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Duck hunters could soon be bearing the brunt of fee hikes on permits after the U.S. House approved the increase.

The House approved a $120 million increase on a voice vote yesterday. The change increases the cost of annual duck stamps - required for those wanting to hunt migratory fowl - from $15 to $25, Politico reported. It's the first such increase since the 1990s.

Because it was passed on a voice vote, individual lawmakers weren't required to go on the record with their decisions.

The money generated by the increase, which could be as much as $119 million, will go towards bird conservation. The measure has the support of more than 30 conservation groups, including Ducks Unlimited.

That doesn't mean it's not ruffling some feathers.

Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political action group, said the increase is nothing more than a tax increase.

"Just weeks after voters repudiated the liberal agenda of high taxes and out of control spending, the scrooges in Congress want to ask American families for even more of their paycheck to help fund a bloated, oversized government that cannot properly do the few things it is supposed to be doing, never mind all of the things it is not supposed to be doing," the group said in a blog post.

It's particularly telling that the duck stamp increase came during a lame duck session of Congress, the AFP said.

"Congress has a history of passing legislation harmful to taxpayers during the lame-duck session, when they are unaccountable and feel voters are not paying attention as closely," it said. "The duck stamp tax increase is a perfect example."