Montana Block Management Thievery!

[Shotgun1]

Edited

 

[Shotgun1]

I went through this for a couple years with the Spear Lazy U BMA. I called FWP and they could not have cared less. The owners only let their friends hunt there. I eventually gave up.

I have been convinced for awhile this was the case at spear lazy, I have been through within minutes, same thing, all booked up. I tried to get on there for years. Glad my opinion is shared by others

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

MT needs to modernize and go to the online system like WY. I've used it several times there both with the lottery drawing for permission slips and for unlimited access. So easy to click and print the permission slips, maps, etc.
Now the landowners have no phone calls, no BS where they deny access, and everyone gets a fair shot to access land that WE ARE PAYING TO ACCESS. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that most of us would be willing to pay a few dollars ($20 or less) to use the system if we choose. Not interested? Don't pay to use it.
Pretty simple but b/c it's too simple it's unlikely the state would do that since it's more likely that the good old boys that pay for the legislature to be there enjoy getting checks for their friends or no one to hunt their property.

 

[1_pointer]

Wonder how many of these BMAs are being leased to those on the list under the table? The landowner gets money from the state, leases it to a few guys that stay on the list every year by paying for that privilege. I'm betting more than folks would care for...

 

[JWP58]

The only gaming I've seen of the WY system is .

Or WIA's that are grazed to dirt, literally.

 

[soldier668]

Long time reader, first time poster here, I too am a large advocate of going to a system like Wyoming's that impartially manages reservations in a more fair a consistent manner.

I am a Montana native that now lives in Wyoming and have long experience with both programs, and I hunt both states heavily every year. I've been using BMAs since the Brown Ranch near Mosby was still enrolled in the program and it's been out of the program since at least 1999-2000, and I hunted it for at least 5 or 6 years before they disenrolled and went to an access fee, so I think I've got a decent basis to speak from. I've found over the years that there are quite a few land owners that are leeches.

While I was in college at MSU, I used to try and see how many of these areas I could hunt in a season. My friends and I would split up and call places and see what kind of different access we could get and it has always varied widely, but over the years I've probably hunted at least 100 different BMA properties all over the state, possibly more. Several people here have mentioned Spear Lazy U as an example of a poor performer and I would agree, I used to call every year to try and get access especially since my family owns a cabin up the Smith Creek drainage and I've hunted the Crazies nearly everywhere you can from a public access standpoint. I always wanted to try and hunt Goat Mountain as I often used to see elk herds through the spotting scope up there but I've never been able to secure access. On the other hand I've hunted another ranch in the program and been able to get fair access on the eastern side of the state for at least 10 years running and have taken probably 9-10 large mule deer bucks, two that I consider trophies, and have never gone home empty handed there in the last number of years. However, I think one reason the hunting there is so much better is that it's administered by FWP technicans most of the season which makes a big difference for fair access to the property.

As far as my Wyoming experience, I have used the HMA program to secure excellent access for pronghorns the past number of years I've been a resident and had great results. My one criticism of Wyoming's program is that it is not nearly as big and in my experience like has been mentioned, tends to have many more restrictions with regards to when and how you can hunt. I'd like to see a combination of the two, something the size and scale of Montana's program with the updated technology that the HMA program brings to bear. However, with the current crop of idiots who occupy seats in the Montana legislature I see it as unlikely that it will change for the better anytime soon. I too pledge that when I find the places in the BMA program in Montana that I have evidence that are leeching I will do my utmost to report them to the proper authorities, they don't need my money. Sorry for the long and rambling post, but I thought it was worth sharing.

 

[rogerthat]

Long time lurker as in years of lurking but this topic gets my blood boiling. The big distinction when discussing the BM program as mentioned earlier is the Type 1 vs. Type 2 BMA classification. For a Type 2, I am very suprised how many people on here think this is a limited instance. I think this is very common such that I don't even bother calling on the Type 2 landowner administered BMA's anymore. Frankly because of my similar experience on these Type 2 BMA's, I am not a supporter of the BM program. The Type 1 BMA's are awesome but most of the Type 2's are a joke and a big waste of money. I'm not sure what the payment structure is but I hope MT FWP doesn't pay much for these land owner administered Type 2 BMA's. They were probably going to let their friends and family hunt whether enrolled in the BMA or not.

