Sorry, but I'm calling bullshit on this statement. Here is some historical perspective as to why:
For many years, Montana FWP allowed late season damage hunts for landowners who provided reasonable public access during the 5 week general season. Over time, a trend developed where the landowner would have paying clients, then want a damage season. Eventually, the late season damage hunts were done away with.
Largely as a result of poor access, elk numbers have gone through the roof and are over objective. Keep in mind that this over objective is NOT necessarily over what the habitat will support. The objective also takes social tolerance into heavy consideration.
There has been a long existing standoff between many large landowners and FWP in terms of elk damage. FWP has held that we give you a 5 week season, you fix your own problem. For whatever, reason, many landowners don't utilize this to address the population issues effectively. Go back and reference the Devils Kitchen model for how to effectively do so.
The FWP Commission agreed to the shoulders seasons as a POPULATION control measure, not another opportunity to make a buck. They are granting a hunting season way outside the norm to try to alleviate landowner concerns. They did not include public land because many of the public lands can hold many more elk than they currently do.
For people to charge for access is clearly in violation of the spirit of what this hunt was intended to do. Anyone can charge all they want during the 5 week general season, but the shoulder season was not meant to be that way.
I fully support landowner rights. If you don't want to let people hunt, then don't. However, you can't expect the state to come in and fix a problem that you have created by providing an elk sanctuary. Nor should you be allowed to make a profit off a state provided effort to remedy your elk issues. If you got government provided disaster relief, is it okay to turn around and sell that? That's basically what's happening here.
