2011 Montana Legislative Session

[BuzzH]

Lions werent even classified as big-game until 1976...

I think lion quotas should be drastically INCREASED in regions 1 and 2.

 

[Ben Lamb]

No disagreement there, but there is already an established process to raise those quotas w/o political influence.

 

[drahthaar]

Yes, open season. No regulation at all. They would be treated the same as coyotes. You can poison, trap, shoot, den, etc at will.

That won't give the Footloose crowd the ammo they need for another attempt at banning trapping. Not at all.

They are coming back anyway, bigger and stronger, scared to death that there are mine fields of traps, laying all over the woods, consuming anything with feet.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Yeah, but this is the kind of crap that gives them the fence sitters.

I bet a couple of them could make snares with all that leg hair.

 

[BuzzH]

I've never thought it was a bad idea to allow lion trapping.

Houndsmen get to hunt bobcats, never could figure out why trappers couldnt trap lions.

Keep us informed of the bad legislation and if need be, I'm not opposed to a road trip to Helena.

 

[Ben Lamb]

The incidental take on a lion trap (T&E species, like grizz and wolves) could be enough of a reason to not allow for it besides the PR nightmare that would follow.

 

[BuzzH]

You think you'd hold a griz in a lion trap? How many griz do you suppose would find a lion trap set in December and January?

Wolves never get stuck in a bobcat or coyote trap?

Laffin...

 

[Ben Lamb]

From a managers perspective, I can see that line of reasoning. From an anti-hunting groups perspective, I can see lion trapping as a great way to end trapping on public lands.

keep laughing.

 

[BuzzH]

The misinformed never cease to please...

Just for the record, how much trapping have you ever done? Me thinks not much. Let me get this straight...you worry about the PR nightmare from trapping a lion, but running them with a pack of stinky hounds and blasting them from a tree like a grouse, isnt a PR nightmare? Its also fair to note that nothing we can do will change the perspective of anti-hunting groups...why bother to worry about what they think? They've made up their minds already.

Also, how do you feel about trapping wolves in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming? I'm of the humble opinion that if you want to control wolves at minimum levels, trapping/snaring is one viable way to do it. Apparently Idaho had some trouble hunting them in some of their areas enough to fill the quotas. I would suspect having a trapping/snaring season would make it easier to reach the quota.

Its ridiculous to not allow lion and wolf trapping...no good reason not to.

 

[Dinkshooter]

haha Ranching for Wildlife. Grab your ankles Mt Residents!!

 

[BuzzH]

Dinkshooter,

Did you expect anything less with SFW entering the state?

Did you also notice the commissioners tags?

Didnt take long for the SFW influence to hit the legislature...laffin' even more.

 

[Big Fin]

Looks like I will need an apartment in Helena come about February 1st. This stuff just never goes away. I am not sure who thinks up this stupid stuff, but as someone stated, the MT legislature, has no problem taking the rod to the hunters/anglers.

I am so fed up with this crap. Any hunter who voted for these folks needs to be watching what their legislator sponsors, what they vote for, and if it is an attack on us, directly or via FWP budgets and policy, you need to call out those legislators, preferably in public.

If they listen to one thing, it is a mad voter who might cost them their position of power. A position many of them seem to value more than oxygen itself.

 

[tjones]

3 year wait after drawing a special mountain lion license? What a friggin joke. We don't have a wait for deer or elk.

 

[mdunc8]

I think I remember people talking about Ranching for Wildlife in Colorado. Can someone explain the general idea behind it to me? I'm not familiar with the program.

 

[wingman1]

3 year wait after drawing a special mountain lion license? What a friggin joke. We don't have a wait for deer or elk.

I heard somewhere that this deer/elk thing is on the way. We will start having to wait in the near future.

 

[Dinkshooter]

I think I remember people talking about Ranching for Wildlife in Colorado. Can someone explain the general idea behind it to me? I'm not familiar with the program.

It is a awesome program. A giant landonwer can enroll, I think it is like 25,000 acres or better, not sure. Once they are in the program they get to make their own season dates and such. Such as hunting bulls in September and bucks at the end of November with rifles. They sell these top $ hunts.

In return they are forced to give 10% of the tags to the general draw. Here is the part I love. If you draw the tag and think you are gonna chase September bulls you are dreaming. You get to go October or later. With bucks it is generally the same crap.

Oh I forgot about all the doe and cow tags they make avaiiible to the public. Because that is what I dream about all the time. My next big doe hunt. A couple years ago they took this option away from the NR. You guys really lost out there.

What is really funny though is, it is still never enough. The Piney Valley Ranch got booted out several years ago because the freaky rich owner shot a buck and put on a ranch hands tag Hell Ricky Schroeder had his place enrolled in it and he was a poacher.

 

[thecrittergitter]

I heard somewhere that this deer/elk thing is on the way. We will start having to wait in the near future.

Yep, and here it is..................

