Montana Outfitter Tags

[Tomahawk]

It appears our good friend Mr. Rein and his pals at MOGA attempted to get guaranteed NR outfitter tags pushed through this year in Montana. Does anyone have more information on this, particularly the "endorsed by FWP" part?


"Governor Bullock Denies MOGA and FWP Request to Issue Additional Non-Resident Licenses

Governor Bullock took a pass on a proposal that would have generated over $15 million in rural commerce today when he denied a joint MOGA and FWP proposal to issue additional non-resident licenses to unsuccessful applicants who had previously booked through an outfitter.

The proposal, originally authored by MOGA and amended and endorsed by FWP, was forwarded to the Governor and would have provided every non-resident who had booked with an outfitter but who had been unsuccessful in the general big-game draw to receive a big game hunting license this year. The rationale was that non-resident outfitted clients spend an average of $5,000 per person while the non-outfitted non-resident spends about $600 per person. This would have generated a significant amount of commerce and helped rural communities, already hard-hit by soft Ag and cattle prices, to recover from the government mandated shutdown due to COVID 19.

“The industry was poised to significantly assist in the economic recovery we all want to see” said MOGA President Chuck Rein. Rein went on to comment that “The proposal would have added significant deferred economic stimulus and put relatively few additional hunters in the field and it was expected that some $2 million in additional license revenues would have been captured for FWP. It would have been a win for everyone.”

There were some 9,000 applicants over the allocated 22,500 non-resident licenses in the 2020 draw. If just 1/3 of those were outfitted clients (3,000) that would have had an estimated economic impact according to University of Montana figures of $15 million. Most of that would have ended up in rural Montana economies where it is desperately needed.

Non-residents will now be invited to apply to the Alternate List and a randomized drawing will take place in six weeks to determine who (guided and unguided) will be allowed to have the returned licenses."

 

[Big Fin]

I'd like to see the source information where FWP endorsed this idea. Was it endorsed by the Director, the Commission, or endorsed by an intern charged with cleaning the dog chit off the lawn at the Helena HQ?

Not that FWP needs to go further out of their way to prove their dislike for elk, but endorsing this idea takes it a few steps further than I would have expected. Hope someone has an official document showing the endorsement.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Hey, why not? It's an unlimited resource. That's just what our local area with twelve public land outfitters needs to ensure we can eliminate the last remnants of elk from our public lands. Then we could all gather at the FWP meetings and scream at them for not controlling the stinking wolves and other predators.

Some people should have some of their nether regions chewed on by grizzly bears.....

 

[Gerald Martin]

Just wait till Gianforte is governor...

 

[johnrr65]

I'd like to see the source information where FWP endorsed this idea. Was it endorsed by the Director, the Commission, or endorsed by an intern charged with cleaning the dog chit off the lawn at the Helena HQ?

Not that FWP needs to go further out of their way to prove their dislike for elk, but endorsing this idea takes it a few steps further than I would have expected. Hope someone has an official document showing the endorsement.

+1

 

[Ben Lamb]

Not sure how you can lift a statutorily mandated allocation w/o actual legislation.

Interested as well to see the request, and FWP's response.

 

[BuzzH]

Heard about this on another forum about a week ago and thought it was a joke.

Apparently MOGA will stop at nothing and I'm not one bit surprised the MTFWP was considering it.

I'd also like to see the "math" that outfitted hunters spend $5,000 and non outfitted hunters only spend $600...what a crock.

MOGA must be including the $4995 they charge their clients for a rare glimpse at a raghorn bull or a 2-3 year old mule deer buck...

 

[Lawnboy]

Like my friend said "why don't they just give me my Arizona elk tag that I didn't draw. I promise I'll spend a bunch of money down there"

 

[Ben Lamb]

Here's the proposal from MOGA. Lifting the 10% cap is not within the scope of power for the agency. That's a statutory change that would need to happen, and nobody can do that but the Legislature or in an extreme circumstance, through execuitive order, but then I would expect a fast lawsuit to challenge that, since I don't think increasing tags for outfitted clients falls inside the essential business category, especially for fall.

Put this one in the "Bills to expect next session" folder.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

For crying out loud!

Since MOGA lost their guaranteed tags due to over selling and misuse. They have pushed hard for these:



1=Non-Res Come Home to Hunt Big Game Combo: OTC, unlimited

2=Non-Res Come Home to Hunt Elk Combo: OTC, unlimited

3=Non-Res Come Home to Hunt Deer Combo: OTC, unlimited

4=Non-Res Montana Native Big Game Combo: Apply, 500 quota

5=Non-Res Montana Native Big Game Combo: Apply, 500 quota

6=Non-Res Montana Native Deer Combo: Apply, 500 quota



The above folks are less likely to need the assistance of an outfitter. SO, they needed to be removed from the general nonresident draw and free up additional space for their clientele.



They fought for these to also increase their clientele numbers:



7=Landowner, Non-Res Deer Combo: Apply, 2000 quota which can go to the draw if unused.

8=Non-Res, SPLITTING of the Big Game Combo: from the 17,000 quota to increase clientele.

9=Non-Res Youth Big Game Combo: OTC, unlimited so that their client’s kids could hunt also.



All these were proposed with good intentions……those intentions being to increase the Outfitter’s business model!



Someone wrote a while back to tell them when Montana increased the nonresident license sales above these:



10=Non-Res, Big Game Combo: Apply, 17,000

11=Non-Res, Deer Combo: Apply, 4,600


I’d say to that person, “PLEASE SEE ABOVE”!!!



I wish for the day when Montanans concerns for our wildlife will supersede the dollar sales of that wildlife…….



Mtnhunter1

 

[Cav1]

I'd also like to see the "math" that outfitted hunters spend $5,000 and non outfitted hunters only spend $600...what a crock.

Ditto. Only the outfitter makes money on the guided NR hunter who flies in and then has his lodging and meals with the outfitter. It's the non-outfitted guys who spend their money at the local gas station, grocery store, cafe, bar, hotel, campground, sporting goods store, etc, etc.

 

[LopeHunter]

Curious what OP will spend on fuel or airfare to get to AZ to hunt a stink pig? The tag cost for my out-of-state hunts is usually under 25% of my hard costs door to door plus I am hard on gear so some soft costs need tossed on the pile if am keeping it real as count up things. I spend less per pound to fly in live lobster than what my out-of-state costs are typically add up to per pound for game meat. I usually am solo so not cost-splitting for fuel, lodging, etc, so that pushes my costs up over the car-pooler.