The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is making it easier for Michigan seniors age 65 and older to get a price break on the hunt/fish combo license. The new senior hunt/fish combo license includes a fishing license (good for all legal species), a base hunting license and two deer licenses for $43.
When purchasing the 2014 licenses without a senior discount, seniors who purchased the regular hunt/fish combo license paid $76. The only way to get a senior discount on these items was to purchase them separately as senior licenses.
The newly packaged discounted license is available for purchase as of April 14. In addition, resident seniors who paid the higher $76 price for a 2014 license will be receiving a letter from the DNR offering a refund of $33 — the difference between the regular hunt/fish combo and the senior hunt/fish combo.
“When the license year began on March 1, we had quite a few seniors who qualified for discounts on individual licenses but were buying a hunt/fish combo and missing out on the senior discount,” said Denise Gruben, manager of Licensing and Reservations for the DNR. “This packaged senior hunt/fish combo provides an easy checkout for seniors to get their discount and get the combo all at once.”
Seniors who qualify for the refund will be receiving a letter in the mail within the next three weeks, giving recipients the option of getting a refund. Those who opt for the refund will receive a check from the State of Michigan. The DNR asks seniors not to seek refunds from the location where they purchased their license. Seniors who are eligible for the refund should keep the license they received when they purchased the hunt/fish combo; these licenses are valid and do not need to be replaced.
Questions about the refund may be directed to the Licensing and Reservations Customer Service office at 517-373-1204 or MDNR-elicense@michigan.gov.
