The sponsor of a possible state initiative wants nonresident licenses to be available to more people instead of having outfitters enjoying an inside track.
Kurt Kephart, the initiative’s sponsor, explains I-161 would open hunting up to more nonresident hunters. Proponents say the problem is current law provides hunting outfitters approximately 5,500 “nonresident outfitter-sponsored big game combination licenses” each year. There is no drawing for outfitter clients. All who apply automatically receive the license.
The remaining 11,500 nonresident big game combination licenses are put into a drawing, giving those who apply a 60 percent chance for success. Kephart asks, “Why should outfitter clients be given a 100 percent guaranteed license while all other nonresidents only receive a 60 percent chance to draw?”
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Jean Johnson, former executive director of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association and lobbyist, notes that outfitters bring $187 million “new dollars” into the state, employ 2,600 full-time or part-time individuals and also helps support the state through taxes.
“At a time when rural Montana is struggling, it can’t afford this initiative,” Johnson said. “It’s not only a bad time, but the program we have came about because of a very public process. A lot of sportsmen are concerned about the hostility this initiative is already bringing. Nobody wins.”
Under I-161, all nonresidents would have an equal chance to win a license. Outfitter clients receive no special privileges.
“The whole thing is we are starting to feel like second-class citizens,” Kephart said. “I believe the wildlife belongs to the people of the state. We can control our future.”
Currently, supporters of I-161 are trying to gain enough signatures, about 24,000 are needed, for the measure to be placed on the November ballot. On the petition, the purpose of the proposal reads, “I-161 revises the laws related to nonresident big game and deer hunting licenses. It abolishes outfitter-sponsored nonresident big game and deer combination licenses, replacing the 5,500 outfitter-sponsored big game licenses with 5,500 additional general nonresident big game licenses. It also increases the nonresident big game combination license fee from $628 to $897 and the nonresident deer combination license fee from $328 to $527. It provides for future adjustments of these fees for inflation. The initiative allocates a share of the proceeds from these nonresident hunting license fees to provide hunting access and preserve and restore habitat.”
Kephart says the petition drive is going along well. Petitions can be signed at www.publicwildlife.org
Johnson says increasing fees by 43 percent for big game combo and 61 percent for deer combo isn’t good practice for Montana. She notes Idaho made the mistake of increasing its fees by 12 percent and 17 percent last year, and the result was the loss of $1 million.
Johnson states less revenue would put the block management program’s eight million acres of free hunting in jeopardy.
Kephart notes the block management program is a priority, and that’s why a fee increase is required. Even with the additional fee, prices are still lower than other Western states.
“We have way better hunting than other states,” Kephart said.
He feels having an increased fee pay for block management is much better than having the program rely on outfitter-sponsored licenses. He feels uneasy about having Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks dependent on the outfitting industry.
“Right now, they are tied together,” Kephart said. “As a resident, that’s not satisfactory to me.”
If all licenses would be sold, it would create an additional $700,000 for the state.
Johnson explains the majority of outfitters are from rural areas throughout the state. There are about 400 outfitters for hunting. About 161 of them have 10 or less clients. Another 60 have only 11-20 clients.
“What we’re talking about our Mom and Pop businesses,” Johnson said. “Many of them are ranchers and farmers who are outfitters to supplement their ranching incomes.”
Johnson states I-161 would create less of a connection between outfitters and non-resident hunters. The result would be non-resident hunters going “wherever, whenever” and they would be in more competition with Montana sportsmen. “If he’s doing this for more access, he’s wrong. It’s not going to work.”
She feels if changes are needed, they should be discussed in public hearing and not through the initiative process. She notes the current program came into place when state legislators created a committee in 1993 to solve problems involving hunters, landowners and outfitters. That committee worked for 18 months to create an agreeable program. The Legislature passed the proposals in 1995.
“They had to reach a decision that everybody could live with,” Johnson said. “Gov. Racicot called it a minor miracle. It was because all three stakeholders got what they needed. I-161 would unravel a program that has been successful for 15 years.”
Kephart argues, “I didn’t think it could be something we could get our legislators to do. Sportsmen don’t have lobbyists, outfitters have strong lobbyists. In my opinion, it’s best to put it up to a vote of the people.”
He says many landowners have signed the petition. He notes there’s nothing in the proposal that deals with private lands.
“Just because you have money doesn’t give you the right to step over other people,” Kephart said.
Comments
LJ wrote on Oct 28, 2010 9:22 AM:
This is a slap in the face to capitalism and the hunters of this fine country. Tanneries, Meat processing and Taxidermist should get 10% also. I am the NRA and they should butt out. I WILL VOTE ALL REPUBLICAN AND FOR I-161.
