Montana Proposed bill to raise Non resident base hunting fees over 500%

[Legend]

This is being proposed by 3 Republicans spread across MT. So consider it already signed.

Honestly, if they are worried about money maybe they will forgot about the Governor's agenda....privatizing wildlife for the benefit of his wealthy buddies.

 

[wind gypsy]

LOL Montana. They already have the biggest resident to non-resident tag cost discrepancy in the west, maybe not counting Alaska when residents dont have to pay for a tag.

NR Currently can expect to pay $1278 (base fee plus 2 preference points) for a general elk tag.

Residents pay $20 for an elk tag.

Pretty pathetic that resident hunters that act like they care so much about their hunting cant stomach to pay more than that to pursue their prized critters.

 

[rogerdoger]

Some for sure.
But just wait for the wave of displaced Californians coming your way...

And wealthy Texans, they all need a few house, an old west town, and a chapel.

 

[ProStaffSteve]

Not the case at all. I moved to Bozeman Montana in 98, it was actually affordable. Then the Yellowstone club took off and the billionaires moved in driving prices sky high. This drove me to NW Montana 10 years ago, you could still get a house or a lot for a good price, now the billionaires have started moving in. Now prices in the valley have almost tripled. We have lost a huge portion of the work force, restaurants service sucks, no labor for construction, and a dam burger is $20. The working class residents of Montana are not wealthy, we are struggling. We all ask ourselves is it worth being poor to live in a place that has so much recreation or do you move and visit a few times a year. Currently I am choosing to pay high prices for everything local so I can have the opportunity to recreate in this state. If the non resident tag seems to much start applying in Wyoming.

Sorry to hear that. Its truly country wide too. The rich get cozy playgrounds full of food, families, & fun. Everyone else works their fingers to the damn bone making them rich, our kids work to make them rich. we get a week of their lives each year and weekends if we are lucky.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

I’m always against taking more money from people and giving it to the government. Don’t care what it’s for, taking more money from you won’t make the hunting better.

I Got to agree with you on that one.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Another nail in the coffin for me.

 

[fatlander]

Annnndddd there will still be the same amount of nonresidents at the trailhead but I bet they’ll pay for a co-op butterfly study or some other useless shit. There won’t be any more game on the mountain and it won’t move the needle on access.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rogerdoger]

LOL Montana. They already have the biggest resident to non-resident tag cost discrepancy in the west, maybe not counting Alaska when residents dont have to pay for a tag.

NR Currently can expect to pay $1278 (base fee plus 2 preference points) for a general elk tag.

Residents pay $20 for an elk tag.

Pretty pathetic that resident hunters that act like they care so much about their hunting cant stomach to pay more than that to pursue their prized critters.

I agree, our elk tags cost could increase and help fund our wildlife. Our out of state politicians know it would be political death for them.

 

[rogerdoger]

Sorry to hear that. Its truly country wide too. The rich get cozy playgrounds full of food, families, & fun. Everyone else works their fingers to the damn bone making them rich, our kids work to make them rich. we get a week of their lives each year and weekends if we are lucky.

Plans take shape for luxury golf club in Lakeside

The developers behind a proposed luxury golf club in Lakeside hope to begin construction as soon as next summer if the permit process goes as planned.

dailyinterlake.com

Future new residents, the Yellowstone Club of the NW.

 

[velvet muley]

LOL Montana. They already have the biggest resident to non-resident tag cost discrepancy in the west, maybe not counting Alaska when residents dont have to pay for a tag.

NR Currently can expect to pay $1278 (base fee plus 2 preference points) for a general elk tag.

Residents pay $20 for an elk tag.

Pretty pathetic that resident hunters that act like they care so much about their hunting cant stomach to pay more than that to pursue their prized critters.

Why are you blaming the residents??? The residents hunters didn't introduce the bill but at the end of the day it works the same in Montana as it does everywhere else. Montana doesn't owe nonresidents any tags for the hunting in the state and no one is forced to hunt outside of their own state.

 

[Broomd]

Curious how closely Idaho is watching this development. After all, the Gem state is #1 with many, many non-resident hunters. Ton of revenue being left on the table.

Gotta get the revenue somehow; so many boondock, kill, leave...

 

[Loo.wii]

This headline is so disingenuous.

 

[LR5Ranger]

Curious how closely Idaho is watching this development. After all, the Gem state is #1 with many, many non-resident hunters. Ton of revenue being left on the table.

Gotta get the revenue somehow; so many boondock, kill, leave...

Hopefully they are. A few years ago they doubled the state park fees for nonresidents.

 

[LostArra]

What are "base hunting fees"?
An application fee or a small game license that is required for a big game tag?

Edit: I think I found it. It's just a fee to apply. So, like Wyoming, they are sucking $ from the unsuccessful applicants because there are so many more of them.

 

[wind gypsy]

Why are you blaming the residents??? The residents hunters didn't introduce the bill but at the end of the day it works the same in Montana as it does everywhere else.

Residents voted in the politicians determined to squeeze every penny out of montanas wildlife. Montana resident license fees are priced like it’s 1980 because Montana residents demand it. MT still hunts mule deer OTC with rifles through the rut because residents demand it.

Montana doesn't owe nonresidents any tags for the hunting in the state and no one is forced to hunt outside of their own state.

You’re absolutely right. And if MT residents insist on being freeloaders so they can hunt elk for the price of a fast food meal I can point it out on the internet.

 

[Erict]

Base hunting fees are NON-REFUNDABLE but are required in order to apply for a deer or elk license. I'd have an easier time with this proposal if it only applied to those who were successful in the draw. Heck, why don't they just shoot for the moon and raise the Conservation License prices instead, soaking every state land user instead of just the hunters.

 

[Schmo]

I have to say this hits a little hard. I’m a non-res who hunts Montana. No, it’s not the increase of $85 that hits hard, it’s that they are looking to make a lot more money off of the non-res. Sure, they’re allowed to do this. I live in Arkansas, and have family in Montana. What I have a bigger gripe about is how many other western hunters come to Montana. Someone who lives in Idaho, Colorado, or Utah thinks they need to come get a piece of the pie in Montana. Why wouldn’t you hunt your own western state? I hunt Montana because I can’t hunt the same game in Arkansas. Montanans have it very easy when it comes to tags, I must say. OTC deer and elk for them for every year, with no OTC tag costing more than $20. A non res buck tag is $700+, plus the base fees and stamps. A bull tag for a non res is around $1200. Seems plenty steep to me! I don’t expect them to use an increase in revenue wisely.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

As a percentage it is a big deal; however the dollar amount isn’t.

 

[Schmo]

If you need to restrict hunting pressure, you have one great choice. Implement an antler restriction, or implement a portion of the season that has firearm restrictions (i.e. a period of iron sight only, a period of handgun hunting, etc)

Remember this: Tags will never get cheaper, and seasons will never get longer. If you give up anything, you’re not getting it back. @robby denning and @Travis Hobbs covered this in a semi-recent podcast really well, and I’m in full agreement with them.

 

[mtwarden]

I think Arizona charges a $100 for a “general hunting license” which is non refundable when applying as a non resident, but required if you want to apply for a big game license.

Personally I thought that was a bit high applying for a Coues deer license ($315 which I didn’t think was too bad).