Montana to allow landowners to hunt without permits?

[t_carlson]

About 3-4 years ago, the DNR came up with the bright idea of making everyone buy a small game license to be able to buy a deer license. Hell, I rarely hunted small game even when I didn't need a license, now I have to pay an extra $20 for the privilege of paying for my deer tags. Just like most things, it's strictly a money grab.

I have no issue buying my deer tags. This may not be popular, but could I see a system where property owners get a free tag? Yea, maybe 1. We pay enough taxes after all.

Does that small game license mandate apply to all hunters or just the ones that own private land?

If it applies to everyone, then that is a common money grab that many game agencies around the country have implemented in the last decade or so. But, that is a problem with your state game agency.

If it only applies to people who own property, then its b.s. and you should be able to hunt without out it.

The MT bill is not about a "free tag." It is about property owners not having to draw a LE tag and instead just being able to hunt without it. There is a big difference. I wouldn't care if MT passed some legislation where resident hunters got one free general license. But this means that anyone who owns property in a unit with any kind of draw can hunt every year. Total bull.

If you believe what some people say, the animals that are on private land are impossible to hunt. It seems that there might be a side effect if landowners started hunting that weren't able to if they pushed the animals onto public land.

Wishful thinking.

Also most of the units where they have "harboring" problems are general tag, so apparently the property owners going out and dumping a critter or two in the course of a 5-week general rifle season has little to no effect.

 

[BuckeyeRifleman]

Odd that they wouldn't still issue tags for data's sake but eastern whitetails where the states are primarily trying to manage by killing a shit ton of them and anyone can buy a tag otc and there is no cap on total # of tags sold is kind of a different ball park. Not many Western big game animals that might spend their time almost entirely on a quarter section either.

When I kill a deer on my property I still have to check it via the online portal, and obviously I have to abide by all state bag limits and laws. So it’s not a free for all.

The only difference is I’m not paying for the tag.

ETA Speaking of which it’s funny hunting both the east and west the cultural and management differences.

Checking deer in order to allow state game managers a proper understanding of hunter harvest and game numbers is pretty ubiquitous in the east. Every harvest is logged/checked.

I was shocked when I started hunting the west and I could shoot an animal on a highly sought after limited entry tag and the game managers might have no idea whether or not I filled my tag. I had to call the agency to make sure I wasn’t missing something.

 

[wind gypsy]

When I kill a deer on my property I still have to check it via the online portal, and obviously I have to abide by all state bag limits and laws. So it’s not a free for all.

The only difference is I’m not paying for the tag.

ETA Speaking of which it’s funny hunting both the east and west the cultural and management differences.

Checking deer in order to allow state game managers a proper understanding of hunter harvest and game numbers is pretty ubiquitous in the east. Every harvest is logged/checked.

I was shocked when I started hunting the west and I could shoot an animal on a highly sought after limited entry tag and the game managers might have no idea whether or not I filled my tag. I had to call the agency to make sure I wasn’t missing something.

Yeah, the way many western states treat harvest reporting is ridiculous. In some states they make it seem like they'd rather not have data. It wasn't hard when we had to register deer in person and really easy now that you can do it from a phone.

 

[LostArra]

I was shocked when I started hunting the west and I could shoot an animal on a highly sought after limited entry tag and the game managers might have no idea whether or not I filled my tag. I had to call the agency to make sure I wasn’t missing something.

This x 1000.

If you can report a deer harvest by phone in Oklahoma it can't be too expensive or technologically sophisticated for any state. I've come to the conclusion that the western states just don't want good harvest data.

 

[BuckeyeRifleman]

Yeah, the way many western states treat harvest reporting is ridiculous. In some states they make it seem like they'd rather not have data. It wasn't hard when we had to register deer in person and really easy now that you can do it from a phone.

Yeah it’s certainly odd. I think it’s a hold over from before smart phones and the internet. Given how remote the west is, physically taking a game animal to a check station like we used to have to do in Ohio would be impossible. Even making a phone call to check an animal within 24-48 hours might be a major ordeal.

But with smart phones, fish and game apps for most states, etc I’m not sure why it isn’t a universal thing.

I think it’s a hold over from the old “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” Similar to the way it’s actually illegal for me to “process” a deer in Ohio until it’s checked. If I was out of cell range here, it would be illegal for me to quarter and pack out a deer. Even though doing so is arguably better in terms of lessening CWD spread.

Bottom line, both eastern and western states have some weird stuff they do that doesn’t make sense.

 

[wind gypsy]

Yeah it’s certainly odd. I think it’s a hold over from before smart phones and the internet. Given how remote the west is, physically taking a game animal to a check station like we used to have to do in Ohio would be impossible. Even making a phone call to check an animal within 24-48 hours might be a major ordeal.

But with smart phones, fish and game apps for most states, etc I’m not sure why it isn’t a universal thing.

I think it’s a hold over from the old “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” Similar to the way it’s actually illegal for me to “process” a deer in Ohio until it’s checked. If I was out of cell range here, it would be illegal for me to quarter and pack out a deer. Even though doing so is arguably better in terms of lessening CWD spread.

Bottom line, both eastern and western states have some weird stuff they do that doesn’t make sense.

Yeah, the logistics/service isn't conducive for all to register within 24 or 48 hours and that's fine. Make it 14 days or something, not that hard.

 

[BuckeyeRifleman]

Yeah, the logistics/service isn't conducive for all to register within 24 or 48 hours and that's fine. Make it 14 days or something, not that hard.

Yeah the way Montana does it with their e-tag I believe it stores it offline then the next time the phone connects to the internet it reports the harvest.

As ****** up as FWP is, it’s the smartest thing they’ve done in a while and makes the most sense.

 

[mi650]

Does that small game license mandate apply to all hunters or just the ones that own private land?

If it applies to everyone, then that is a common money grab that many game agencies around the country have implemented in the last decade or so. But, that is a problem with your state game agency.

If it only applies to people who own property, then its b.s. and you should be able to hunt without out it.

The MT bill is not about a "free tag." It is about property owners not having to draw a LE tag and instead just being able to hunt without it. There is a big difference. I wouldn't care if MT passed some legislation where resident hunters got one free general license. But this means that anyone who owns property in a unit with any kind of draw can hunt every year. Total bull.



Wishful thinking.

Also most of the units where they have "harboring" problems are general tag, so apparently the property owners going out and dumping a critter or two in the course of a 5-week general rifle season has little to no effect.

All hunters. And yes, another money grab. A couple years before that, antlerless tags went from $5 up to $20. I don't recall what the increase was for NR tags, but it was huge! NR base license is $151 and then $190 for a deer combo license.

And I was wrong earlier; resident base license is $11.