Montana Legislature: Bow and Deliver

A tip of my Stetson to Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin for reminding me what political courage and a love of democracy looks like.

The frontal attack on Montana’s 200,000 sportsmen and women has been unrelenting for over a year. The first legislative salvo was SB 143 which attempted to negate the Sportsman’s Initiative (I-161) passed by 189,000 sportsmen in 2010. I-161 removed the outfitter set aside for elk licenses. SB 143 expanded the number of outfitted clients to all who had applied but were not drawn. These were to be added to the legislated maximum of 17,000. Heavily amended SB 143 passed second reading by one vote but died in process. Next up, HB 505 created landowner sponsored elk tags to be sold to wealthy clients. Sportsmen filled the halls and nailed 505 to the table.

With zero public comment, HB 637 appeared from the legislative ether and passed by two votes in the Senate; 27 votes in the House. HB 637 created tons of special privileges for non-resident hunters, if they used an outfitter. HB 637 shot Sportsman’s Initiative 161 between the eyes (for just one year) and granted licenses to all non-residents that applied to hunt with an outfitter. And HB 637 gives multiple bull elk tags to the likes of the Wilkes Brothers in return for a handful of cow tags; half of which the Wilks get to hand out.

During the session the Senate confirmed Henry Woersch, former executive of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, to be Director of FWP (49-1) and Pat Tabor, a former executive of the Outfitters and Guides Assoc., to the FWP Commission. Pat is now Vice Chair of the FWP Commission. Woersch has admitted drafting HB 505. After the session Gov. Gianforte appointed William Lane, a licensed outfitter, to a newly created Commission seat. All commissioners vote in unison with their vice-chair on substantive issues. Governor Gianforte selected 6 of the seven commissioners and Director Woersch.

In setting elk regulations for this season all the Commission could come up with to reduce an elk herd at 200% of capacity was greatly increasing the areas of the shoulder season hunts while blocking the public from hunting on public land, in wildlife management areas, or harvesting a bull elk during the shoulder season hunts. Needed access to elk horded for profit was not discussed…except by the public. Director Woersch threatened to again try to legislate landowner sponsored permits.

Director Woersch sang the siren song “Despair not. This is just for one year”. “The Citizens Advisory Council will fix it long term.” They will do so under the Elk Management Guiding Principles. Those principals plainly state that the outcome must “Maximize the satisfaction with elk distribution in Montana for: Outfitters”. Not listed in the Principals is the mandate that the fact finders may not question any law or challenge any commission rule. The Commission passed this restriction last June 24 but never posted it to the public document. Though hostile to resident sportsmen the FWP Dept, FWP Commission, Governors office, and legislature will guide the outcomes and implementation of the Elk Plan for years to come unless we recruit pro-sportsman legislators.

I have requested a bill to make the seven commission seats elected by the people of the seven hunting regions, instead of appointed. This guarantees resident input through garden variety democracy. It will be a Constitutional Amendment so a future legislature will not be able to overturn it. But it needs to get through the legislature for the people to vote on it. I will need help.

Ask your local candidates how they feel about this approach and vote according to your conscience. Both parties need pro-sportsman candidates. If your incumbent voted against both SB 111, which allows about 80 disabled persons to hunt during the archery season, and for HB 637, and if you are willing to challenge, in the primary, contact me. I will help structure your campaign.

Google Mt Legislature 2021. Click on Legislators Roster for my or your legislators contact info. Click on Bill Info to learn about the two bills referenced; or any other bill.