Conspiracy in Cooke City

[BigHornRam]

https://billingsgazette.com/outdoor...cle_28237aa7-9c40-5a58-adc4-7c0060b05b70.html

Hopefully Phillip's bill goes down in flames along with the night hunting bill.

"A bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Phillips, D-Bozeman, is being drafted for this session of the Montana Legislature that would ban hunting and trapping of wolves next to Yellowstone in Park County."

 

[Ben Lamb]

I don't think either of those bills have much of a chance. Both the Senator and the Representative are good people and are working with others to find some common-sense solutions.

Wolves will be a topic of significant interest during the session. It's being fed by some folks who are simply going around agitating on the issue. That is truly unfortunate.

 

[BigHornRam]

Where's the common sense in Phillip's bill? Who is doing the agitating?

 

[Nameless Range]

If Phillip's bill is as described, it is a crappy bill. The logic is slippery, could extend to all sorts of other scenarios, and may it die a swift death.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I don't believe I said that Senator Phillip's bill was common-sense and I agree that it should be opposed from the perspective that it usurps commission authority to set seasons, just as HB 73 from 2013 did. I'd rather see that repealed than try to eliminate hunting around the parks, personally.

It's an outfit out of Idaho who wants to have wolf bounty contests, as I understand it, who is fomenting the discord.

 

[NECALI]

The article makes it sound like Cooke City about dies in the winter. I don’t think so. It’s the biggest snowmobile destination in the west.

 

[Straight Arrow]

The article makes it sound like Cooke City about dies in the winter. I don’t think so. It’s the biggest snowmobile destination in the west.

Although a popular place for the hardcore snowmobilers, the accommodations are limited in Cooke City. West Yellowstone is the real draw, with plenty of motels and amenities, snow trails into Yellowstone Park and Old Faithful. There are also many trails on public land around West Yellowstone. The number of vehicles with Minnesota plates and trailers full of sleds passing through Bozeman on the interstate then heading south to West Yellowstone is impressive.

 

[BigHornRam]

Yes West Yellowstone/Island Park dwarfs Cooke City as a snowmobile destination. Article mentions snow depths are down this year in Cooke and could be why tourism is down this winter. Also sounds like the wolf kooks are spreading rumors, and trying to organize a boycott of Cooke City businesses.

You can include them in your list of agitators Ben. Bet they've been in direct contact with Mike Phillips over this and is what is spurring his lame bill.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Duly noted. We don't need the drama this session. There's plenty without this.