Declining license sales and unchecked inflation are causing severe financial problems for most state fish and wildlife agencies. One of the methods used by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to help balance the budget is to increase the number of fishing and hunting license buyers. A promotional campaign by the Information Section was begun in 1977 to increase the number of resident and non-resident license buyers. Emphasis has been placed on promoting warm water fishing, where the agency planning process has identified that the supply is greater than the demand. The results of this campaign cannot yet be fully analyzed, but early license sales indicate that a continuous 3 year decline in license sales has been reversed. There are many problems associated with treating hunting and fishing as marketable commodities, but a well planned promotional campaign can be very beneficial.
