Here we go again in MT...

[jags]

2,571 people signed and won this petition

Stop the attempt at privatizing Montana's trophy elk hunting opportunities.

www.change.org

Sign this and pass it to everyone you know. This is getting old real quick

Signed it.

 

[KHNC]

The real problem here is John Dutton and the Yellowstone Ranch. Locking up that much land and not allowing access is ridiculous! Someone should do something about it!

 

[will16_]

The real problem here is John Dutton and the Yellowstone Ranch. Locking up that much land and not allowing access is ridiculous! Someone should do something about it!

Got me rolling over here

 

[finner]

There are Montana Republicans who don't tolerate this polemical special interest outfitter welfare type of policy, and those who do. This "don't divide the party or the Dems win" line of rhetoric is the same as "don't divide hunters or the antis win." It stops people from calling out flat-brimmed Utard poachers in the same way it keeps Montana Republicans from calling out highly corrupt, bought and paid for special interest advocacy in Helena.

Fact is, this is my top priority issue in statewide politics. We're about to lose out on decades of elk hunting opportunity. I'm a fifth generation Montanan and my working-class family has consistently killed elk on public land since the turn of the last century. There were a few years there when I was a kid where we would have been in pretty dire financial straits without a few hundred pounds of meat in the freezer. That opportunity is going gonna disappear pretty quickly here for the average Joe unless people actually get engaged in statewide politics and put wildlife management in their list of political priorities.

 

[bsnedeker]

How to nationalize local elections 101.

It would be interesting to see a list of freedoms Montanans lost under Democrat Governors (since 2005).

Maybe you haven't been paying any attention to anything that has been happening in this country in the last 5 years....I'd maybe suggest you start reading the news. Doesn't have anything to do with what "democrat governors" have done in the past, it's about what they are actively trying to do right now.

This is ENTIRELY besides the point however. I don't like republicans any more than I like democrats. I'm just pointing out the fairly obvious reasons people living in MT tend to pull the R lever.

At the end of the day when you are voting for the lesser of two evils you are still voting for evil.

 

[brocksw]

Maybe you haven't been paying any attention to anything that has been happening in this country in the last 5 years....I'd maybe suggest you start reading the news. Doesn't have anything to do with what "democrat governors" have done in the past, it's about what they are actively trying to do right now.

This is ENTIRELY besides the point however. I don't like republicans any more than I like democrats. I'm just pointing out the fairly obvious reasons people living in MT tend to pull the R lever.

At the end of the day when you are voting for the lesser of two evils you are still voting for evil.

My apologies. I guess I thought that since literally everything these MT elk threads discuss stems directly from the decision making and agenda of MT Governor Gianforte, that it was completely and totally relevant. If you can round up that list of Montana Freedoms lost under Democrats Governors since 2005, that'd be great.

 

[mtwarden]

gents- please take it to pm if you feel necessary; let’s stay on task here and get folks to show up and/or write in

 

[CorbLand]

I like the idea of earn a bull. Shoot a cow before you can take a bull.

Also Colorado’s ranching for wildlife program seems to work pretty well even though it’s only open to residents. I got to hunt some pretty cool private land through RFW when I lived there. It gives people a chance to draw tags for specific ranches in the public draw for cows or bulls, the ranches have to do habitat work, and the split for the specific ranch is 20% of bulltags go to the public in the draw while 80% of the cow tags go to the public draw leaving 80% of the bull tags for sale and 20% of the cow tags for sale by the ranch as hunts.

This is similar to Utah. It doesnt work that well.

 

[brocksw]

gents- please take it to pm if you feel necessary; let’s stay on task here and get folks to show up and/or write in

Roger that. @bsnedeker can you PM me that list?

 

[WormSportsman]

Signed.

 

[Dust Rider]

I sent my commissioner a message. I hope KC Walsh is still in support of the public since he build his company image of fishing Montana rivers. But seeing him in Gianforte's political adds, and now that he represents region 4....
The ranchers and farmers we know allow a limited number of public hunters. They prefer we shoot the cows to control populations, and we do to fill the freezers. But they also let the youngsters shoot bulls and bucks. It is the greed of a few select landowners who do not allow access who are problematic in the overpopulation of elk.

 

[finner]

I sent my commissioner a message. I hope KC Walsh is still in support of the public since he build his company image of fishing Montana rivers. But seeing him in Gianforte's political adds, and now that he represents region 4....
The ranchers and farmers we know allow a limited number of public hunters. They prefer we shoot the cows to control populations, and we do to fill the freezers. But they also let the youngsters shoot bulls and bucks. It is the greed of a few select landowners who do not allow access who are problematic in the overpopulation of elk.

KC Walsh is not on our side. He's on the board of PERC, which released a study calling for landowner tags in MT. You can read that here. Spoiler, it's pretty bad. It's pretty hard to see where hunters are represented on the Commission now. Pat Byorth is pretty much the only advocate we have left and his term is almost up.

