Bitterroot - Outfitters seeking new permit areas

[RockyDog]

Saw in our local newspapers that at least two outfitting businesses from area 250 are seeking to be given permits in areas 261 and 270.

Both these business would be allowe to operated in good elk country that was formerly almost free of the outfitting industry.

Any locals have thoughts on this?

I will post the legal ads posted by our National Forest soon.

 

[wingman1]

I was for I161 but think the outfitter has their place in the hunting world. Just like other types of comodification of wildlife. I support the idea. Strength in numbers.

 

[shoots-straight]

My first thought is, that they be given a temporary area. When things turn around in HD250, they go back to their own area. They will be in direct compitition with the locals in the areas they have chosen. Outfitters work off the publics wildlife. They work on the excess numbers that are left over after, we the people, have used our share. They should never come first.

 

[DavidKeenan]

I have read that outfitters own a hunting area. They buy this area. I was looking at place in idaho, in national forest, and found out that a outfitter had bought this place to hunt. Do you have to go thru them on national forest, or can you still hunt there also?

 

[wgiles]

In our modern world, especially with our national and state budget deficits, almost everything will be for sale. The government will sell the only thing that we have that is of value, the land, if we don't tell them not to. It is one thing to permit logging, drilling or mining on public land, if it's well regulated. It is quite another to sell out to the highest bidder. It may not be happening now, but don't be too complacent. Politicians can't say no.

 

[shoots-straight]

They own exclusive rights to "outfit" out of that area. That's all. They don't own it like private property. No other outfitters can operate in those special areas.

 

[DreaminofMT6X6s]

Shoots-straight is right on. The rights may come in the form of a lease too. The issue's are when they push herds from public land on to their leased land, but that's not all that common I don't think anymore.

 

[RockyDog]

I dont dislike outfitters, i have friends and relatives who are outfitters. However when they are permitted to have a permanent camp somewhere you may as well kiss that drainage goodbye for elk hunting. They will have many guys there every week of the season, most of the clients after spending the cash dont want to go home emptyhanded, so they shoot alot of young bulls.

As a joe-blow bitterrooter hunter goes, i think these outfitters moving to news areas will make a deteriorating situation even more so. But I can see how fwp reducing tags is taking something worth value from the outfitters and they deserve to be able to keep running the business license they purchased.

 

[shoots-straight]

I believe that in a short period of time the HD these guys are leaving will, again have great hunting. Everything is set for this to take place now. Season structures, quota's. We are liberalizing the predator hunting for everything but wolves. After we get them under management, lookout, HD250 will produce!

 

[RockyDog]

Thanks SS, good to know people like you are working on it.

 

[cowboy]

Saw in our local newspapers that at least two outfitting businesses from area 250 are seeking to be given permits in areas 261 and 270.
Both these business would be allowe to operated in good elk country that was formerly almost free of the outfitting industry.

This is not the first time this has happened. After the Big Fires off '88 in/around Yellowstone Park there were a number of outfiitters that were allowed the use of alternate areas. The good news was that it gave the regularly outfitted areas a rest - the bad news was it put a LOT of new pressure on the reassigned areas. From the couple of times that I have seen this happen there will be good for one area and not so good for the other. Good news is that area 250 would get less pressure and the outfitters get a couple of years to reallign - bad news for the areas they are moving into. THANK THE WOLVES for this.

 

[BuzzH]

Yeah, its all the wolves...the liberal slaughter of cows the last 10 years had absolutely no impact

Of course the 90% reduction in cat harvest to create "trophy" cat areas...that had no impact either