All reputable outfitters will still be in business after this passes Garenteed. "
Taxidermist wrote on Oct 20, 2010 4:48 PM:
Glenn Ferren wrote on Oct 17, 2010 11:10 PM:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,”
But with HB 195, the 1995 Republican controlled Montana Legislature decided that some men are more equal than others and one Montana business deserves special treatment. In a good intentioned, but misguided move (some say the road to *ell is paved with good intentions), the Legislature created the Outfitter Set-aside Licenses (OSL) to provide funding for the Hunter Management Program recommended by the Private Lands/Public Wildlife (PLPW) committee. Rather than call it a Hunter Management Program as it is defined to be, Block Management was likely considered the more politically acceptable term as Americans and more particularly Montanans don’t like to be “managed”. The effect of HB 195 was to create a cash cow for Montana Outfitters, numbering over 1,000 in 2005 according to stop161. Making for outfitters a ready and waiting client list of non-residents with a pocket full of money who are more than willing to pay-to-play, to pay not only for tags but for exclusive access.
see the complete text of this comment on clarkforkchronicle.com "
Kenny M. wrote on Aug 8, 2010 8:00 PM:
It's very clear to any one that can think that Money Making by Guides and Government and Business have far more control over our Planet than the Balance of Nature. When the game population, be it deer or elk or Arctic Grayling or Mountain Goat become severely reduced or extinct in Montana, the Money Makers will go elsewhere and have no regrets about what negative impact they have done. Blame the Wolves for the deer and elk and moose problems, don't blame the increased human population and the Money Maker Guides that Profit and thrill over using Nature for their benefit.
The answer Is Clear to me. Balance with Nature, and don't support the Entrepreneurs and Corrupt Politics that don't care about Nature's severe Balance problems with Mankind. For those that care about having Moose, or Mountain Goats or Arctic Grayling or Grizzlies etc in Montana when your children or grandchildren are wandering the woods, put some support against killing the Environment solely for Money Making. Support Initiative I-161 and support Montana's Natural Gift or it will be gone in the near future. "
Larry Hoffman wrote on May 21, 2010 2:44 PM:
Matt wrote on Apr 27, 2010 7:32 AM:
JackT wrote on Apr 10, 2010 4:07 PM:
Just Sayen wrote on Feb 13, 2010 5:35 PM:
muleman wrote on Feb 11, 2010 1:51 PM:
Darren D. wrote on Feb 11, 2010 12:41 PM:
A large part of the funding for block management comes from these outfitter sponsored tags.
I 161 will put block management funding in jeopardy.
I 161 will not open more public land to hunting.
The current system is working well, lets not try to fix something that is not broken. "
WOW wrote on Feb 11, 2010 11:25 AM:
Glenn wrote on Feb 11, 2010 8:41 AM:
This initiative is a slap in the face to everyone that has participated in the process that is in place such as PL-PW and FWP RAC.
The forum is in place to deal with fish and game issues in a colaborative way. Bollot initiative is simply the wrong way to deal with fish and game matters.
I oppose I-161! "
Jean Johnson wrote on Feb 10, 2010 9:47 AM:
When Mr. Kephart says that sportsmen don't have lobbyists, he is discounting the full weight of the Montana Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited and many others. The outfitters have one lobbyist. And we all get along.
For more information, check out stop161.org. "
Charles Ulysses Feney wrote on Feb 9, 2010 4:03 PM:
In Montana, things have gotten out of hand
With all the pimpish outfitters leasing up land
For instead of pandering pretty girls,
They sell big antlers and full curls
Because prostituted wildlife's always in great demand.
Just like the early Market Hunters of old
Outfitters see wildlife as glittering gold.
They want to increase their yield
From all the beasts of the field
So they kill it, if the animal can be sold!
When an outfitter sights a piece of prime ground
He tries to get the landowner lease bound
Just like a pimp dating your daughter,
This outfitter intends to slaughter
Every bit of marketable game that's to be found.
Now the outfitters love the guaranteed tag
To help their limited skills clients to bag
All the game that they please
Off of land that they lease
So they can go back to the Big City and brag.
You see, their john-clients don't hunt out of need.
Instead they've got big Freudian issues to feed.
So the outfitters lock up lots of land
To grease their client's little issue at hand
And in the process, they satisfy their money greed!
But for the outfitters to be able to increase
The amount of land that they have under lease
It's set aside licenses they'd need
If they want to proceed
With their plan that public hunting should cease.
The Game Pimps always work at improving their stature
Every two years they gather at the Helena Legislature
They put on vests, neckerchiefs, and cowboy hats
When they should wear big fedoras, long mink coats, and spats
To get more rights to sell their crimes against nature.
Now, the average hunters of Montana have had enough
Of putting up with the Game Pimp's land leasing stuff
So they've decided to use the mallet
Of Initiative 161 on the ballot
To drive these New Market Hunter's balls into the ruff.
So if you see the I-161 petition, sign your name
If you value your God given right to hunt game
If you want to be able
To put game on the table,
End the game pimping outfitter's land leasing shame! "