About 3-4 years ago, the DNR came up with the bright idea of making everyone buy a small game license to be able to buy a deer license. Hell, I rarely hunted small game even when I didn't need a license, now I have to pay an extra $20 for the privilege of paying for my deer tags. Just like most things, it's strictly a money grab.
I have no issue buying my deer tags. This may not be popular, but could I see a system where property owners get a free tag? Yea, maybe 1. We pay enough taxes after all.
Does that small game license mandate apply to all hunters or just the ones that own private land?
If it applies to everyone, then that is a common money grab that many game agencies around the country have implemented in the last decade or so. But, that is a problem with your state game agency.
If it only applies to people who own property, then its b.s. and you should be able to hunt without out it.
The MT bill is not about a "free tag." It is about property owners not having to draw a LE tag and instead just being able to hunt without it. There is a big difference. I wouldn't care if MT passed some legislation where resident hunters got one free general license. But this means that anyone who owns property in a unit with any kind of draw can hunt every year. Total bull.
If you believe what some people say, the animals that are on private land are impossible to hunt. It seems that there might be a side effect if landowners started hunting that weren't able to if they pushed the animals onto public land.
Wishful thinking.
Also most of the units where they have "harboring" problems are general tag, so apparently the property owners going out and dumping a critter or two in the course of a 5-week general rifle season has little to no effect.