Sounds like hunting for the elite, like Europe.

Does MT have a "3 CONSECUTIVE day non- resident license" or something similar to other States?

More commercializing hunting. Dont like it. I think it has hurt hunting more than anything

^ I don't think so SJA. Not all up on non resident laws. It's all about money , money and money. Instead of bring families and friend form out of state it is tearing hunting way from the hunt.
I think others state should counter with equal in price for Montana hunters wanting too hunt out of state. This is a terrible journey to go down and will keep people from getting into hunting and will be only for the rich.

Read an article in one of the big hunting magazines (can't remember which one) back in the late to middle 90s about how the commercialization of hunting was a big thread to the pastime. Should have saved it. Bet there isn't a hunting magazine that would print that article today. I dont know how many times I've tried to explain to my kids and another hunting buddies kid how things today are so much different as far as hunting opportunities and getting land to hunt. They just can't understand why we don't hunt like that now.

I know MD has the reciprocity license, eg. whatever the other State would charge a MD non - resident to hunt, that's what MD would charge them. Also there is the "3 CONSECUTIVE day non- resident license" which, if hunting WF, they have to still purchase a MD "duck Stamp" also. The 3 day is only good for those 3 CONSECUTIVE days eg. If you purchase it on a Saturday, it's only good on that day and the following Monday. They don't have Sunday hunting with the exception of some designated only Deer areas.

not good jmo

Montana will soon be the next Colorado.

The more hunting becomes an activity only for an elite few, the easier it is to implement gun control. Hunting is still the #1 reason people own firearms. fewer people hunting means fewer people who own guns.

Owning a gun whose primary purpose is self defense, like a handgun, is already regulated heavily in many states and accepted by the people who live there.


State wildlife agencies are promoting elitist hunting. Just look at the price of big game tags.


Look at what is on tv. Those "hunting" shows are nothing more than advertising. Those TV shows have turned hunting into a competition. The biggest deniers that they are competition hunters are the most avid competition hunters. Its not about controlling populations, gathering food, the challenge, or being outdoors, its all about one upping people they don't even know.

Montana has been going down the path of high prices over regulations for years. More money and less people hunting and less work involved with more regulations is what they are after.

They tried that before I think and lost just using the pandemic as an excuse now. Rich getting richer the wildlife belongs to the state people not the elite few. To much public land locked up now by private and this will make things worse.

Yep what wyfur said, alot of good public land is if it's land locked by private.
Got money you can get to it by helicopter.
I know one piece of public land that is locked up by ten feet of private land in front of thousands of
Acer's of public land, all they had to do was shift the new bridge a lil' to the south.
Crazy

It all comes down to greed of the outfitters. I have seen the same thing in other states. I saw guides push for lower limits on Merns quail in AZ. Not because of the population, but so they could have half day hunts and hunters limit out faster. The limit was five and they wanted it dropped to three. AK has requirements that nonresidents have to have a guide to hunt certain animals. They claim it is for your safety, but I am sure it was pushed by the outfitters. They have the, if you had to hunt with me, and had no other options, I could get rich mentality. You have the same thing with ADC trappers pushing to limit license. That mentality will be the death of it all. I saw this coming 30+ years ago.

Nothing new really, lots of states have one form of Outfitter welfare or another. Alaska, Wyoming and New Mexico for sure. I agree, very frustrating where things are headed. Unfortunately in the future we will be calling the hunting now the good ole days.

This will effect trapping as well and other outdoor activity as well, just not hunting.

Actually the Alaska requirement is that non-residents have to be supervised hunting Sheep, Goats, and Brown bears. It can be by a licensed guide, or a Alaska resident family member. If Alaska did not have this law, un- supervised non-residents would cause more problems than they already do. They cause plenty already. Remove the law and Sheep and Brown Bear will go to a draw, that won't help Non-residents.

I grew up in Montana and lived there again as an adult for a few years. I have family there and my wife has family there. But I doubt I will ever get to hunt there. The out of state licenses are stupidly expensive.

Growing up, we hunted land that was accessible to anyone, they simply had to ask. It was a federal/state government research facility that had good mule deer and whitetail hunting. There was a lot of BLM land available to hunt, but it wasn't always productive.

When I moved back to the mountains of western Montana, there was no shortage of land to hunt. But the elk knew to stick to the river bottom on private land. There would be herds too numerous for the small batch of land, but the owners didn't care, it was a refuge for "their" elk. Vehicles would prowl around the edges of the property waiting for one elk to cross the fence.

Now, as a non-resident, I couldn't afford a tag if I wanted to hunt there. I have access through my wife's family and to some good opportunity for mulies and white tail. But I won't pay that price. I can't imagine that the outfitters getting a guaranteed number of tags or continuing to lock land for their clients will help the situation at all.

As the number of hunter decline, WHO is going to pay for all the wildlife program, and CO's.

Hunted out west for 5-7 years running until they raised the tags to the price of buying a good butcher cow.

Whitetail states aren't much better because ground is getting leased up. This is what happens when people say money doesn't matter, its my sport