Conservation Con-Men

When it comes to wildlife management, it matters who’s behind the proposals.

In Montana, it’s not just legislators meddling with our hunting and fishing heritage. It’s the lobbyists and their funders who should really concern you.

In the last two legislative sessions, multiple bills were brought forward to allow outfitted clients and nonresident landowners to jump the line for coveted deer and elk tags in Montana. Others gave large landowners free elk permits.

The one thing these proposals have in common? They’re all being pushed by the lobbyists at the Taylor Luther Group and the ones now behind the newly formed and deceptively named “Montana Conservation Society.” The first services clients like the Yellowstone Club, Montana Outfitters & Guides Association (MOGA), and the Wilks brothers; the latter’s executive director is a past president of MOGA and former member of the Board of Outfitters. Heck, its policy director doesn’t even live here—none of which you would guess by looking at its website. (It’s worth noting though that MOGA is not a bad organization in and of itself. The hunting guides it represents are skilled, hardworking individuals. However, outfitters shouldn’t be getting special allocations at the expense of resident hunters. There are plenty of elk to go around—both for local hunters, and out-of-state outfitted hunters.)

While outfitters and the largest landowners—and their lobbyists—change the rules, Montanans are faced with the possibility of shorter hunting seasons and having to sacrifice parts of our heritage and family traditions.

Sportsmen’s groups (the real ones) raised hell about these unfair allocations of hunting opportunity—clear violations of the North American Model of wildlife conservation, and not the traditional Montana way. Yet the lobbyists succeeded in pretending these were not about monetizing public wildlife or further entitling our most entitled and newest neighbors.

What do the numbers say?

Using FWP data, we now see that Rep. Kassmier’s (R-Fort Benton) HB 635 from 2023 led to nonresident landowners being 100-percent successful in the 2024 deer and elk draws. Every applicant drew, regardless of points.

Outfitters made out just as well. During the 2021 session’s final days, Rep. Burglee’s (R-Joliet) HB 637 was shoved through both chambers without public comment and signed by Gianforte. That bill established “preference” for out-of-state hunters who can afford an outfitter. We now see that it’s more than “preference”—it’s a near-guarantee. In 2024, outfitted nonresident clients who pre-booked their trips had 100-percent success getting deer tags. Roughly nine in ten prebooked guided nonresident elk hunters were successful in drawing a tag in their very first year applying, while those who applied the prior year were guaranteed.

A national hunting organization is now raffling off guided mule-deer hunts for nonresidents with “exclusive access to private ranches in Big Sky Country” with “Montana nonresident deer combo license ($741.50) for both hunters included!” Tags once allocated by equitable lottery are now so assured for outfitters that they can be promised in raffles or sold to anyone with the most money.

The result? While outfitters and the largest landowners—and their lobbyists—change the rules, Montanans are faced with the possibility of shorter hunting seasons, having to pick a weapon, to pick a district, and to sacrifice parts of our heritage and family traditions.

To be clear, some of these new people are fine individuals and good neighbors, and we celebrate their good fortune. We just don’t feel like they should be further rewarded for it.

Case in point: the Montana Conservation Society opposes a repeal of the nonresident landowner preference program established in the 2021 legislative session that has proven to be nothing but a handout for billionaires who don’t even live here. And since that program provides up to five deer and elk combo licenses per nonresident landowner, it actually outcompetes the incentives offered for Block Management (just one tag), while offering nothing for the public or for Montanans in return. We all should be skeptical.

To be clear, some of these new people are fine individuals and good neighbors, and we celebrate their good fortune. We just don’t feel like they should be further rewarded for it, particularly with enhanced hunting access to the elk all of us own in the public trust. And we sure don’t appreciate their hiring of lobbyists to change the rules for their own benefit.

The next time you see something being pitched as a win for Montana hunters—whether as a bill or a proposal in front of the Fish & Wildlife Commission—find out who is pushing it. Often, that’s all you’ll need to learn who will benefit. And if the Montana Conservation Society or the Taylor Luther Group is behind that measure, it’s clear the beneficiary ain’t you.

For more information, or to get in touch with real public-land and wildlife advocates, visit montanasportsmen.com.