In Montana NR Hunters secured over 85,000 hunting licences.

[shoots-straight]

Viewpoint: Nonresidents secure more than 85,000 hunting licenses

Butte Skyline Sportsman Association writes, Just as hunter frustration with nonresidents had exceeded a breaking point, so had our frustration with the laborious process of securing accurate nonresident hunting license information.

missoulacurrent.com

If you were wondering why there were so many out-a-state plates hunting recently in Montana.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Viewpoint: Nonresidents secure more than 85,000 hunting licenses

Butte Skyline Sportsman Association writes, Just as hunter frustration with nonresidents had exceeded a breaking point, so had our frustration with the laborious process of securing accurate nonresident hunting license information.

missoulacurrent.com

If you were wondering why there were so many out-a-state plates hunting recently in Montana.

Thats ridiculous.

 

[Southern Elk]

Damn! That’s a lot!

 

[Elktrack]

It’s also misleading.
For example, I have a base hunting license, didn’t draw deer, elk, and probably won’t antelope. So my license is meaningless. Lots of people like that. The number doesn’t represent boots on the ground.

 

[cgasner1]

It’s also misleading.
For example, I have a base hunting license, didn’t draw deer, elk, and probably won’t antelope. So my license is meaningless. Lots of people like that. The number doesn’t represent boots on the ground.

You’ll be one of three we give everyone a tag……insert Oprah meme

 

[Southern Elk]

It’s also misleading.
For example, I have a base hunting license, didn’t draw deer, elk, and probably won’t antelope. So my license is meaningless. Lots of people like that. The number doesn’t represent boots on the ground.

No it’s not. The article broke the numbers down.

“It shows that 85,228 base hunting licenses and 60,978 deer and elk licenses were issued to nonresidents in 2023”

61,000 deer and elk licenses is way too many and over three times as many as FWP was telling us the number was capped at.

 

[406dn]

If you ever wanted evidence of an incestuous relationship between the outfitting lobby, politicians and FWP, this will provide it.

It never ceases to amaze how willing they are to hose resident hunters.

 

[brownbear932008]

If you ever wanted evidence of an incestuous relationship between the outfitting lobby, politicians and FWP, this will provide it.

It never ceases to amaze how willing they are to hose resident hunters.

IMO Until resident hunters let loose some of that greenback it's not gonna ever change. Your FWP is accustomed to spending those funds each year on new toys and think they need it. (Insert NR greenback) The article is misleading with the title to get folks feathers ruffled.

 

[Elktrack]

Yeah, I get it.
This has all been talked about over and over. Same song, different verse. Bla bla bla.
Rather than beat this dead horse again I’ll just say “wow, that’s a lot of licenses to those damn NR that ruined everything”

Better?

Stop selling those NR tags and everything will be right back to wonderful again. Easy peasy.

It would be interesting to know how many individual licenses were sold vs. total NR licenses.
For example, does one guy with a deer and elk combo and two B tags count as 4 NR licenses ? Does the come home to hunt guy with 6 tags count as one or 6?
Not being smart ass about that. Honestly don’t know how they run the numbers.

Whatever, it’s kinda tiresome trying to figure it out and be part of the solution and support the things that are beneficial to MT when these articles come out. The author didn’t say anything directly derogatory about NR plague sweeping across Montana and devouring all the game. That’s just where my brain goes based on past experiences about this stuff.
I appreciate that he also included how the legislature makes the rules and that is how to initiate change.

I’ll take my crass opinion and shut up now.

 

[manitou1]

If you ever wanted evidence of an incestuous relationship between the outfitting lobby, politicians and FWP, this will provide it.

It never ceases to amaze how willing they are to hose resident hunters.

I suspect Wyoming is similar.
During season we see a dozen NR plates for every Res license plate.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Best numbers I could figure out showed @ 32,000 either-sex deer and elk tags. B tags made up the rest for approximately 60k NR deer and elk tags.

 

[Gerald Martin]

We’re definitely well past the 23,600 ES NR tags that were the intention when NR license caps were legislated decades ago.

 

[TheTone]

.

It would be interesting to know how many individual licenses were sold vs. total NR licenses.
For example, does one guy with a deer and elk combo and two B tags count as 4 NR licenses ? Does the come home to hunt guy with 6 tags count as one or 6?
Not being smart ass about that. Honestly don’t know how they run the numbers.

I’ve wondered about this in regards to Idaho, where I live, since we made elk tags and deer tags for non residents have unit and zone specific caps. I think we used to see a bunch of non residents that had both and elk and a deer tag in their pocket; but with the current panic sale we have so we actually end up with more individual hunters since they are so unlikely to get both? Plus they may actually see more days if we technically have more non residents in the field

I do know Idaho has seen non resident bear tag numbers climb a bunch in the last few years; I’d bet Montana has seen similar. I think that can directly be attributed to how popular bear hunting has become on social media

 

[Gerald Martin]

Here’s the PDF of FWP’s license sales for the past 10 years if anyone wants to see the numbers for themselves.

 

[Gerald Martin]

 

[Forkyfinder]

I wonder what R feelings would be on tag increases - if it was directly tied to decreasing NR tags on public land.

Bet theyd love to pay the extra 15 bucks tag to not see NR mule deer doe execution

 

[ignorethefringes]

I wonder what R feelings would be on tag increases - if it was directly tied to decreasing NR tags on public land.

Bet theyd love to pay the extra 15 bucks tag to not see NR mule deer doe execution

I’d take that bet. And they kill plenty of does themselves.

 

[Gellar]

Do any of you R Montanans ever travel outside of Montana as a NR?

 

[Forkyfinder]

Do any of you R Montanans ever travel outside of Montana as a NR?

No. But i plan to in Wy someday soon. Why?

 

[cgasner1]

Do any of you R Montanans ever travel outside of Montana as a NR?

Every year