 

[johnp]

Received Sept- Oct copy of Montana Outdoors magazine today . There is a glowing article about Block Management on page 32 . I have had good experiences with the few type 2 I've hunted . They were probably not the real good parcels . But I see this year, the gameyist part of the one is no longer in the program . Hope the abuses get corrected or the abusers get dropped out and the money can go to landowners that respect the program. John

 

[shootbrownelk]

Or WIA's that are grazed to dirt, literally.

I've seen a few WIA's that were like that. A grasshopper would have to pack a lunch. Some ranchers enroll land that the outfitters don't want. Scarce or No game to be found. Not all WIA's are like that, but some are.

 

[Art Vandeley]

Greenhorn,

Was the BMA back in the program in 2016? Any updates from the BMA coordinators?

Curious if they ever did anything about the crook.

 

[Point Creep]

I received a letter basically stating "they pulled their files" and found that there was great hunter use days and hunter satisfaction surveys for that BMA, going back many years. They reminded me it was up to the landowner who hunted his property.

Excellent that he picks his hunters and occasionally allows a random guy dropping by in for doe for a kid. Not a ranch that should be receiving BMA money for providing public access opportunities.

 

[El Jason]

I received a letter basically stating "they pulled their files" and found that there was great hunter use days and hunter satisfaction surveys for that BMA, going back many years. They reminded me it was up to the landowner who hunted his property.

Excellent that he picks his hunters and occasionally allows a random guy dropping by in for doe for a kid. Not a ranch that should be receiving BMA money for providing public access opportunities.

I would probably submit a glowing satisfaction survey if I got special privilege each year. I'd probably rack up the hunter use days as well.

 

[scubohuntr]

I tried to hunt a few this year that limit access to twelve per day. Going back a couple of weeks in the log, the same handful of guys were signing in shortly after midnight every day. I didn't see anyone actually hunting when I was there, but all twelve slots were full. That's fine, at least it's out in the open where anyone who stops at the sign in box can see it. Nobody's hiding anything. There are a few that take reservations the first week or so of rifle season, and it's open access after that. That's okay too, I'm sure it gets to be a real circus on some of those places in the early season. But the ones who "take reservations" on one day a year, and already have all the slots filled for the next ten years with friends and family, really chap my butt. I have no issue with landowners controlling who hunts their property. It's their land after all. But the BMA program is supposed to be about access, not exclusion. If you want to limit access to your land to the same small group every year, more power to you. Just don't pretend to be open to access, and don't fraudulently sign up for BMA. Post up your property and don't let anyone in, then whine about elk and deer depredation on your haystacks all winter, just like your neighbors. I also suspect, just looking at land ownership and where the access points are, that some of the big outfitted ranches are enrolling the lower quality parts of their property in the BMA program and letting out the word that there were some really big bulls killed there last year, just to get enough pressure to chase the elk onto the "premium" parts of the ranch. That way they can look like good guys enrolling lots of BMA acres, and don't have to pay someone to haze the elk away from where the lower class can get a crack at them.

 

[Point Creep]

While cleaning out boxes in crawl space - found this gem. Call Dice and get access this year - I’m sure he’s a great guy to hunters looking for access.

 

[Point Creep]

“We do things differently..”

 

[cgasner1]

I’ve had the same experience on different piece of bma it all should be handled by fwp but they’d probably mess that up also

 

[Gerald Martin]

What was FWP’s response? Is this guy still enrolled in Block?

 

[Beignet]

I’ve had the same experience on different piece of bma it all should be handled by fwp but they’d probably mess that up also

They administer lottery access to a few type 2 places over here and do just fine.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

What was FWP’s response? Is this guy still enrolled in Block?

Looks like it was.

Might be a good talking point for the fresh tracks weekly @Big Fin or if you ever do another podcast with FWP regarding BMA program? Would be curious to learn more.

 

[cgasner1]

They administer lottery access to a few type 2 places over here and do just fine.

No over issues?