FWP COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM COVER SHEET
Meeting Date: December 9, 2010
Agenda Item: Four-Year Waiting Period for Some Either Sex Elk Permits
Division: Wildlife Action Needed: Approval of Proposed Rule
Time Needed on Agenda for this Presentation: 20 minutes
Background: This proposal is to implement a four-year waiting period specific "either sex" elk permits. The
permits would include limited entry antlered/brow-tined/either sex elk permits with drawing odds of 10
percent or less. The odds would be based on first choice resident and nonresident applicants from the
previous year’s application/drawing results. If an applicant receives any either sex elk permit that had a
drawing success rate of 10 percent or less the previous year, that hunter must wait four years before
applying for any either sex elk permit with a 10 percent or less drawing success rate based upon the
previous year’s drawing results. For instance, any applicant receiving one of these either sex elk permits
in 2011 would not be eligible to apply for any other either sex elk permit with a drawing success rate of
10 percent or less until 2016. The list of specific permits with drawing odds of 10 percent or less would be
updated annually and may change annually based upon the previous year’s drawing results.
Currently available antlered/brow-tined/either sex elk permits that fall into this category based upon the
2010 drawing are: 282-20, 283-20, 310-20, 339-20, 380-20, 401-20, 410-20, 426-20, 441-20, 447-20, 500-20,
502-20, 620-20, 621-20, 622-20, 631-20, 632-20, 690-20, 690-21. Any person receiving one of these elk
permits in 2011 would have to “wait” four years before applying for any either sex elk permit that has drawing
odds of 10 percent or less based on the previous year’s drawing results.
The proposed waiting period applies to the person, not the land. A landowner who qualifies for
landowner preference would not be exempted from the proposed four-year waiting period. The land, however,
would remain eligible for use every year of the wait period for the landowner's designee who has not drawn one
of these permits in any of the previous four years.
Additionally with this proposal, for each or any year of the waiting period, a qualifying landowner may
secure an either sex elk permit valid only on his/her deeded land via a hunting access contract as defined by
“HB 454 access agreements”. This option—already available for implementation—requires FWP Commission
approval to allocate a permit to a landowner in exchange for agreed-to public elk hunting access.
Public Involvement Process & Results: In addition to public comment at the Dec. 9 Commission meeting,
public comment will run from Dec. 10 thru 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14, 2011. Final adoption by the FWP
Commission would be on Feb. 10, 2011.
Alternatives and Analysis: Proposals may be adopted as proposed, with adjustment, with additions, with
deletions or no change from 2010 (status quo) as per staff justifications, public comment and/or Commission
discussion.
Agency Recommendation & Rationale: The more definitive result of this action is to eliminate the possibility
for the any one individual to draw the same long-odds type of permit more than once in any four years. While
this proposal would not significantly increase drawing odds in most districts, it is possible that some districts
could exhibit improved odds to slightly greater than 10 percent after four years of restricted entry. Based upon
2010 quota numbers, the number of hunters “waiting” will grow to approximately 2,560 after four years before
individuals drawn the first year will be eligible to apply again. It is unknown what application/hunting efforts—
and the associated results—any “waiting” hunters will engage for the subsequent four years after drawing one
of these permits. Possibilities include making no permit applications to applying for other permits not now on
this proposed list.
Proposed Motion: I move the Commission adopt the proposed four-year waiting period for some elk permits
as presented by FWP.
private:stream Rev 9

 

[Drake4]

Yeah..that 4-year waiting period stuff was on the agenda last year as well. There was a pretty good discussion about it at the FWP meeting I went to in Bozeman last winter.

 

[Ben Lamb]

It is a awesome program. A giant landonwer can enroll, I think it is like 25,000 acres or better, not sure. Once they are in the program they get to make their own season dates and such. Such as hunting bulls in September and bucks at the end of November with rifles. They sell these top $ hunts.

In return they are forced to give 10% of the tags to the general draw. Here is the part I love. If you draw the tag and think you are gonna chase September bulls you are dreaming. You get to go October or later. With bucks it is generally the same crap.

Oh I forgot about all the doe and cow tags they make avaiiible to the public. Because that is what I dream about all the time. My next big doe hunt. A couple years ago they took this option away from the NR. You guys really lost out there.

What is really funny though is, it is still never enough. The Piney Valley Ranch got booted out several years ago because the freaky rich owner shot a buck and put on a ranch hands tag Hell Ricky Schroeder had his place enrolled in it and he was a poacher.

Don't forget that the landowner can dictate access to public lands that they lease as well. It would work great for the folks in the Breaks that already are blocking access to public lands, outfitters who are looking to privatize your wildlife and folks who in general think that Texas is a great model for hunting and wildlife conservation. Fin had a great thread not too long ago about trying to do a fly in hunt in CO that is enrolled in Block Management.

 

[T Mac]

Thank God they are only in session every other year!
I like the years when they are not in session, when they can't screw things up...for a while.