GOOD NEWS:  

BHA’s Two Top Priority Bills Are Moving Forward! 

The Montana Chapter of BHA is promoting two key pieces of legislation this session and both are meeting with success: 

HB 283: Revise laws for hunting licenses lotteries, sponsored by Rep. Tyson Running Wolf (D - Browning) 

Under current law, conservation groups can raffle or auction off mule deer, elk or goat tags and retain up to 10% of the proceeds with the remaining 90% going to the state for the management of these particular species. 

HB 283, co-sponsored by Democrats and Republicans, improves on this fantastic way to benefit conservation groups and Montana’s wildlife by providing the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission the ability to also approve raffles and auctions for sheep and moose.   

BHA is backing HB 283 because we know first-hand how raffles can be a huge win for Montana wildlife. 

Last year, our chapter raised a record-breaking $56,620 for mule deer conservation by raffling off tickets at $20 per chance. This was the first-ever tag raffle to benefit any Montana species, and it generated more money than a previous record-breaking auction for a mule deer tag. 

That auction raised $41,000, compared to the $56,620 our raffle generated. That’s an increase of 38%. Additionally, the $56,620 our raffle brought in is more than twice the average ($27,600) for the previous 10 years of mule deer auctions. In fact, the amount raised by BHA’s mule deer raffle is also more than the average amount raised over the past 10 years through tag auctions for moose, goat and elk.  

HB 283 allows the Fish and Wildlife Commission the flexibility to use whichever method—auction or raffle—will generate the most revenue for each species, ensuring both financial efficiency and equitable access. Just as businesses diversify strategies to mitigate risk, Montana can diversify its wildlife funding approaches 

Incredibly, HB 283 passed out of the House Fish, Wildlife Parks Committee on Feb. 6 with a unanimous, 20-0, vote and, even more impressively, passed out of the House on Feb. 12 with an unanimous 100-0 vote. This is an impressive feat in these politically divisive times, and a sure indication that this simple bill is a great idea. 

The bill is set for its first reading on March 18 at 3 p.m. in the Senate Fish and Game Committee.  

HB 763: Generally revise laws related to the block management program, sponsored by Rep. Josh Seckinger (D - Bozeman) 

Public land access is key to BHA’s mission and is the focus of HB 763, a bipartisan bill aimed at improving Montana’s excellent, but underutilized, block management program. 

In Montana, more than 3 million acres of public land, including one-quarter (1.5 million acres) of state public land, isn’t accessible because it’s “landlocked” by surrounding private property. Solutions such as Block Management Areas (BMAs), Public Access Land Agreements (PALA) and Unlocking Public Lands (UPL) have helped by offering landowners financial incentives if they make public lands accessible.   

Unfortunately, participation in block management peaked in 2002 with 1,150 landowners providing access to more than 8.8 million acres. Today, block management acreage is below 7 million. That’s nearly 2 million acres lost to public access. 

This drop partially is due to some of the cumbersome requirements placed on participating landowners, such as the need to track hunter days through check-ins, sign-in boxes, or even physical verification with the Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks. This administrative burden has discouraged participation and driven landowners away from the program. 

HB 763 provides a commonsense solution that cuts bureaucratic red tape, making it easier for landowners to participate. The bill offers landowners a straightforward, flat-fee agreement of up to $25,000 for providing these “access corridors” to public lands.  

Landowners who wish to continue allowing hunting on their lands can do so under the existing program, but those who prefer the flat-fee model to allow access to public lands will gain a hassle-free financial certainty. It’s a win-win for everyone. 

HB 763 sailed through the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks with a 18-2 vote on Feb. 27 and passed the House 92-7 on March 7. 

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Other BHA-Supported Bills That Are Moving Forward: 

HB 96: Create a trapper apprentice program - Rep. Paul Fielder (R - Thompson Falls)  

Adds a trapping component to Montana’s apprentice hunting programs for youth 10 and older. Passed House 86-14, Passed Senate Fish and Game Committee, 12-0. Next step: Senate floor. 

