Montana 2025 Legislative Session

[Ben Lamb]

A risk thats worth taking. Every time.

It is hunting w/o a valid license (citable offense) and loss of eligibility.

 

[Forkyfinder]

It is hunting w/o a valid license (citable offense) and loss of eligibility.

Sounds great. Lets charge that weird couple from Iowa who probably helped craft this thing.

They hunted on land they didnt own twice, put it on tv, and not a single person seemed to care

 

[Schaaf]

Sounds great. Lets charge that weird couple from Iowa who probably helped craft this thing.

They hunted on land they didnt own twice, put it on tv, and not a single person seemed to care

They didn't get that through 635. They got that through the Landowner Preference Permit Pool that has been around since 1976 that doesn't require you to hunt your own private land and has also been addressed this session with SB 235 which passed the Senate recently 50-0. So I think it's fair to say a few people cared.

 

[Badlandcat]

What are the benefits and what were the costs? Who benefits and how?

Answer those questions - and unless you can afford a rich guys ranch to get a gimme elk permit in a LE unit i think youll find out.

Nothing wrong with a landowner getting a tag to hunt their own land. Most states do that, and I know one state that the tags are free for the landowner.

 

[DFS]

Some of the 454 agreements are pretty disgusting.
On a different note thanks to all the hunt talkers that are putting their time and effort into trying to improve things. I was able to watch some of the committee meetings at work today and we have some good advocates trying to head things in the right direction.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Sounds great. Lets charge that weird couple from Iowa who probably helped craft this thing.

They hunted on land they didnt own twice, put it on tv, and not a single person seemed to care

HB 635 was the brain child of a guy who runs one of the largest land trusts in the state and is a former legislator most well known for getting bridge access enshrined in law.

 

[Elky Welky]

Just learned from our lobbyist that HB 519 (repealing 635) has been withdrawn, as has SB 403 (giving the commission back muzzy setting authority). Both were bills MT-BHA planned to support, but looks like they are off the table because of whatever horse trading happens sometimes in the capitol.

Time to turn our attention to defeating 307, another attack on Habitat Montana.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Couple of very good bills up tomorrow:

HB 763 - expands the Block Management Program to allow for access corridors. FWP used to do this but eliminated the rule recently. @Elky Welky & CO at MTBHA are bringing this forward. I'm excited for this one as I think it will help increase access to landlocked public land like PAL but is a bit looser than PAL in terms of who can use it. It's up in House FWP.

SB 441 - This is the Landowner Access Enforcement Network. It would provide for a network of BMA's that can exclude people convicted of criminal and Fish & Wildlife infractions from accessing multiple BMA's. It has a 3 strikes and your out provision, with scaled timeouts for your first (current season) and second strike (up to 3 years), then permanent expulsion for your third. It's from the PLPW folks and is trying to get landowners re-engaged with Block Management in order to bring back some of the producers who left due to poor hunter behavior. It's up in Senate Fish & Game.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Couple of very good bills up tomorrow:

HB 763 - expands the Block Management Program to allow for access corridors. FWP used to do this but eliminated the rule recently. @Elky Welky & CO at MTBHA are bringing this forward. I'm excited for this one as I think it will help increase access to landlocked public land like PAL but is a bit looser than PAL in terms of who can use it. It's up in House FWP.

SB 441 - This is the Landowner Access Enforcement Network. It would provide for a network of BMA's that can exclude people convicted of criminal and Fish & Wildlife infractions from accessing multiple BMA's. It has a 3 strikes and your own provision, with scaled timeouts for your first (current season) and second strike (up to 3 years), then permanent expulsion for your third. It's from the PLPW folks and is trying to get landowners re-engaged with Block Management in order to bring back some of the producers who left due to poor hunter behavior. It's up in Senate Fish & Game.

Good bridges to good places.

Seems like Loge has brought a lot of wildlife bills this session - as well as hinkle.

 

[Schaaf]

HB 564: Mandatory reporting for deer and elk has it’s hearing on Tuesday the 25th in the House Fish Wildlife and Parks Committee at 3:00

And now it’s been tabled.

HB 763 (the bill @Ben Lamb talked about two posts up) passed out of committee easily.

So not all bad news.

 

[Big Fin]

And now it’s been tabled.

HB 763 (the bill @Ben Lamb talked about two posts up) passed out of committee easily.

So not all bad news.

I got that feeling by questioning from the Committee Members. 100% of the comments were in favor. So much for "representing their constituents."

Idgits.

 

[Elky Welky]

And now it’s been tabled.

HB 763 (the bill @Ben Lamb talked about two posts up) passed out of committee easily.

So not all bad news.

I’m sad to hear that. I don’t know a hunter in Montana that doesn’t want to see mandatory reporting implemented. Did the department just say they thought it’d cost too much or give the same tired line about how effective they think their phone surveys are?

In other news, very happy start to HB763, one of the two bills we have been working to advance this session. We’ve been working on some materials for those interested, but here’s a good start: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/montana_hb_763_accessing_public_lands_through_block_management

 

[Schaaf]

I’m sad to hear that. I don’t know a hunter in Montana that doesn’t want to see mandatory reporting implemented. Did the department just say they thought it’d cost too much or give the same tired line about how effective they think their phone surveys are?

In other news, very happy start to HB763, one of the two bills we have been working to advance this session. We’ve been working on some materials for those interested, but here’s a good start: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/montana_hb_763_accessing_public_lands_through_block_management

Honestly, I don't think there was one question that asked about the cost to implement. In my opinion, there was definitely some institutional bias in the informational witness answers. But I agree with @Big Fin, even though there were no opponents, I didn't have a good feeling about it after the hearing ended.

 

[cgasner1]

This is the way we have always done it

 

[Ben Lamb]

SB441, the Landowner enforcement access network passed out committee unanimously in the Senate

SB514, which gives residents the first 10 days of prairie grouse & pheasants on public land, open fields & block management passed out of committee unanimously as well.

 

[Forkyfinder]

I’m sad to hear that. I don’t know a hunter in Montana that doesn’t want to see mandatory reporting implemented. Did the department just say they thought it’d cost too much or give the same tired line about how effective they think their phone surveys are?

In other news, very happy start to HB763, one of the two bills we have been working to advance this session. We’ve been working on some materials for those interested, but here’s a good start: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/montana_hb_763_accessing_public_lands_through_block_management

There was a "carrot vs stick" approach issue mentioned. I wonder if the fine was too much punitive damage. I can see that - as much as it annoys the shit outta me - but all the sniveling and what not.

I wish i could suggest a carrot as a stick approach - if you dont fill out the report - you cant buy a bonus point OR preference point. No punitive damage - but any hunter with good data to give will be in interested in retaining the privelage to be purchasing points.

 

[Schaaf]

Some quick work on executive action on a few bills today with some real good stuff going to the floor.