Montana FWP needs name change to reflect its real mission
It’s early February, and Montana hunters are still pursuing heavily pregnant cow elk throughout many private ranch lands at a time when the animals are just trying to make it through winter. Even in a relatively mild winter like this one, it’s a sign of failed wildlife management that animals need to be hunted half the year, when other states have reasonable seasons in the fall that respect big game as valued native wildlife. In Montana, our seasons are tailored for one purpose: to allow outfitters who have leased millions of acres throughout the state to sell the public’s wildlife. They’ve now leased far more acres than what is enrolled in the Block Management access program, and they’re gobbling more every year.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks should be honest with Montanans and rename itself, “The Department of Service to Outfitters.” Every decision that comes from the governor’s Fish and Wildlife Commissioners and FWP staff places outfitter’s interests over every other concern. Take, for example, when Commissioner Ian Wargo proposed limiting public land harvest of elk to one per year this past fall. This just puts outfitters further in control of wildlife, while limiting the public’s ability to hunt elk. Many hunters don’t want to be reduced to shooting a cow in winter in a center-pivot field – they want to actually hunt.
But that’s what Montana has turned into – a playground for the billionaires, outfitters and large landowners who profit from the public’s wildlife. Once the general season is over and they can’t sell big bulls, they complain to FWP about the game damage from large herds of elk. And even then, they want to sell the public’s wildlife. I’ve seen ads for late-season cow elk “hunts” for $3,400. It’s appalling for working Montanans to see their public wildlife resources off limits to all but those who can pay big bucks – but it’s a trend that’s only getting worse.
The next step in this effort at privatizing our public wildlife was revealed in the last legislative session. A bill to allow culling of elk through unlimited cow elk licenses came forward, supported by the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association (MOGA); the Montana Conservation Society, a dark-money group funded by outfitters ; and, curiously, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. They’ll be back next year with another bill to set up culling by landowners after they’ve sold the trophy bulls.
The Montana Stockgrowers Association is all in for this system, too. It joined a lawsuit recently in defense of a billionaire in Wyoming who was restricting the public from hunting public elk on public lands. The billionaire stated that he was being denied the ability to profit from the elk on that public land. Montana Stockgrower’s board president, Lesley Robinson, chairs our Fish and Wildlife Commission. Several other commissioners represent commercial interests in public lands, waters and wildlife. When Gianforte was a congressman, Robinson worked for him. Hmmm…more cozy with Gianforte than with Montana hunters!
In this era of many government agencies being re-structured, it’s only appropriate that Montana FWP gets the facelift that’s deserved. It starts with a name change to reflect what it really does under the Gianforte administration.
Joe Perry is a dryland farmer and sportsman from Brady. He serves as a board member of the Montana Sportsmen Alliance.