HB 141: Revise laws relating to raffles conducted by certain nonprofit entities to allow credit cards - Rep. Ed Buttrey (R -Great Falls) Allows non-profit groups such as BHA chapters to sell raffle tickets via credit card, making it easier to participate if aren’t carrying cash or a checkbook. Passed House 94-4, heard Feb. 28 in Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs.  

HB 145: Revise fee for nonresident base hunting license - Rep. Gary Parry (R - Colstrip) Increases the fee for a non-resident base license to $100, $90 of which benefits access programs. The resident fee remains at $10 fee, of which $2 benefits hunting access programs. Passed House 99-0, referred to Senate Fish and Game.   

HB 175: Require fish, wildlife, and parks to publish a report detailing data on hunting districts - Rep. Shannon Maness (R - Dillon) Provides Montana with more hunting data via an annual report showing harvest of elk, deer and antelope by resident and non-resident hunters in each hunting district. Passed House 97-3, heard in Senate Fish and Game Feb. 25. 

HB 202: Generally revise laws related to the unlawful use of aircraft for hunting - Rep. Courtenay Sprunger (R - Kalispell) Prohibits hunting any game bird, game animal or fur-bearing animal within 24 hours after using a private aircraft to spot, pursue, drive, rally, concentrate or stir up any of these animals. This is a change from the current calendar day prohibition. Also bans possession of unmanned aircraft while hunting and increases fines and penalties. Passed House 99-0, referred to Senate Natural Resources. 

HB 242: Revise fines related to aquatic invasive species - Rep. Tom Millett (R - Marion) Increases penalties from $500 to $700 for first offense and from $750 to $1,400 for subsequent offenses for negligently transporting aquatic invasive species. Increases the penalty for knowingly violating the laws from $975 to $1,950. Also increases the fine for purposely or knowingly attempting to introduce an invasive species from $10,000 to $25,000. Allows for warnings without penalty under certain conditions. Passed House 99-0, transmitted to the Senate. 

HB 264: Generally revise wildlife location data subject to public information requests - Rep. Jonathan Karlen (D - Missoula) Establishes prohibitions and exceptions for sharing wildlife location data and telemetry frequencies. Allows the department to share location data with research partners and other government agencies through data-sharing agreements. Passed House 78-16, referred to Senate Fish and Game.  

HB 330: Create auction or lottery licenses for antelope and swans - Rep. Jedediah Hinkle (R - Belgrade) Similar to BHA’s priority bill, HB 283, above, this allows for the raffle or auction of antelope and swan licenses, with proceeds benefitting the management of these species. Passed House 92-7, referred to Senate Fish and Game. 

HB 450: Generally revise bird dog training licensing laws - Rep. Eric Albus (R - Glasgow) Sets reporting requirements for the number of bird dogs trained by license applicants. Allows the Fish and Wildlife Commission to limit the number of dogs trained and to limit the number of Class D-5 licenses issued to nonresidents. Passed House 94-3, referred to Senate Fish and Game. 

HB 568: Provide for the Montana Hunters First Act - Rep. Courtenay Sprunger (R - Kalispell) Charges FWP to study hunting impacts in Montana, including the growth of non-resident hunting licenses, pressure on publicly accessible lands, use of lands in Block Management and the use of private land leases for hunting purposes. Passed House 97-1, referred to Senate Fish and Game. 

HB 762: Require the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to publish a report on river usage - Rep. Josh Seckinger (D - Bozeman) Requires the department to publish a biennial report that shows the number and purpose of watercraft on particular stretches of several high-use Montana rivers. Passed out of House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee 16-4. 

