Viewpoint: Montana FWP needs name change to reflect real mission

Joe Perry

It’s early February, Montana hunters are still pursuing heavily pregnant cow elk throughout many private ranchlands around the state at a time when the animals are just trying to make it through winter.

Even in a relatively mild winter like this one, it’s a sign of failed wildlife management that animals need to be hunted half the year, when many other states have reasonable seasons in the fall that respect big game as valued native wildlife.

In Montana, our seasons are tailored for one purpose: to allow outfitters who have leased up millions of acres of land throughout the state to sell the public’s wildlife. They’ve now leased up far more acres than are in the Block Management access program, they’re gobbling more every year.

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks should be honest with Montanans and rename itself “The Department of Service to Outfitters.” Every decision that comes from the governor’s Fish and Wildlife Commissioners, and FWP staff, places outfitter’s interests over every other concern.

Take last fall, when Commissioner Ian Wargo proposed limiting public land harvest of elk to one per year. This just further puts outfitters in control of wildlife, while limiting the public’s ability to hunt its elk. Many hunters don’t want to be reduced to shooting a cow in winter in a center pivot field – they want to actually hunt.

But that’s what Montana has turned into – a playground for the billionaires, outfitters and large landowners who profit from the public’s wildlife. Once the general season is over and they can’t sell big bulls, they complain to FWP about the game damage from large herds of elk.

And even then, they want to sell the public’s wildlife. I’ve seen ads for late season cow elk “hunts” for $3,400. It’s appalling for working Montanans to see their public wildlife resources off limits – but it’s a trend that’s only getting worse.

The next step in this effort at privatizing our public wildlife was revealed in the last legislative session. A bill to allow culling of elk through unlimited cow elk licenses came forward, supported by the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, MOGA; the dark money group funded by outfitters Montana Conservation Society; and, curiously, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. They’ll be back next year with another bill to set up culling by landowners after they’ve sold the trophy bulls.

The Montana Stockgrowers Association is all in for this system, too. It joined a lawsuit recently in defense of a billionaire in Wyoming who was restricting the public from hunting public elk on public lands. The billionaire stated that he was being denied the ability to profit from the elk on that public land.

Montana Stockgrower’s board president, Lesley Robinson, chairs our Fish and Wildlife Commission. Several other commissioners represent commercial interests in public lands, waters and wildlife. When Gianforte was a congressman Robinson worked for him. Hmmm…more cozy with Gianforte than Montana hunters!

In this era of many government agencies being re-structured, it’s only appropriate that Montana FWP gets the facelift it needs. It starts with the name change to reflect what it really does under the Gianforte administration.

Joe Perry is a dryland farmer and sportsman from Brady. He serves as a board member of the Montana Sportsmen Alliance.