Montana FWP makes seismic shift in elk permits

[Nameless Range]

Talk about the divisive rhetoric that has put Montana in this present elk mess – UPOM referring to “anti-landowner hunting groups”! I am a landowner and I belong to some of those said hunting groups and definitely do not belong to UPOM.

Also, I guess no Jana Waller?

Maybe those are just the ones they know about. Not sure.

Either way, those are ones we should be contacting in greater numbers.

 

[Carnage2011]

Talk about the divisive rhetoric that has put Montana in this present elk mess – UPOM referring to “anti-landowner hunting groups”! I am a landowner and I belong to some of those said hunting groups and definitely do not belong to UPOM.

Also, I guess no Jana Waller?

Perhaps they think Jana can’t be flipped to their side? We’ll see on Friday.

 

[300stw]

does anyone ever feel like just shutting all the elk hunting down until a resaonable solution is to be had,,
i know, im unreasonable,,,, , sorry. the bloody spot on my forehead grows daily inspite of emails, ect,,,,,,

 

[300stw]

Wise up - think of the economic impact resulting from outfitters having a healthy pipeline of non-resident hunters. According to MOGA, in the 13 years of limited permits, we've lost out on 20M over that duration. For perspective, MT brought in 13M in weed sales just last month. Also, how are we going to repay these VIP landowners with hurt feelings who cannot draw a permit to hunt their multi-million dollar spread?

let em sale weed, and smoke it, they will feel better

 

[SAJ-99]

Wait a minute…only the landowner holding the lease in the public can allow the access? My first reaction is that’s a bunch of BS. Am I missing something?

I think only when the landowner’s property is the moat that is preventing access. Lease or not, you can still helicopter in to public land anywhere. What I find humorous is the max financial benefit for doing so is practically a joke. If a single bull elk is worth $6000 or better, getting $3000 in tax benefits for letting every eager public hunter cross your land to get to them is not going to look appealing.

 

[rogerthat]

I think only when the landowner’s property is the moat that is preventing access. Lease or not, you can still helicopter in to public land anywhere. What I find humorous is the max financial benefit for doing so is practically a joke. If a single bull elk is worth $6000 or better, getting $3000 in tax benefits for letting every eager public hunter cross your land to get to them is not going to look appealing.

Truth!

 

[BigHornRam]

Wait a minute…only the landowner holding the lease in the public can allow the access? My first reaction is that’s a bunch of BS. Am I missing something?

Program has been around since 2015. How much access it has provided to the public is a good question. Probably not a lot.

FWP hunting news, tax credits offered to landowners

Access tax credit program March deadline

thewesternnews.com

This program is designed to provide recreational public access to state or federal (Bureau of Land Management or United States Forest Service) land where no legal public access currently exists.

In exchange for access across their private lands, landowners will receive a tax credit in the amount of $750 per agreement and up to a maximum of $3,000 tax credit per year.

Landowners decide how the public may cross their private property and may limit access to foot traffic only.

The Unlocking Public Lands program is a product of the 2015 Legislature, which expanded a program called Unlocking State Land passed by the previous legislature.

 

[Unlucky]

Maybe the public should have right away. Amazing a solution to meet elk objective numbers for the public is, game damage, shoulder seasons ect. But for the private its trophy bulls. Seems a little unfair.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Program has been around since 2015. How much access it has provided to the public is a good question. Probably not a lot.

FWP hunting news, tax credits offered to landowners

Access tax credit program March deadline

thewesternnews.com

This program is designed to provide recreational public access to state or federal (Bureau of Land Management or United States Forest Service) land where no legal public access currently exists.

In exchange for access across their private lands, landowners will receive a tax credit in the amount of $750 per agreement and up to a maximum of $3,000 tax credit per year.

Landowners decide how the public may cross their private property and may limit access to foot traffic only.

The Unlocking Public Lands program is a product of the 2015 Legislature, which expanded a program called Unlocking State Land passed by the previous legislature.

the original bill was about unlocking state trust lands. It also had a sunset on it (never a bad idea on these kinds of bills, personally). The next session, it was expanded to federal lands.

I don't remember why the tax credit was set where it was, but I do remember that the Department of Revenue helped work on the bill and this likely came from them.

THere a host of landowner programs that are not being utilized or promoted. It has been that way for decades. Sometimes it's an individual in a position of power to cause the atrophy, sometimes it's a function of time in terms of working on the popular programs (block management, etc).

Regardless, there should be a look at these programs in the form of a legislative audit so we can have an unbiased look at what's working and what's not. FWP is up for a fiscal and performance audit this year, and perhaps this will be a part of it.

 

[Carnage2011]

Maybe the public should have right away. Amazing a solution to meet elk objective numbers for the public is, game damage, shoulder seasons ect. But for the private its trophy bulls. Seems a little unfair.

I appreciate your passion, but coming up with actual solutions has to involve legal methods. The public won’t and shouldn’t ever have ROW through private lands without landowner permission. Private land rights are just as important as public land rights.

 

[Unlucky]

What public land rights?

 

[BigHornRam]

the original bill was about unlocking state trust lands. It also had a sunset on it (never a bad idea on these kinds of bills, personally). The next session, it was expanded to federal lands.

I don't remember why the tax credit was set where it was, but I do remember that the Department of Revenue helped work on the bill and this likely came from them.

THere a host of landowner programs that are not being utilized or promoted. It has been that way for decades. Sometimes it's an individual in a position of power to cause the atrophy, sometimes it's a function of time in terms of working on the popular programs (block management, etc).

Regardless, there should be a look at these programs in the form of a legislative audit so we can have an unbiased look at what's working and what's not. FWP is up for a fiscal and performance audit this year, and perhaps this will be a part of it.

Agree. It should be easy to see what has been spent ( or actually lost in tax revenue) and what access has been gained from this program. Hope it is included in this audit and results are made available.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Agree. It should be easy to see what has been spent ( or actually lost in tax revenue) and what access has been gained from this program. Hope it is included in this audit and results are made available.

It should be, if they are full audits.

This bill, and a few others, were passed in the last few years to try and add new programs based off of what landowner organizations had told legislators they were interested in. Sometimes the programs work, sometimes not. If they don't, then I don't know why we would keep them on the books.

 

[406LIFE]

Regardless, there should be a look at these programs in the form of a legislative audit

Working on this.

 

[antlerradar]

Amazing a solution to meet elk objective numbers for the public is, game damage, shoulder seasons ect. But for the private its trophy bulls. Seems a little unfair.

Unfair, Maybe.
Disingenuous and hypocritical, 100 percent.

 

[8andcounting]

So is today the big day ?

 

[Ben Lamb]

So is today the big day ?

Oui.

ABOUT FWP :: Fish And Wildlife Commision | Montana FWP

The Commission sets fish and wildlife regulations, approves property acquisitions, and approves certain rules and activities of the Fish, Wildlife & Parks Department as provided by statute.

fwp.mt.gov

 

[Ben Lamb]

remember folks: If you are planning on speaking, be polite, be kind and be thankful.

These commissioners have been getting hammered on this, and I'm sure they're a bit frayed, like we all are. Compassion and thoughtfulness are currencies that bear significant returns on the investment.

 

[TrumpkinTheDwarf]

remember folks: If you are planning on speaking, be polite, be kind and be thankful.

These commissioners have been getting hammered on this, and I'm sure they're a bit frayed, like we all are. Compassion and thoughtfulness are currencies that bear significant returns on the investment.

I'm gonna quote this just so everyone reads it twice. Thanks Ben!

 

[Schaaf]

Give ‘em hell bois. I’m stuck at work but I’ll have another cup of coffee to celebrate the hard work.