SB 63: Revise law related to the use of motion-tracking devices while hunting - Sen. Pat Flowers (D - Bozeman) Strengthens laws on using motion-tracking technology for hunting. Prohibits the use of tracking devices and sharing of location data with another hunter while hunting or within the same calendar day that a person hunts or intends to hunt. Passed Senate 34-15, referred to House Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 

SB 83: Revise law to recognize commission authority to regulate public use of private property under access agreements - Sen. Denley Loge (R - St. Regis) Requires the Fish and Wildlife Commission to adopt the rules of individual landowners participating in access agreements. Passed Senate 47-2, referred to House Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 

SB 106: Revising laws related to the use of manned and unmanned aircraft while hunting - Sen. Denley Loge (R - St. Regis) Allows landowners to get a permit to use aircraft to herd wild animals that are damaging private property or crops. Prevents the department from issuing these permits during any hunting season, apart from elk shoulder seasons. Adds new prohibitions regarding the use of aircraft to hunt wildlife. Passed Senate 49-0, referred to House Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 

SB 235: Revising landowner preference qualifications for elk to require finalized land ownership of 640 acres or more of contiguous land - Sen. Kenneth Bogner (R - Miles City) Tightens up landowner preferences. Requires that land be owned outright, not under contract, for landowners to participate. Allow family members and full-time farm and ranch employees of landowners to apply for preference tags. Passed Senate 50-0, referred to House Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 

SB 238: Allow hunters to donate funds for archery equipment for disabled bowhunters - Sen. Janet Ellis (D - Helena) Sets up a benefit fund administered by FWP that provides equipment to bowhunters with disabilities. Heard in Senate Fish and Game Feb. 18. 

SB 441: Establishing the Montana block management enforcement network - Sen. Denley Loge (R - St. Regis) Allows landowners participating in block management to opt into a department program that assists in enforcing hunter compliance with landowners’ rules and Montana law. Passed Senate 49-1. Transmitted to the House. 

Senate Joint Resolution 17: Resolution requesting an interim study on hunter satisfaction - Rep. Sara Novak (D - Anaconda)  Calls an interim study that looks at ways to improve Montana hunter satisfaction given the impacts of non-resident hunting. Hearing held Feb. 25 in Senate Fish and Game. 

Bills That BHA Opposed, Which Failed, Were Tabled or Withdrawn: 

Note that bills are never truly “dead” until the legislative session ends. There is always a chance that they could be revived. We will continue monitoring these bills. 

HB 57 Designate quail as upland game bird - Rep. Paul Fielder (R - Thompson Falls) - Second reading indefinitely postponed on 48-1 vote in Senate. 

HB 216 Allow FW Commission to issue deer and elk hunting licenses to private landowners within the Flathead Indian Reservation - Rep. Tracy Sharp (R - Polson) - Tabled 17-3 in House Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 

HB 222 Creating open wolf hunting season until the population is 600 or fewer - Rep. Lukas Schubert (R - Kalispell) - Failed second reading in House 60-40. 

HB 347 Revise laws related to hunter orange - Rep. Gary Parry (R - Colstrip) - Tabled 20-0 in House Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 

HB 647 Prohibit state land leases to nonprofits - Rep. Brandon Ler (R - Savage) - Tabled 9-5 in House Natural Resources. 

SB 146 Creating the private property protection act - Sen. Becky Beard (R - Ellison) - Second reading indefinitely postponed on 29-21 vote in the Senate. 

SB 209 Revise term length of conservation easements - Sen. Tony Tezak (R - Ennis) - Tabled 9-0 in Senate Judiciary. 

BAD NEWS: 

Bills BHA Opposes That Are Moving Forward: 

SB 307: Reallocate Montana marijuana tax revenue - Sen. Tom McGillvray (R - Billings) Undermines the intent of voters when they approved recreational cannabis use by taking marijuana tax revenue away from conservation efforts and putting it toward addiction treatment and recovery services. Passed Senate 47-2. Referred to House Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 

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HB 176: Require unlimited wolf hunting quota when population is at or above 450 wolves - Rep. Shannon Maness (R-Dillon) Amended to allow for an unlimited quota when the gray wolf population hits 550. Allows the FWP Commission to issue multiple wolf licenses to applicants. Allows for baiting to hunt or trap and the use of night vision scopes and lights for hunting. Passed House 56-44. First hearing held Feb. 20 in Senate Fish and Game. 

