to mate, biologists may recommend a later opening date, which would eliminate the firearm buck season over Thanksgiving. The Division of Natural Resources has not documented, nor are we aware of, a great demand for such a proposed season date change. In the 2015 Regulations Questionnaire regarding hunting trapping and fishing regulations, 72% of 551 individuals and 74% of 72 clubs that responded, did not support changing the November firearms deer season opening date. Saturday openings would also make the October and December antlerless deer seasons more difficult to schedule and may cause less participation due to the constraints of applying a mandatory Saturday opening. In summary, the current November firearms deer (buck) season opening date of the Monday before Thanksgiving has been the same for 50 years. This opening day does not significantly interfere with the annual renewal of the deer herd before harvesting bucks of breeding age. Because of the November firearms deer season consistency, the harvest during this time is used as the base population index for deer management on a county by county basis. Based on public input regarding deer season regulations there is little demand for changing the November firearms deer (buck) season opening date. The proposed change risks interfering with traditional family holiday activities associated with West Virginia’s hunting heritage.



    Person submitting Fiscal Note: Randy Tucker
    Email Address: randy.l.tucker@wv.gov