Montana elk hunting is about to take a dive

finner

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Messages
148
Wylie Galt's latest outfitting scheme, House Bill 505, will give landowners 10 tags each to sell to nonresidents if they own a section or more, in addition to the 17k nonresident elk combo licenses statewide. Also, if hunters commit to shoot a cow on private for one year, they'll get 5 bonus points as a reward, for a total of six per year. That's for residents or nonresidents.

Basically, this bill will bump up hunting pressure to unprecedented levels, incentivize landowners to keep elk on their lands year round, and explode point creep. Wylie Galt is a member of the second-largest landowner family in the state, and also runs an outfitting business in Central MT.

This is the worst bill introduced this session, and it will pass if MT hunters don't get real angry, real quick.

Here's an editorial on the bill: https://missoulian.com/opinion/colu...2oQ831Z_fHbL1jeCZR93dAnIiJTHP8_HLpqNbOSKX8spU

This goes to committee on Tuesday, 3/9. The House switchboard is (406) 444-4800. Legislators are on break during the next few days, but you can also look up their district phone numbers and give them a call there.
 

Fatcamp

WKR
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
5,659
Location
Sodak
Honestly, we researched Montana this year and were about to begin applying and hunting. Nevermind. They can have it.
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2020
Messages
1,992
Have any of you guys watched that show Yellowstone on Amazon?

My wife and I watched 45 minutes of the first episode last night, but that bill makes me feel like there are some landowner families in MT that are similar to the one in the show with the same political influence.

Kind of how I think alot of the scheming in House of Cards actually happens in DC
 

Deadfall

WKR
Joined
Oct 18, 2019
Messages
1,526
Location
Montana
Have any of you guys watched that show Yellowstone on Amazon?

My wife and I watched 45 minutes of the first episode last night, but that bill makes me feel like there are some landowner families in MT that are similar to the one in the show with the same political influence.

Kind of how I think alot of the scheming in House of Cards actually happens in DC
My wife and I just had tge exact same conversation
 
OP
finner

finner

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Messages
148
Same old s**t every year in Helena. Ram rod bad bills in the first half of session and see if anything sticks. Usually common sense and some sort of decency prevail after the dust has settled..
Yeah I think this one might stick though, given that it's being carried by the Speaker of the House. Also heard that Gianforte has directed FWP to openly support it
 
Joined
Sep 5, 2019
Messages
67
Here we go again, Jersey Greg Gianforte lining the pockets of his wealthy friends at the expense of the true American hunter. But yeah, BHA is a liberal conspiracy and the true conservationists are in the republican party ;)

To anyone in Montana that voted for Gianforte and is against these new bills, this is what you voted for.
 
OP
finner

finner

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Messages
148
SB 143, the outfitter set-aside bill, is going to die because so many people got engaged on it. This bill is an order of magnitude worse for DIY Montana elk hunting, and nobody is talking about it.

This is just reps acting in their own self interest. Wylie Galt and other crazy huge landowners would stand to make hundreds of thousands of dollars if this went through...

Good luck shooting a big bull on public land if this bill passes.
 

Deadfall

WKR
Joined
Oct 18, 2019
Messages
1,526
Location
Montana
SB 143, the outfitter set-aside bill, is going to die because so many people got engaged on it. This bill is an order of magnitude worse for DIY Montana elk hunting, and nobody is talking about it.

This is just reps acting in their own self interest. Wylie Galt and other crazy huge landowners would stand to make hundreds of thousands of dollars if this went through...

Good luck shooting a big bull on public land if this bill passes.
I know it. Crazy everyone hates outfitters, but not saying a word about this.
 

Deadfall

WKR
Joined
Oct 18, 2019
Messages
1,526
Location
Montana
SB 143, the outfitter set-aside bill, is going to die because so many people got engaged on it. This bill is an order of magnitude worse for DIY Montana elk hunting, and nobody is talking about it.

This is just reps acting in their own self interest. Wylie Galt and other crazy huge landowners would stand to make hundreds of thousands of dollars if this went through...

Good luck shooting a big bull on public land if this bill passes.
I know it. Crazy everyone hates outfitters, but not saying a word about this
 
OP
finner

finner

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Messages
148
I know it. Crazy everyone hates outfitters, but not saying a word about this
Outfitters aren't saying a word about this though, even though they might hunt or outfit public land. Triple the tags? Triple the profit, and to hell with the resource.

And yeah, it's 100% true about Gianforte supporting this bill. He's the reason that 4/7 commissioners will now be ranchers or loggers. That guy has no love for public land hunters. He's pulling strings to reward people like Galt who funded his campaign...
 

Deadfall

WKR
Joined
Oct 18, 2019
Messages
1,526
Location
Montana
Outfitters aren't saying a word about this though, even though they might hunt or outfit public land. Triple the tags? Triple the profit, and to hell with the resource.

And yeah, it's 100% true about Gianforte supporting this bill. He's the reason that 4/7 commissioners will now be ranchers or loggers. That guy has no love for public land hunters. He's pulling strings to reward people like Galt who funded his campaign...
Haha, heck no the outfitters ain't saying a word.
Guess it shouldn't surprise me about the governor.

Hopefully enough citizens throw a big enough fit it makes a difference.
Also hoping we have a big turn out on tuesday.
 
Top