6mm Remington
Well-known member
http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/manag ... ments.html
The Governor Steve Bullock of Montana assembled a Grizzly Bear Advisory Council a while back. These folks have meetings across the state, and they invite the public to attend and have their say in how they feel grizzly bears in Montana should be managed, and whether they should be taken off the Endangered Species list or not. This group consists of I believe roughly 16 people from diverse backgrounds. This does include a few of the folks who are associated with anti-hunting and radical conservation organizations.
I attended one meeting in Missoula, and I tried to ask a couple of questions and was shut down by the person with FWP who was leading the meeting. In case you were wondering what questions I asked of the Council are as follows: 1.) How many of you on the council are outdoors folks who hunt, and who typically hunt at least a few days each year? 2.) How many of you on the Council would like to see hunting as one of the management tools used if the Grizzly Bear is delisted? 3.) If hunting does become a part of the management of the bears and their population, how many of you on the Council would apply for a permit to hunt one of these amazing animals? I was told that it was too early in the process to consider questions like that. Now they had been having these meetings for a few months by the time of the meeting I attended. I felt that there was no reason that each member of this Council could not answer them. I was just wanting to get an idea of what the make-up of this Council was and what the opinions of the members on this subject was. I was not impressed.
I am a member of a couple different Sportsmans groups in Montana and through that membership, the members were advised that the anti-hunting groups across the United States have solicited their members to send thousands of comments to the Grizzly Bear Advisory Council, in an attempt to prevent any hunting of the bears.
Montana is still working on getting the Grizzly Bear delisted from the Endangered Species list. I feel that hunting should be a part of that management tool and that when they are delisted that a very limited number of permits should be allotted as part of this to control populations in Montana.
You don't have to agree with me as we each can make our own minds up on this issue. No matter what side of the fence you are on, I would hope that as many of you folks as possible write in comments to the Council on this matter. If we do not voice our opinion and are heard, then we don't have any right to complain if this doesn't go the way in which we hoped it would.
One of my fears is that Governor Steve Bullock, who has termed out this year, might make some decisions before he leaves office on what happens to the Grizzly Bears in our State, which may prove difficult if not impossible to change. I will give an example why I'm afraid something like that might happen. I believe it was last year that a couple different groups in Montana wanted to have something put in the Constitution of Montana that Trapping would be an activity to be preserved in our state as a guaranteed right as Hunting and Fishing currently are. He vetoed that piece of legislation to make that happen!
I urge all of you to make comments as you feel called to do. You DO NOT have to be a citizen of Montana to comment on this either. On the top of the page is the direct connection to the link with Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks. Thanks for hearing me out.
David
The Governor Steve Bullock of Montana assembled a Grizzly Bear Advisory Council a while back. These folks have meetings across the state, and they invite the public to attend and have their say in how they feel grizzly bears in Montana should be managed, and whether they should be taken off the Endangered Species list or not. This group consists of I believe roughly 16 people from diverse backgrounds. This does include a few of the folks who are associated with anti-hunting and radical conservation organizations.
I attended one meeting in Missoula, and I tried to ask a couple of questions and was shut down by the person with FWP who was leading the meeting. In case you were wondering what questions I asked of the Council are as follows: 1.) How many of you on the council are outdoors folks who hunt, and who typically hunt at least a few days each year? 2.) How many of you on the Council would like to see hunting as one of the management tools used if the Grizzly Bear is delisted? 3.) If hunting does become a part of the management of the bears and their population, how many of you on the Council would apply for a permit to hunt one of these amazing animals? I was told that it was too early in the process to consider questions like that. Now they had been having these meetings for a few months by the time of the meeting I attended. I felt that there was no reason that each member of this Council could not answer them. I was just wanting to get an idea of what the make-up of this Council was and what the opinions of the members on this subject was. I was not impressed.
I am a member of a couple different Sportsmans groups in Montana and through that membership, the members were advised that the anti-hunting groups across the United States have solicited their members to send thousands of comments to the Grizzly Bear Advisory Council, in an attempt to prevent any hunting of the bears.
Montana is still working on getting the Grizzly Bear delisted from the Endangered Species list. I feel that hunting should be a part of that management tool and that when they are delisted that a very limited number of permits should be allotted as part of this to control populations in Montana.
You don't have to agree with me as we each can make our own minds up on this issue. No matter what side of the fence you are on, I would hope that as many of you folks as possible write in comments to the Council on this matter. If we do not voice our opinion and are heard, then we don't have any right to complain if this doesn't go the way in which we hoped it would.
One of my fears is that Governor Steve Bullock, who has termed out this year, might make some decisions before he leaves office on what happens to the Grizzly Bears in our State, which may prove difficult if not impossible to change. I will give an example why I'm afraid something like that might happen. I believe it was last year that a couple different groups in Montana wanted to have something put in the Constitution of Montana that Trapping would be an activity to be preserved in our state as a guaranteed right as Hunting and Fishing currently are. He vetoed that piece of legislation to make that happen!
I urge all of you to make comments as you feel called to do. You DO NOT have to be a citizen of Montana to comment on this either. On the top of the page is the direct connection to the link with Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks. Thanks for hearing me out.
David
