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HB 505 - Elk Need Your Help

Just guessing but does it mean the land owner have to go through an outfitter as well as the hunter?
 
Email I just sent in as a NR's one last desperate hail mary before the vote:


Committee Members,

I believe I speak for all sportsmen when I say it's very disappointing to see amendments released an hour before the committee will vote on one of the most contentious issues in MT's Elk Management History.

Additionally, I'd like to urge all of you to recognize this amendments will not be enough and this bill needs to be tabled. There is nothing written in "Title 37, Chapter 47" (https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0470/parts_index.html ) that will provide any type of honest or efficient oversight. There will be nothing preventing landowners/guides/outfitters/ranchers from implementing special pricing or alternate pricing for a new category of sponsored tag. This is monetization of wildlife, make no mistake about it.

Second, the bonus points amendments do not show any improvement. It will still unfavorably effect MT's predictable bonus point system, putting those connected with landowners in a position to accumulate points far faster than the residents of MT and Non-Residents who are not. It is also an honor system that will be easily abused and in favor of a guide/client relationship. Perspective clients will be able to buy cow tags and simply have a Landowner sign off that they were there hunting on private land and be awarded a 3rd Bonus point, all without even stepping foot in Montana. This will essentially allow outfitters who own land to stack the bonus points in their clients favor so they can turn around and charge a premium for a special permit bull tag to that same individual who may not have even had intentions of hunting that year.

Let the people of Montana work together to get this right. The submitted amendments are not making this bill any better. The citizens elk council was tasked with redrafting the Elk Management Plan and they have invested hundreds of hours with stakeholders from across Montana that share in the same resource.

The answer is not more nonsensical legislation from biased stakeholders in the legislature. In the words of Theodore Roosevelt,"Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your state of its beauty, its riches, or its romance." Be on the right side of history today. Vote no on HB 505.

Thank you
 
C-Link is down to like 1 gerbil so I think you might be overstating things when you suggest "gerbils" plural.
 

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