Give outdoor enthusiast gift that lasts a lifetime
Christmas is fewer than three weeks away, and many people are looking for the perfect gift for an outdoors person on their list.
Look no further, because the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has several gift ideas that will satisfy the desires of just about any outdoors enthusiast.
• A Lifetime Sportsman license tops the list; it is a gift that will keep on giving for the rest of the lucky receiver’s life. With a Lifetime Sportsman license, a person can hunt, fish and trap in Tennessee for the rest of their life and never have to purchase another license or permit, with the exception of a Federal Duck Stamp to hunt waterfowl.
The license also includes submission of quota applications at no additional fee and a lifetime subscription to Tennessee Wildlife Magazine.
The Lifetime Sportsman license is available for all ages, with the youngest sportsmen getting the best deal. The licenses are available only to Tennessee residents and cost as little as $200 for young sportsmen ages 3 and under. This is the perfect gift for a child or grandchild, because the license is valid for the remainder of their life, regardless of where they may live when they reach adulthood.
For those ages 3–6, the license is $659; ages 7–12, $988; ages 13–50, $1,976; ages 51–64, $1,153; and ages 65 and older, $329.
Applications for a Lifetime Sportsman license can be obtained by calling (615) 781-6585, or through the TWRA website at www.tnwildlife.org.
• If a senior citizen is on your gift list, a Permanent Senior Citizen Hunt/Fish/Trap license would make a nice stocking stuffer. The $50 license is only available for Tennessee residents who have reached age 65. It will allow them hunt, fish and trap for the remainder of their lives. The license can be purchased at any licensing agent with proof of age and residency.
The senior license includes supplemental licenses (big game licenses), but excludes special seasons, wildlife management area permits and quota hunt permits.
• Another great gift is a wildlife specialty license plate for the sportsman’s car or truck. Plates are currently available depicting a bluebird, wild turkey, black bear, white-tailed deer or smallmouth bass.
The license plates cost $35 above the normal cost of a vehicle license plate. A portion of the proceeds help fund the management and protection of Tennessee’s wildlife, both game and non-game species.
The specialty plates can be ordered through your county clerk’s office.
• Other great gift ideas are a subscription to Tennessee Wildlife Magazine or a membership to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation.
A gift subscription to Tennessee Wildlife Magazine for one year (six issues) only costs $10. The July/August issue is in a calendar format that reminds the reader of the dates of all wildlife activities in the state. To get more bang for your buck, a two-year subscription is $17 and a three-year is only $25.
A subscription form for the magazine can be obtained at the TWRA website, www.tnwildlife.org.
Any one of these gifts should please the outdoors person on your gift list, and they will be forever grateful for your thoughtfulness.
Owen Schroeder can be reached at 931-358-9214 or by email at owenschroederjr@bellsouth.net.
