Montana elk hunting is about to take a dive

[wind gypsy]

It sounds like Gianforte basically put this on FWP and Galt against the desires of either of them. Jersey Greg needs to feel the fire from montana residents over this.

Hunters oppose bill giving elk tags to large landowners, commercializing wildlife

Many hunters said commercializing wildlife by promising tags to landowners goes against the century-old North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, which protects wildlife from being killed for profit.

missoulacurrent.com

 

[Heath Hansen]

You should point out that this bill provides landowner sponsored tags to eligible landowners that are in units WITHIN THE POPULATION OBJECTIVE. If the unit is over or under objective, the landowner does not meet the qualifications per the bill, Section 2. If this is all about population, that makes 0 sense.

What does make sense is Wylie Galt and his family own the 71 Ranch in one of the most over objective units in the state, largely due to 4-5 very large landowners allowing no unpaid access. If he had written the bill to include over objective areas, he and his family would have been receiving 10s of thousands of dollars of compensation considering they had an extra 10 bull tags. He's not stupid, so he didn't write the bill in the way that made the most sense, cause most people can say 1+1=2.

There is no doubt in my kind that he plans to personally benefit from this bill, it will just be the typical political fashion, through the backdoor.

Objectives can easily be changed by the commission. The commission that just changed to a majority being landowners. It’s pretty easy to see how this is being manipulated.

 

[S.Clancy]

Objectives can easily be changed by the commission. The commission that just changed to a majority being landowners. It’s pretty easy to see how this is being manipulated.

That's what I'm thinking too, as now I can't find any of the previous years objectives by unit on FWP website.

 

[Deadfall]

Plus they are changing objectives at this moment

 

[finner]

Not to mention, the United Property Owners of Montana asked in the hearing yesterday that this be amended to include all units, including limited draws, that are at or above objective.

Still can't fathom the silence from RMEF and the various influencers who piped up on the outfitter bill. This is ten times worse for elk hunting opportunity in Montana.

 

[Deadfall]

Not to mention, the United Property Owners of Montana asked in the hearing yesterday that this be amended to include all units, including limited draws, that are at or above objective.

Still can't fathom the silence from RMEF and the various influencers who piped up on the outfitter bill. This is ten times worse for elk hunting opportunity in Montana.

Where do RMEF hunt? They stand to benefit. IMO

 

[finner]

Where do RMEF hunt? They stand to benefit. IMO

Sure, but there are a hell of a lot of guys driving around MT with RMEF plates and member stickers who won't. My membership has lapsed (this being the sort of reason I let it go) but if I were still a member I'd be pissed that they hadn't spoken up, given that this bill could allow more tags than there are elk in Montana.

 

[MTSasquatch]

Got in touch with RMEF. I was told the position they employ to deal with these and other legislative issues is currently vacant. I was also told they do have several folks working on something (sounded nebulous) but as of now they have no official statement or position. Additionally they have been getting a few calls every day about this and other elk related bills in MT. They need to hear from members that it’s time to punch that time card.

Keep calling them and call the local RMEF chapter reps and put the pressure on them to make a stance on it. We’ll need their support to get this bill killed.

If you sit around on this issue and do nothing you deserve the future of elk hunting you will receive. Call took 5 minutes. I spend more time looking for my speed square while cutting wood lol!

 

[Legend]

Got in touch with RMEF. I was told the position they employ to deal with these and other legislative issues is currently vacant. I was also told they do have several folks working on something (sounded nebulous) but as of now they have no official statement or position. Additionally they have been getting a few calls every day about this and other elk related bills in MT. They need to hear from members that it’s time to punch that time card.

Keep calling them and call the local RMEF chapter reps and put the pressure on them to make a stance on it. We’ll need their support to get this bill killed.

If you sit around on this issue and do nothing you deserve the future of elk hunting you will receive. Call took 5 minutes. I spend more time looking for my speed square while cutting wood lol!

Well said squatch!

 

[Legend]

This is a republican bill so the key to getting it tabled is to have the Republicns vote against it. Here is the list of Republican committee members with phone numbers, email and the town they call home:

Phalen, Bob (R)	[email protected]	(406) 939-1187	Lindsey
Mitchell, Braxton (R)	[email protected]	(406) 200-8384	Columbia Falls
Putnam, Brian (R)	[email protected]	(406) 233-9463	Kalispell
Loge, Denley (R)	[email protected]	(406) 649-2368	St Regis
Hinkle, Jedediah (R)	[email protected]	(406) 992-0703	Belgrade
Seekins‑Crowe, Kerri (R)	[email protected]	(406) 208-6587	Billings
Duram, Neil (R)	[email protected]	(406) 471-2356	Eureka
Fielder, Paul (R)	[email protected]	(406) 210-5943	Thonpson Falls
Reksten, Linda (R)	[email protected]	(406) 471-8359	Polson
Knudsen, Rhonda (R)	[email protected]	(406) 489-5253	Culbertson
Fitzgerald, Ross (R)	[email protected]	(406) 788-1443	Fairfield
Berglee, Seth (R)	[email protected]	(406) 690-9329	Joliet

