We finally got to hunt antelope in Montana again this year. It had been four years since our party of four had been able to get tags, in spite of contributing and extra $25 per year to MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks for priority points. Antelope were plentiful.
We hunt area 700, because a rancher there is just wonderful about letting us on. By the way, that hunter/rancher relationship's life is approaching fifty years. I understand that non-residents are allocated 10% of the total permits, but that there are about four times as many ron-resident applicants as permits allocated. Further, I understand that residents don't evven purchase all the 90% of the permits allocated to them.
I business owners and ranchers in area 700, and the rest of MT if it's the same situation there, should put some pressure on the MT FWP to allow more non-resident antelope hunters. Ranchers I know like the antelope thinned because it's not easy to grow good cow-calf grass in antelope territory and antelope eat a lot of it. Business owners know that non-resident hunters help keep Montana green - green with money that is. We rent motel rooms and buy gas, groceries, resturant meals, tires, game processing, guns and ammo, etc.
I realize that the MT FWP is an independent bunch, but putting pressure on them can't hurt and it's most effective if done by voting, tax-paying MT residents.
We hunt area 700, because a rancher there is just wonderful about letting us on. By the way, that hunter/rancher relationship's life is approaching fifty years. I understand that non-residents are allocated 10% of the total permits, but that there are about four times as many ron-resident applicants as permits allocated. Further, I understand that residents don't evven purchase all the 90% of the permits allocated to them.
I business owners and ranchers in area 700, and the rest of MT if it's the same situation there, should put some pressure on the MT FWP to allow more non-resident antelope hunters. Ranchers I know like the antelope thinned because it's not easy to grow good cow-calf grass in antelope territory and antelope eat a lot of it. Business owners know that non-resident hunters help keep Montana green - green with money that is. We rent motel rooms and buy gas, groceries, resturant meals, tires, game processing, guns and ammo, etc.
I realize that the MT FWP is an independent bunch, but putting pressure on them can't hurt and it's most effective if done by voting, tax-paying MT residents.