MT Legislature - Week 6

[Ben Lamb]

More bills get added every day. We're running out of time for committee action in chamber of origin, but there will still be revenue bills that can be introduced until a much later date.

The assault on your hunting and fishing dollars, and rights continues. The strategy is to take as many bites at the apple as possible to whittle away commission authority, reduce the voice of the hunter, and privatize the resource. A lot of bills are making it through despite our, and others, best efforts.

Keep the calls coming in, keep the emails coming in. Every voice counts.


House Fish and Game:

HB285 Revise elk hunting permits for limited drawing districts. - Bill Harris

HB449 Generally revise fish and game laws. ILLEGAL TRANSPLANTATION OF FISH. - Mark Blasdel

HB454 Ensure multiple use of state lands under control of FWP (MINIMUM 20% FOR MULTIPLE USE) Pat Connell

HB474 Clarify and extend hunting regs regarding proper wild meat care upon kill. Pat Connell


House Agriculture:

HB470 Increase hunting license fees to fund livestock loss reduction mitigation fund. Christy Clark

HB471 Generally revise fish, wildlife, and parks laws. (ii) "state objective for breeding pairs" means a maximum of 15 breeding pairs, which means an adult male and an adult female with at least two pups, on December 31 of each year." Dan Kennedy


Senate F&G:


SB301 Moratorium on land purchases by dept. of fish, wildlife, and parks (IN FEE TITLE 4YEAR MORATOIUM) Rick Ripley


Senate Local Gov

SB303 Generally revise state land laws- NO NET GAIN IN LAND OWNERSHIP BY THE STATE. John Brenden

 

[Big Fin]

)(&_)*&&)(( ^ )%)^# !

Enough already. If you think some of these folks and the groups they represent are friends of the hunter, just read some of this junk.

 

[Ben Lamb]

The hunting public is kind of like the British at the Battle of Rorke's Drift

Each week brings a new assault.

 

[mdunc8]

All this junk just highlights the ONE good thing about growing up in Virginia. All we ever argued about was hunting on Sundays and running dogs for deer. This is ridiculous. Is it like this every two years?

 

[Ben Lamb]

2009

2007

2011 has over 165 LC's requested on Fish and Game issues. That's about 50 more than last session, and 80 or so more than 2007.

So much for "less government."

 

[Drake4]

So much for "less government."

No kidding...now they are trying to control in what order I have to pack out an animal?
Make it stop..

 

[JCS]

I use to write/call my local rep about bills all the time. It seemed to do no good. This year I havent called or wrote any of my reps. It seem doing nothing does the same as trying to do the right thing.

I guess next session I will go back to my writing campaign.

I do follow the crappy bill though.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Two more introduced this morning:

HB 541 Elimiating MEPA requirements for livestock trailing on FWP lands

HB 537 Repeal I-161

 

[elk_hunter]

Holy hell. How do you guys not fall asleep and zone out from exhaustion? Amazing you can stay with it like bulldogs and thanks for working so hard to keep the dumb stuff out of the system.

 

[Sytes]

Re: HB474
Bringing out the meat first... Rack last.

I am not a trophy hunter so maybe I am missing the whole "mossy oak" spotlight glory of the rack...

With that said, there are many rules on the books I may not personally agree with though find for the community as a whole, I have to accept such.

IMO, currently, I think this is an okay move.
It has to come out either way...
Wardens are able to more effectively manage their time as they don't have to deal with the stupid strategies of less than ethical hunters... I.E. Warden rolls up to find rack, back straps, and loins. Hunters response, ya, were going to hike back in for the rest in a bit... Warden looks on and knows, Bullshit.
With this new measure, Warden rolls up... same situation... presto - no dicking around with word games - they are fined, etc.

Like I said either way, it all have to come out, right? Heck, if it streamlines our enforcement actions AND promotes ethics / best practice to new / upcoming hunters, more power to the measure.

Again, I placed in bold, italics and underlined the word, "currently". As stated I am not a trophy hunter - Would never pass on such though I don't hold the dedication, scouting, etc... such as Greenhorn and other hunting guru's here - so maybe there is more to this...
IMO, I think this is a fair addition / clarification to our current regs. There are a variety of regs I may not personally agree with... such as luminoc's for arrows, camera attachment to a bow... "stuff" that is excess though, I respect it for the core base to be close to natural with hunting.

 

[tjones]

There is all ready laws about wasting meat, we do not need more laws.

 

[mtmiller]

Why fix what ain't broken?

 

[Drake4]

There is all ready laws about wasting meat, we do not need more laws.

Amen..
Waste of time and money to even be discussing such stupid sh*%.

 

[Sytes]

There is all ready laws about wasting meat, we do not need more laws.

Not really more laws... Rather a new interpretation of a current law.

If it all has to come out, why not?

If it goes towards stream lining current laws, I don't see the difference.
Do we not constantly update current laws that we may find more effective ways to conduct / enforce such?
I do agree with the laws on the books currently... I do not see it as more laws, rather revised.
Laws are present though without enforcement of such laws - they are crap and not worth keeping as a law.
Look - I certainly respect opinions especially coming from the likes of Jones and Miller, is there a reason this is not a decent modification of a current laws for packing meat out?

 

[tjones]

Most of the time when I shoot an elk I am by myself,. I have rifle, hunting gear. Instead of coming out empty handed I will pack some meat and antlers. Saves a trip. I then get the proper packing gear and help and go back for more. Nothing gets wasted. Also have heard stories about leaving the antlers till last and some dude comes by and steals them.

 

[shoots-straight]

You need to keep laws simple. Most people are, simple. I think most of those simple people got elected this past nov. You don't need to reinforce a law that's already on the books. Dumb! Just like not hunting on Sundays, and wearing orange while running mountains lions with dogs. I'm by myself most of the time. If the animal has to be diced up, I"ll take the antlers with me. A lot of the time we stretcher out the halves in two trips. The antlers would cause another trip then. Did I say it was a dumb law?

 

[Drake4]

Yep..and I like to get the meat cooled as fast as possible..hang in a tree, over running water, etc. rather then stuffing it into my pack immediately and going for a 2 hour hike in 60-70 degree weather. Take a load out with all my gear, come back the next morning, and meat is cooled...one more trip to the coolers.

If people are going to shoot animals and only keep the horns..this stupid bill won't stop them.

 

[Drake4]

Did I say it was a dumb law?

You say dumb...I say stupid.

 

[mtmiller]

Been a few times when I was in an area I wasn't able to bring out the entire boned out deer, along with cape and horns, in one load. I didn't mind leaving the meat for a few hours and a second trip. Not so sure about the other way around. I hope they don't make me break...er bend....the law.

 

[Lawnboy]

This is interesting because the warden that came and spoke at my boy's hunters ed class told them this: "leave the tag on the mountain and bring it out on the last load" He said that way they know you are still going to go back I'm thinking that if they require the antlers last there's a 100% percent chance people will go back after their loads of meat.

I can see why you guys think it's a pain in the butt but I imagine it would help deter or prevent the scum bags that leave everything because they are too lazy to return.

The downside of leaving horns and cape till the end is damage to said objects. My brother this year was so concerned that he was going to get checked packing his Dall sheep head out first without all the meat that he left it. Got back at first light to find the remaining meat and head strewn about by a grizzly. It literally chewed the nose off his ram. Cape was a total loss. He wanted to cry. Like Miller said it might have to be bent if it comes into law.

I'm not totally sure where I stand on this.