State officials trying to hook senior citizens for fishing, hunting licenses

? For more than seven decades, older Kansans have been getting a break on fishing and hunting licenses.

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Secretary Robin Jennison wants to end that.

Jennison told the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday he will introduce legislation to end the license fee exemption that currently exists for Kansas residents 65 and over.

Charging older Kansans the $18 fee for a fishing license and $18 fee for a hunting license will help the parks agency maintain its finances, Jennison said.

Because of the aging Baby Boomers, Jennison said, “We’re going to have a tremendous number of hunters and anglers that are not going to have to buy a license in the next 10 years. It is going to be a significant problem,” he said.

Jennison said the state started exempting fishing and hunting fees in 1937 to Kansans 70 and older. In 1971, that age exemption was reduced to 65.