I spoke with one of them today and they hate the generic email. They did apreciate individual emails with specifics. Also, in my expereince emails are easy to ignore so I tend to lean towards phone calls.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

This is a republican bill so the key to getting it tabled is to have the Republicns vote against it. Here is the list of Republican committee members with phone numbers, email and the town they call home:

Phalen, Bob (R)	[email protected]	(406) 939-1187	Lindsey
Mitchell, Braxton (R)	[email protected]	(406) 200-8384	Columbia Falls
Putnam, Brian (R)	[email protected]	(406) 233-9463	Kalispell
Loge, Denley (R)	[email protected]	(406) 649-2368	St Regis
Hinkle, Jedediah (R)	[email protected]	(406) 992-0703	Belgrade
Seekins‑Crowe, Kerri (R)	[email protected]	(406) 208-6587	Billings
Duram, Neil (R)	[email protected]	(406) 471-2356	Eureka
Fielder, Paul (R)	[email protected]	(406) 210-5943	Thonpson Falls
Reksten, Linda (R)	[email protected]	(406) 471-8359	Polson
Knudsen, Rhonda (R)	[email protected]	(406) 489-5253	Culbertson
Fitzgerald, Ross (R)	[email protected]	(406) 788-1443	Fairfield
Berglee, Seth (R)	[email protected]	(406) 690-9329	Joliet

I spoke with one of them today and they hate the generic email. They did apreciate individual emails with specifics. Also, in my expereince emails are easy to ignore so I tend to lean towards phone calls.

Thanks for that. Typed up a personal email and sent to each. Don’t know if it will help coming from a dirty NR but it’s worth a try.

 

[Deadfall]

Sure, but there are a hell of a lot of guys driving around MT with RMEF plates and member stickers who won't. My membership has lapsed (this being the sort of reason I let it go) but if I were still a member I'd be pissed that they hadn't spoken up, given that this bill could allow more tags than there are elk in Montana.

Very true

 

[Chesapeake173]

This is a republican bill so the key to getting it tabled is to have the Republicns vote against it. Here is the list of Republican committee members with phone numbers, email and the town they call home:

Phalen, Bob (R)	[email protected]	(406) 939-1187	Lindsey
Mitchell, Braxton (R)	[email protected]	(406) 200-8384	Columbia Falls
Putnam, Brian (R)	[email protected]	(406) 233-9463	Kalispell
Loge, Denley (R)	[email protected]	(406) 649-2368	St Regis
Hinkle, Jedediah (R)	[email protected]	(406) 992-0703	Belgrade
Seekins‑Crowe, Kerri (R)	[email protected]	(406) 208-6587	Billings
Duram, Neil (R)	[email protected]	(406) 471-2356	Eureka
Fielder, Paul (R)	[email protected]	(406) 210-5943	Thonpson Falls
Reksten, Linda (R)	[email protected]	(406) 471-8359	Polson
Knudsen, Rhonda (R)	[email protected]	(406) 489-5253	Culbertson
Fitzgerald, Ross (R)	[email protected]	(406) 788-1443	Fairfield
Berglee, Seth (R)	[email protected]	(406) 690-9329	Joliet

I spoke with one of them today and they hate the generic email. They did apreciate individual emails with specifics. Also, in my expereince emails are easy to ignore so I tend to lean towards phone calls.

Took all of 15 minutes to write a direct email to each of them. Please do it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Legend]

Landowner-sponsored elk licenses, extra bonus points draw strong hunter opposition

Opponents of the bill lined up both in person and online to deride both the process that brought it to the Legislature and its contents.

helenair.com

 

[PablitoPescador]

Took all of 15 minutes to write a direct email to each of them. Please do it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Emailed them all last night. I'm as right wing as they come but I'm not gonna vote R at the local level if they keep pulling this kind of nonsense...

 

[finner]

RMEF needs your calls. They're putting together a statement, but I've got a feeling it's going to be a bunch of doublespeak and fluff. 406-523-4500.

 

[MThuntr]

Keep pressing these guys. They recently changed the draft from 5 bonus points to 1 bonus point. Keep pushing them on that you don't manage wildlife via legislature especially since hunters and the general public were not involved in any conversations about this and that at testimony the only supporters were members of MOGA while no average joe hunters agreed.

They are pushing a committee vote on Tuesday next week.

There's a great thread on HuntTalk that has more info along with comments from people who were there to do in person testimony.

 

[Dust Rider]

RMEF needs your calls. They're putting together a statement, but I've got a feeling it's going to be a bunch of doublespeak and fluff. 406-523-4500.

Matt Ashley | Regional Director- Eastern MT
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
4063512335 phone | mobile
[email protected] | www.rmef.org


I got a semi neutral vague response from RMEF. ^^ Matt Ashley has more influence than he lets on.

 

[cgasner1]

Can we move this over into the elk section so more people will see this only reason I found it was I saw it had a thread going on google looking into the bill need as many people to see this as possible


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[Legend]

Anyone have a copy of the bill amendment? I am sure it is still BS.