HB 259: Expand types of scopes allowed for wolf hunts - Rep. Paul Fielder (R - Thompson Falls) Allows for the use of thermal and infrared scopes for hunting of gray wolves. The bill also would require, rather than allow, the commission to apply additional management techniques such as harvesting unlimited wolves by a single hunter or trapper and permitting the use of bait. Passed House 56-44. Set for hearing March 18 in Senate Fish and Game. 

HB 285: Generally revise Montana Environmental Policy Act - Rep. Brandon Ler (R - Savage) Would repeal language in code that recognizes MEPA implements the right to a clean and healthful environment, that MEPA is supposed to prevent harm, and that the lon-term impacts from projects need to be considered. Passed House 57-42. Referred to Senate Natural Resources. 

HB 354: Revise penalties for criminal trespass while fishing, trapping, hunting, or collecting antlers/sheds/horns - Rep. Jill Cohenour (D - East Helena) Revokes fishing, hunting, trapping privileges for collection, or attempted collection, of horns, antler or antler sheds if trespassing on FWP or any other property. Passed House 67-31. Referred to Senate Fish and Game. 

HB 379: Revising laws related to state land leases for commercial purposes and the sale of state land - Rep. Larry Brewster (R - Billings) Removes restrictions on leased state public lands and frees it up for sale for development. Passed 12-7 in House State Administration. 

HB 676: Generally revise state land and water laws - Rep. Brandon Ler (R - Savage) Requires the sale of isolated parcels of state land to a lessee when thelessee hold the water right on that land. Passed House Appropriations 12-11. Passed House 56-43. 

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SB 270: Revise laws related to antlerless elk licenses - Sen. Denley Loge (R - St. Regis)  Intent is to create more opportunities for resident hunters in districts that are over objective, but BHA is concerned that the variable license structure proposed may not result in best management practices for all areas. Passed Senate 47-2. Referred to House Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 

Senate Joint Resolution 14: Resolution to release federal wilderness study areas - Sen. Tony Tezak (R - Ennis) Proposed interim study aimed at releasing wilderness study areas from preservation as wilderness. Referred to Senate Energy, Technology & Federal Relations. 

Bills BHA Supports That Were Tabled of Withdrawn: 

Note: Again, no bill is truly dead until the legislative session ends.  

HB 73 Repeal law authorizing killing of predatory hawks and owls - Rep. Jamie Isaly (D - Livingston) Would repeal a law that allows livestock or poultry owners to kill hawks and owls at any time and eagles within federal limitations. Tabled 11-6 in House Agriculture. 

HB 436 Revise trapping laws to require warning signs - Rep. Bob Carter (D - Missoula) Would require notice signs at trailheads for trapping on FWP lands that is within 1,000 feet of a trailhead or 100 feet of a trail. Tabled in House Fish, Wildlife and Parks 20-0. 

HB 564 Require mandatory reporting of deer and elk hunting activity - Rep. Marilyn Marler (D - Missoula) Would imrpove the collection of data, which is essential for management decisions, by requiring hunters to report their hunting activity, including harvest success, hunting districts and dates. Bill would also provide a bonus point for reporting by February 15 and charge a small fee ($5 to $50) for failure to report by the end of the license year. Tabled 11-9 in House Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 

HB 661 Revise unlawful harassment and harm of game animals, birds, fur-bearers, and predators - Rep. Debo Powers (D - Whitefish) Would update the law to include all wild animals under the prohibition on using a vehicle to harass wildlife (currently limited toi game animals and game birds). Tabled 12-8 in Fish, Wildlife and Parks.