As for the rest, Pat Tabor is an outfitter who would benefit from this. He's also got multiple citations and issues stemming from misuse of public lands and illegal outfitting. I've corresponded with Jana Waller and I'm not hopeful that she will do a damn thing for public land elk hunting, even if she does manage to show up for the meeting. The rest have already proven that they don't give a hoot about hunters and public trust wildlife management.

There should be a recall of some of these appointments. The law states "A person may not be appointed to the commission unless the person is informed or interested and experienced in the subject of fish, wildlife, and recreation and the requirements for the conservation and protection of fish, wildlife, and recreational resources." Pretty sure that a lot of these new appointees don't meet that standard.

 

[finner]

Here's the link to testify via Zoom

FWPPUB :: public-comment-registration-form

In person testimony is a whole lot more effective, but they're gonna be talking elk in the AM on a Tuesday so I doubt too many people with jobs are going to show up. As far as I know, the elk issues will be discussed between 9-11 after they finish talking fisheries.

You can also show up to your regional office to testify remotely. They'll have webcams and projectors set up.

 

[brocksw]

KC Walsh is not on our side. He's on the board of PERC, which released a study calling for landowner tags in MT. You can read that here. Spoiler, it's pretty bad. It's pretty hard to see where hunters are represented on the Commission now. Pat Byorth is pretty much the only advocate we have left and his term is almost up.

As for the rest, Pat Tabor is an outfitter who would benefit from this. He's also got multiple citations and issues stemming from misuse of public lands and illegal outfitting. I've corresponded with Jana Waller and I'm not hopeful that she will do a damn thing for public land elk hunting, even if she does manage to show up for the meeting. The rest have already proven that they don't give a hoot about hunters and public trust wildlife management.

There should be a recall of some of these appointments. The law states "A person may not be appointed to the commission unless the person is informed or interested and experienced in the subject of fish, wildlife, and recreation and the requirements for the conservation and protection of fish, wildlife, and recreational resources." Pretty sure that a lot of these new appointees don't meet that standard.

End the FWP Commission!

Funny, I was just looking at some Simms fishing bibs for cold weather. Guess I will take my money elsewhere.

 

[Dust Rider]

KC Walsh is not on our side. He's on the board of PERC, which released a study calling for landowner tags in MT. You can read that here. Spoiler, it's pretty bad. It's pretty hard to see where hunters are represented on the Commission now. Pat Byorth is pretty much the only advocate we have left and his term is almost up.

As for the rest, Pat Tabor is an outfitter who would benefit from this. He's also got multiple citations and issues stemming from misuse of public lands and illegal outfitting. I've corresponded with Jana Waller and I'm not hopeful that she will do a damn thing for public land elk hunting, even if she does manage to show up for the meeting. The rest have already proven that they don't give a hoot about hunters and public trust wildlife management.

There should be a recall of some of these appointments. The law states "A person may not be appointed to the commission unless the person is informed or interested and experienced in the subject of fish, wildlife, and recreation and the requirements for the conservation and protection of fish, wildlife, and recreational resources." Pretty sure that a lot of these new appointees don't meet that standard.

Yes. I saw a article that the last three appointments to the commission had donated to the Governor campaign.
It’s a loaded deck and not in regular peoples favor. I also contacted Pat Byorth.

 

[Dust Rider]

End the FWP Commission!

Funny, I was just looking at some Simms fishing bibs for cold weather. Guess I will take my money elsewhere.

That does suck because Simms makes the only waders in the USA. Plus they employ quite a few Montanans. Hopefully somebody else will step up to the plate and produce a great US made wader. Any Canadian made ones? If anybody else makes them state side please post who. It’s a shitty deal all around.

 

[Nosferatu]

Full information on the meeting with specific agenda topics is posted, including how to comment during the meeting via Zoom (must pre-register). Click HERE to go direct to the webpage.

Some interesting things if you read enough of it. An "alternate" general deer/elk season is an option, the coversheet stating "Because of warmer weather trends, there has been some advocacy to shift the five-week general elk and deer seasons at least one week later...."

Thanks for the link. I'm signed up for the zoom call.

 

[mtwarden]

good read

https://missoulacurrent.com/opinion...vHB83VmXayZGSL7Vpd3vRly_1viiGD5QpHigo_9m-P1kU

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Good reference with some historical context.

Montana Citizens’ Elk Management Coalition

www.montanaelk.org

 

[S.Clancy]

For the large percentage of that are RMEF members here's their statement....

RMEF’s Statement on Montana FWP Elk Hunt Changes

RMEF is in the process of reviewing and analyzing the proposed changes to Montana’s 2022 elk hunting season. We strongly believe the following principles should guide [...]

www.rmef.org