Non-resident outfitter license (MT) Bill is up for hearing 2/2/2021 (SB 143)

[Big Fin]

If you wondered what kind of new bills would be pushed in the current Montana legislature, here is a sample. Reinstating the outfitter license that was done away with by citizens ballot initiative is back.

Full text of the bill is at this link - https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billpdf/SB0143.pdf

It is bad for residents and bad for self-guided non-residents.

Hearing the Senate Fish & Game Committee on February 2nd.

Here are the members of the Senate Fish & Game Committee:

Hinebauch, Steve (R) ‑ Chair
Brown, Bob (R) ‑ Vice Chair
Jacobson,Tom (D) ‑ Vice Chair
Blasdel, Mark (R)
Cohenour, Jill (D)
Ellsworth, Jason (R)
Flowers, Pat (D)
Hertz, Greg (R)
Howard, David (R)
Keenan, Bob (R)
McClafferty, Edie (D)

To find the email or phone number for your Senator, here is the link - https://leg.mt.gov/legislator-information/

I would strongly recommend you weigh in on this one.

 

[golfer]

Use the below information to contact committee member(s).

SEN. STEVE HINEBAUCH - SD18

CHAIR

[email protected]

(406) 365-7967

(406) 989-1372


SEN. BOB BROWN - SD7

VICE CHAIR

[email protected]

(406) 242-0141


SEN. TOM JACOBSON - SD11

VICE CHAIR

[email protected]

(406) 868-9814


SEN. MARK BLASDEL - SD4

[email protected]

(406) 261-3269


SEN. JILL COHENOUR - SD 42

[email protected]

(406) 227-1144

SEN. JASON ELLSWORTH (R) - SD43

[email protected]

(406) 360-0009

SEN. PAT FLOWERS (D) - SD32

[email protected]

(406) 580-0035

SEN. GREG HERTZ (R) - SD6

[email protected]

(406) 253-9505

SEN. DAVID HOWARD (R) - SD29

[email protected]

(406) 633-2762

SEN. BOB KEENAN (R) - SD5

[email protected]

(406) 250-4111

SEN. EDIE MCCLAFFERTY (D) - SD38

[email protected]

(406) 490-5873

 

[Jonesy125]

Can someone with a higher IQ than myself summarize this? The way I interpret it is that landowner “sponsors” will be awarded tags for nonresidents that will be guided by them, amount of tags relates to amount of property owned. If I understand correctly these tags are in addition to the amount of tags already distributed to non-residents? Does this change anything with limited entry permits or only for the big game combo licenses? Public land access part sounds like it will compensate landowners who allow access across private land to public land? Is this tied in to this Bill in order to sway the public’s opinion of the “sponsor” tags? Sorry if these are stupid questions but legal language with the B-10, B-11 stuff sort of lost me and if I’m going to write in on behalf of this bill I would
Like to fully understand it.

 

[BuzzH]

It just never ends with the outfitter welfare...ever.

The outfitters wonder why DIY hunters are tired of their shit? Gee, I wonder...

 

[MTLabrador]

Texted several Montana friends about this, and they are as disappointed as I am. All are contacting their senators.

 

[MThuntr]

Can someone with a higher IQ than myself summarize this? The way I interpret it is that landowner “sponsors” will be awarded tags for nonresidents that will be guided by them, amount of tags relates to amount of property owned. If I understand correctly these tags are in addition to the amount of tags already distributed to non-residents? Does this change anything with limited entry permits or only for the big game combo licenses? Public land access part sounds like it will compensate landowners who allow access across private land to public land? Is this tied in to this Bill in order to sway the public’s opinion of the “sponsor” tags? Sorry if these are stupid questions but legal language with the B-10, B-11 stuff sort of lost me and if I’m going to write in on behalf of this bill I would
Like to fully understand it.

https://www.facebook.com/stalkhuntingguide/photos/a.287452351730770/1064759494000048

 

[JLS]

60% of the licenses would be reserved for outfitters? And 2,000 deer tags would go to landowner sponsored hunters?

What a shit show.

 

[Finnman]

Never ending B.S.!! They just can't take no for an answer. Maybe someone should introduce a bill to ban outfitting on all public land.

 

[devon deer]

Very disappointing, is there anyone in particular I can, as a non resident alien, contact to complain to?
I can muster up a few in the UK to complain.
What the hell/who has driven this bill and why?
Money I assume.
Very bad news if it passes and thanks @Mthuntr for the link.

Are there any other western states that have this in place?

Cheers

Richard

 

[JLS]

This bill also removes the annual inflationary adjustment in price, whether you feel that is good, bad, or indifferent.

 

[MThuntr]

Very disappointing, is there anyone in particular I can, as a non resident alien, contact to complain to?
I can muster up a few in the UK to complain.
What the hell/who has driven this bill and why?
Money I assume.
Very bad news if it passes and thanks @Mthuntr for the link.

Are there any other western states that have this in place?

Cheers

Richard

contact the committee and explain how it affects you as a non-resident DIY hunter...be sure to mention that you spend your money locally at multiple businesses vs just 1 outfitter benefitting doesn't guarantee the money will be spent locally.

 

[Browning Rifles]

I just wrote my local Senator. I was sure to mention the fact that my friends and family who come here, when they draw a tag, are spending quit a bit of money in the local communities. Outfitted hunters give it all to Joe Outfitter who puts it in his bank account.
I have no problem with a guy making an honest living guiding, but he deserves no special treatment or advantage. I own a small business. Maybe the state could guarantee me 50 clients a year. Then I would have enough money to pay $8,000.00 to kill a trophy bull elk every year instead of spending countless days hunting public land and looking at herds of elk across the fence being herded by the outfitter and landowner.

 

[Bugle 'Em In]

I'm still dumb-founded how they can override the initiative set in place a few years ago??? I'll be writing some emails today, hoping my small voice helps make a difference. Sigh.

 

[JLS]

I'm still dumb-founded how they can override the initiative set in place a few years ago??? I'll be writing some emails today, hoping my small voice helps make a difference. Sigh.

It’s not just an override. This is far more expansive than the old outfitter sponsored license program was.

 

[bigsky2]

Can someone spell this out in Layman's terms? The B-7, B-10, B-11 licenses don't make sense to me.

 

[JLS]

Can someone spell this out in Layman's terms? The B-7, B-10, B-11 licenses don't make sense to me.

IIRC B10 is NR elk/deer combo, B11 is elk combo, and B7 is deer combo.

 

[Dougfirtree]

Damn guys, I hate to hear about stuff like this. Seems like Montana is getting more than its share of crap like this, these days. Montana really seems to be in a battle with itself, as it transitions from being a sleepy little state, to a more populous one and the pressures on the resources grow.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I'm still dumb-founded how they can override the initiative set in place a few years ago??? I'll be writing some emails today, hoping my small voice helps make a difference. Sigh.

Elections have consequences. MOGA was empowered by the recent election, and as such, is pursuing a heavy-handed approach to the session. This is not unexpected.

This is the same administration & Legislature that's about to siphon off around $10 million per year for access & wildlife mgt because they don't like the language in the weed initiative.

 

[Nameless Range]

My senator is on the State Fish and Game committee, but since she is a Democrat, I wonder how much juice she will have to sway the committee conversation. I will be contacting my Representative, who I get the sense is a reasonable person. As an outsider it is hard to tell if this bill is likely, or is a wish. I have shared this thread to a few Montana-centric hunting groups on FB.

 

[Mallardsx2]

If they do this I am not applying for preference points in Montana anymore. They can go to hell.