Jeff Hagener, new FWP director

[Hammerhead]

Jeff will be welcomed back with a great deal of happiness by most FWP employees.

Jeff was a very good director in the past, and knew how to work with the legislature to try and get things accomplished for the good of hunters and anglers across the state. Not everything he did was perfect or always turned out successfuuly, but he workled hard, he was honest and he had integrity, something lacking in the top FWP offices for the past few years.

He is also trained as a scientist, has lived in Montana all his life, and most importantly, he hunts and fishes with a passion.

In my opinion, he is a great choice for the job. And he has his work cut out for him in what promises to be a very difficult and contentious legislative session. FWP deserves to take some serious lumps for the things that have happened lately, and Jeff will need all his luck and skill to get the department through the next 90 days in Helena.

 

[Big Fin]

I think Hagener is a good choice also. In fact, Gallatin Wildlife officially recommended him to Bullock. I'm sure we weren't the only ones. Surely not...!
Definitely some humor there. Maybe Otis Mule will make a video of Hagener moving back into the office he was abruptly evicted from previously.

Not sure if anyone caught the humor the Otis Mule joke, but those are hilarious YouTube clips about FWP. Here is a really funny one about the past Governor, the past Director, and the Milk River deal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBfwPfedF4M

I have no idea who Otis Mule is, but he has a sense of humor, for sure. No matter your political slant, these are funny if you follow Montana politics. Rumor is, he actually works in FWP.

 

[MTbowhunter84]

The videos are hilarious each and every one of them really opened my eyes on some things going on. Hoping things improve for sure but getting a new director is a blessing. Don't know much about him but as stated before much better than what we had.

 

[wyoming556]

Is this director the same one who masterminded the sheep sting on Lewton?

 

[howler]

I doubt the director master minded the sting but the head warden did and he has been there all along

 

[JLS]

Is this director the same one who masterminded the sheep sting on Lewton?

The director does not manage the undercover FWP guys.

 

[howler]

People who think and vote like this, mdunc8, are why Montana has piles of leftover and returned elk tags. and the problem is ?????

 

[wyoming556]

The director does not manage the undercover FWP guys.

Ok I'll be more specific, was he the director when the sheep sting began?

 

[wyoming556]

People who think and vote like this, mdunc8, are why Montana has piles of leftover and returned elk tags. and the problem is ?????

Lost revenue for the FWP, hotels, gas stations, restaurants, sporting goods stores, meat processors, taxidermists, campgrounds, etc.. Not to mention lost tax revenues for the state as well as lost jobs in the state. If none of that is important to you then you are right, there is no problem.

When hunters choose to go to other states they also take thier money to other states. Some states like money and jobs. Some even work hard to bring as many hunters to thier state to hunt elk and it can be good for all associated entites.

 

[JLS]

Ok I'll be more specific, was he the director when the sheep sting began?

Yes he was, but would you hold the city mayor accountable if the PD botches a drug sting?

 

[Straight Arrow]

wyoming556, I'm not sure why you continue to sing this criticism of Montana, but I don't believe you can blame Jeff Hagener for the sheep sting debacle or for any hunting associated economic decline.

What is your point? How does it relate to the appointment of a new director for Montana FWP?

..... and is everything perfectly hunky dory in Nebraska?

 

[wyoming556]

Yes he was, but would you hold the city mayor accountable if the PD botches a drug sting?

I'll answer your question. Mayor, no. But I would guess the chief of police would be held responsible to some degree in your scenario. I was just asking a simple question not wanting to argue with you at all. Thanks for your response.

 

[JLS]

Lost revenue for the FWP, hotels, gas stations, restaurants, sporting goods stores, meat processors, taxidermists, campgrounds, etc.. Not to mention lost tax revenues for the state as well as lost jobs in the state. If none of that is important to you then you are right, there is no problem.

When hunters choose to go to other states they also take thier money to other states. Some states like money and jobs. Some even work hard to bring as many hunters to thier state to hunt elk and it can be good for all associated entites.

Colorado has lots of elk. They sell a ton of NR hunting licenses for those elk. MT doesn't have as many elk, and the residents there want a quality hunt (i.e. no out of state plates in their hunt area) as their first priority.

Sometimes the hatred of NR borders (or crosses) the irrational, but it is what it is. Sure, MT could probably sell more NR elk tags. The hunt quality may decline as a result, right?

I do think MT went overboard on their price increase, and the leftover tags indicate that is true. Every state is competing for license sales, and MT may very well find that the laws of supply and demand will rule here, but I don't know everything.

People are on tighter budgets, and must weigh the pros and cons of each state and look at getting the most bang for their buck, right? Two hundred bucks difference may send someone looking elsewhere. If I can find a similiar commodity for a lower price, I'll take it as long as things are reasonably and/or tolerably equal.

More NR influx is a double edged sword. For crying out loud, the MT legislature couldn't even price wolf tags without absolutely shafting the NR hunters.

And, I must admit all of this has absolutely nothing to do with Director Hagener's selection. Again, congrats to him and best of luck. He'll certainly need it to weather this legislative session.

