Posted on 02/06/2007 7:37:18 AM PST by SmithL
So instead of going to Toys "R" Us for his Christmas present, the grandparents in Columbia gave the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency $200 and got the little boy a lifetime hunting and fishing license.
"I've seen grandparents out there spend $200 on these foolish toys, and 10 years from now, where are they?" asked Alice Harvill.
TWRA began selling lifetime licenses nine years ago to people of all ages. But officials say the licenses for tykes have proved to be the most popular of the agency's lifetime permits, with more than 4,300 sold last year.
The infant permits - the cheapest and available to children up to age 3 - account for 57 percent of the sales, TWRA records show.
"The biggest success has probably been the baby license," said Allen Gebhardt, who retired last week as TWRA's assistant director.
Tennessee isn't the only state to sell lifetime hunting licenses. Mississippi, Florida and California are among those that offer them, though the programs vary widely.
Arkansas, for instance, has one flat price - $1,000 - for any age up through 64, when the price plummets to less than $50.
In Tennessee, the license price varies depending on the recipient's age, and the money from the sales is put in an endowment fund that has reached almost $19 million.
While the fund's principal is not touched, about $1.7 million in interest has been amassed that has been spent or will be available to help fund TWRA's budget, which doesn't get any state tax dollars.
The licenses also are viewed as something of a recruitment tool. To keep the pastime afloat and ensure wildlife habitat for hunting is available and managed properly, new generations of stakeholders are needed, officials say.
Four-year-old Lucas and 2-year-old Will Lawrence of Goodlettsville got licenses from their "Uncle Dave" and "Aunt Jen" Lawrence of Nashville after they were born.
The toddlers' parents were pleased with the gift.
"Absolutely," said Charlie Lawrence. "For one thing, it encourages them, hopefully, to spend time outdoors hunting and fishing."
$200 isn't a bad price for a lifetime license.
No, but for a toddler? At that age you don't even know that the little squirt will like hunting/fishing!
No, but for a toddler? At that age you don't even know that the little squirt will like hunting/fishing!
But you have increased the odds that he will. More of a legacy than a mattel toy.
True. I have never understood people who spent gratuitous amounts on toddlers' gifts. Most of those toys seem to be made for the buyer rather than the recipient. In my experience, the toddler usually prefers the wrapping paper to the toy.
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