The High Court in Wellington this month ruled that Fish and Game pay $25,000 each to the two defendants in the case, the Attorney-general and High Country Accord.
All up, the failed court action has cost fishermen and hunters $110,000, after Fish and Game estimated it spent $60,000, or 50c for every licence sold, preparing the case.
Fish and Game New Zealand chief executive Bryce Johnson said the ruling would have no impact on the cost of fishing and hunting licences as money had already been budgeted and set aside to defend or take an appeal.
It would not appeal the decision so that money would now be used to pay costs.
High Country Accord chairman Jonathan Wallis said the judgement was significant as his organisation got three times what it expected, when it looked at comparable cases.
Accord said it spent $250,000 on the case.
The basis of Fish and Game's case was a thesis written by Lincoln University Fulbright scholar Ann Brower, who concluded that lessees of Crown pastoral land only had rights to pasture and not exclusive possession.
It sought a ruling that would have allowed its members "responsible and respectful access to pastoral lease land".
In his decision, Justice Simon France said the parties to pastoral leases agreed on its meaning.
"Litigation about it was thrust on them by a body not connected to the lease."
The parties to the lease had sought a legal opinion from the Crown Law Office which confirmed their understanding and which was made available to Fish and Game, he said.
"Although its case was brought in good faith, it was nevertheless wrong and the position of the only two parties to their own lease was confirmed as correct."
Because of those points, Justice France said there was merit in increasing the costs.
He did not rule whether Fish and Game should have taken the case, but Mr Wallis said the size of the costs sent a message that the case lacked merit.
He said it was time to close the door on the issue and farmers, hunters and fishermen develop relationships centred on access to the high country.
Mr Johnson said Fish and Game might seek a political solution to gaining official access to Crown-owned pastoral lease land and he was waiting to see how effective the newly-launched walk access commission would be.
While farmers were correct in wanting the public to ask permission before entering land, Mr Johnson said there was an issue on how to find the owners.
