HELENA — The general hunting season for deer and elk just wrapped up in Montana. On Thursday, the Fish and Wildlife Commission took action that will have some big impacts for resident and out-of-state deer hunters.
A big change came from an amendment that was proposed by Fish and Wildlife Commission Chair Lesley Robinson. The amendment, which passed 6-0, implements a sales cap for the non-resident general deer licenses. The cap would be half of the number of general deer licenses, separated from the elk combination licenses.
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“Until we can find out where all the pressure is, I think that we can manage a lot better knowing where they are at,” said Robinson.
Commissioners cited numerous anecdotal testimonies they've been receiving about overcrowding on public lands tied to increases in out-of-state hunters as a need to implement the change.
According to a report from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks staff, the change could see an estimated 2,500 fewer non-resident licenses issued for general deer. That would have an estimated $1.7 million annual shortfall in license revenue for the department.
Will Israel, executive director of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, noted the impact the change will make.
“There are consequences when it comes to these reductions when we look at the revenue that goes to the department, the lack of revenue that goes into block management access, and the real economic damage to small businesses,” testified Israel.
In another amendment from Robinson, the commission reduced the number of general deer tags a resident hunter can hold from 8 to 3. The change includes both mule and white-tail deer tags combined. That amendment passed 6-0.
On the elk front, an amendment from Commissioner Ian Wargo was proposed that would have limited the number of elk a person can harvest each year on public land to one elk a year. That amendment failed on a vote of 2 to 4.
Non-resident hunter impacts on Montana hunters and the animal populations have been a significant point of discussion in recent years. The Montana Legislature this year passed House Bill 568, sponsored by Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, R-Kalispell, which directed FWP to conduct a comprehensive study on the impact of nonresident hunters on hunting in the state.
