hunting

Resident hunters are hoping to reverse a 2023 law that gives free deer and elk licenses to nonresident landowners just because they own large properties.

Steve Platt writes, "HB 635 violated one of the tenets of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, guaranteeing wealthy non-residents special access to deer and elk tags, while ordinary non-resident hunters and resident hunters got nothing in return."

Bruce Sterling writes, "In some ways, I wish RMEF would go back to doing nothing in Helena, rather than actively working against the interests of resident hunters."

One wolf-related bill was defeated in the Montana Senate, but two are still alive and headed back to the House.

JW Westerman writes, "Sen. Wylie Galt has brought his latest elk slaughter bill, SB 270. It should be titled the “Galt Family Protection Act,” because the Galts sell trophy bulls, period!"

House Bill 258 would extend the seven-month wolf hunting season by another three months and House Bill 259 would legalize infrared and thermal imagery for wolf hunting.

Montana’s resident hunters want to hunt in their own state with minimal pressure from out-of-state hunters, but that’s becoming increasingly difficult.

Joe Perry writes, "This dark money group is really a snake, working to get hunter dollars and hand licenses to large landowners."

Over the years, resident hunters have tried, with little success, to push back against the rising numbers of nonresident hunters surging into Montana.

Nick Gevock writes, "We will either maintain our decades-long tradition in which everyone has equal opportunity to enjoy our public wildlife, or we hand control to a handful of wealthy landowners and outfitters to pick who gets to hunt."