 

[JLS]

I'll answer your question. Mayor, no. But I would guess the chief of police would be held responsible to some degree in your scenario.

Absolutely correct.

The good Governor Schweitzer showed Hagener the door to make room for his BFF before Lewton's case went to trial.

 

[wyoming556]

wyoming556, I'm not sure why you continue to sing this criticism of Montana, but I don't believe you can blame Jeff Hagener for the sheep sting debacle or for any hunting associated economic decline.

What is your point? How does it relate to the appointment of a new director for Montana FWP?

..... and is everything perfectly hunky dory in Nebraska?

You seem way defensive about his. I just asked a simple question.
See my answer above about revenue and jobs for your questiuon #1. Question #2 is self explanitory as the FWP director is an important position in the state and much like politics draws much scrutiny, shown by the participation in this thread and others like it. As far as Nebraska they are not perfect either but they do a good job of bringing revenue to the state by promoting thier hunting opportunites for the limited amount of game and public access we have here. They do a good job trying to increase the bighorn sheep populations. They also do a good job promoting youth hunts, which I think is important, with $5 resident and non resident deer and turkey tags. Feel free to explain where they could do better and I'll try an pass it on. Please understand I do not want to argue and was just asking a simple question.

 

[BuzzH]

Pretty easy to manage a couple elk, a couple antelope, and 2 species of deer in Nebraska (I wont even mention the sheep)...almost the same thing as MT managing wolves, grizzlies, black bear, mountain lions, mountain goats, shiras moose, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, 2 deer species, elk, otter, fisher, marten, wolverine, and lynx.

Apples to Apples???? Good grief.

Oh, and about those elk in Nebraska...how about giving NR's a chance and why do ALL the permits in some areas only go to landowners?

Those items could use some attention...for starters.

 

[Straight Arrow]

wyoming556, thanks for answering my question(s). I agree the FWP director position is important, but the issues of the sheep sting debacle and surplus tags can only very remotely be related to Hagener and are way more complex than just one administrator making decisions. So much more is involved.

Your perception is spot-on ... I am way defensive ... because I am a proud Montanan, but more importantly because we sportsmen in Montana have been waging a tough war to protect the interests of wildlife, hunters, and anglers in our state. When we also get pressure from hunters and anglers (assuming you are one) from outside Montana, we naturally get defensive, perhaps offensive.

Sorry if I have offended you, but I quickly lose patience with rhetoric that seems only negative, with little healthy ideas or proposals to fix anything, only criticism of what has gone wrong. It's so easy to sit out there and nitpick history, but it's much more difficult to create solutions and proactive positive approaches to improve the hunting world. I don't know what your interest is in Montana or why you keep singing the criticism, but my challenge to you is to stop the blame game and step up to support Montana wildlife, hunters, and anglers.

 

[wyoming556]

Buzz
Comparing Nebraska wildlife to Montana wildlife is not apples to apples. Not sure where you got that, it wasn't from anyting I posted. I already said that Nebraska has limited wildlife comapred to Montana.

Kinda like Montana has limited football compared to Nebraska, it isn't apples to apples either. One is big time and plays in FBS as one of the best programs in the country and the other plays little league FCS and I' know you don't want me to go into specifics about investigations going on at UM.

No area in Nebraska gives all tags to landowners. Not sure where you came up with that either. Look under 2012 elk permit information
http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/hunting/guides/biggame/pdfs/biggame.pdf

Nice try though. I thought this was about the new FWP director. Back to the OP.

 

[wyoming556]

wyoming556, thanks for answering my question(s). I agree the FWP director position is important, but the issues of the sheep sting debacle and surplus tags can only very remotely be related to Hagener and are way more complex than just one administrator making decisions. So much more is involved.

Your perception is spot-on ... I am way defensive ... because I am a proud Montanan, but more importantly because we sportsmen in Montana have been waging a tough war to protect the interests of wildlife, hunters, and anglers in our state. When we also get pressure from hunters and anglers (assuming you are one) from outside Montana, we naturally get defensive, perhaps offensive.

Sorry if I have offended you, but I quickly lose patience with rhetoric that seems only negative, with little healthy ideas or proposals to fix anything, only criticism of what has gone wrong. It's so easy to sit out there and nitpick history, but it's much more difficult to create solutions and proactive positive approaches to improve the hunting world. I don't know what your interest is in Montana or why you keep singing the criticism, but my challenge to you is to stop the blame game and step up to support Montana wildlife, hunters, and anglers.

No worries. As I've said before doing a better job of marketing the excellent hunting opportunities Montana has to offer by catering to the non resident hunter much more than they currently do would help increase revenues and create jobs in the state. As far as marketing elk hunts Colorado is a good example to learn from. Hopefully the new director can get elk and deer #'s up and non resident $ flowing back into the state.

 

[BuzzH]

wy556,

Correct, but why do they get 50% of the tags?

Why dont NR's get any opportunity at elk?

Theres plenty for Nebraska to work on, like getting their deer numbers out of the tank and doing a better job of marketing their deer hunts. I live one state away, less than 100 miles from Nebraska and I've yet to see one piece of marketing from Nebraska regarding hunting.

Strange?