DirectorsAt Large

Another year is upon us and I hope everyone had a great holiday season and new year. This also means that another banquet season is upon us as well as another legislative session. As has been in the past few sessions, Montana FWP is under attack and there are many bills that affect the hunting heritage and the animals that are home to Montana. Our committee is great at notifying us of upcoming hearings and bills, so please pay close attention to your emails in the coming months. I can’t wait to see everyone again in Fairmont the first weekend in April for the banquet. Good luck in your upcoming season draws and hope to see everyone soon!

Cliff Garness Region 4 DAL

Anew career has taken me to new horizons, literally. I recently got to step foot on the east coast and, for the first time, see the sunrise over the Atlantic. Speaking of firsts, this will be my first year representing the MBA during the legislative session. I’ve personally participated in the past and am expectant to continue engaging in this session. Topics that I’m personally interested in are (bow)hunter’s safety education, landowner-sportsmen issues, predator management, and maintaining integrity in our archery seasons.

I ask you to do similar by contacting representatives and senators, local or committee members, that are drafting or hearing bills that affect our way of life. Please reach out to me to discuss any bills or to simply introduce yourself and “learn” me something. I’m in Helena and will advocate for our mission.

Thanks for taking interest in promoting Bowhunting in Montana, Jeremy

Harwood

022 hunting season has come and gone. My husband and I are blessed to have full freezers and some great memories from this past season. As we roll into 2023, we hit the reset button, and thoughts of the upcoming drawings and countdown to fall begin. It also means the legislative season has begun. So far, some wonderful bills have come forward, including banning drone use for same-day hunting, increasing the payment to landowners for Montana’s signature Block Management program to stay competitive, and bringing back the field days for hunters’ education after being diluted to online only after covid. Of course, we all expect some ugly bills to rear their head, including Molnar’s “I want to shoot a crossbow” bill. We’ve had a chance to view the language of the bill draft and it’s full of holes and misinformation and makes it far too easy to qualify for a crossbow. After bringing a crossbow bill forward ten times for over 20 years, you would think the message was clear. Montanan’s do not want crossbows during their archery-only season. We strongly encourage our members to get involved¬—testify, call, and email your representatives—let your voice be heard on any bill you agree or disagree on!

I was recently honored to help facilitate and moderate “A Conversation on Elk Management.” It was one of the recommendations the Elk Management Citizen Advisory Group chose to move forward. It was a great listening session with diverse user groups to discuss their thoughts and feelings on certain aspects of elk management. This included shoulder seasons, hunters’ education, damage hunts, trespassing, other hunter and landowner behaviors, and localizing elk management. One “idea” to address overcrowding and increase hunter success in killing elk during the regular season was shortening archery, or allowing other weapons such as muzzleloaders, to have part of the season. Simply put, MONTANA IS NOT COLORADO and we do not want to chop up the best archery season in the west. The MBA is prepared to fight to protect our archery season from all threats, including crossbows or other weapons.

I hope to see you all at the MBA banquet in Fairmont again this year, it is shaping up to be another great event! Good luck in the draws and on your spring hunts >>------------------> Stephanie

2Prater

Seems I cannot get away from the TV hunters and arrests, I got an update the other day. More major stuff involving a major poaching ring, and it turns out the largest one Nebraska has ever seen and even involved the Lacey Act.

Josh and Sarah Bowmar of Bowmar Outfitting LLC, Ankeny, Iowa were convicted. They pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge. In exchange, four more serious charges were dropped, including illegal baited hunting sites. They only got three years of probation, 40 hours of community service, $75,000 fines, $44,000 fine in lieu of property forfeiture, and $13,000 restitution and were banned from Nebraska hunting during probation...????

Between September 2015 and November 2017, they conducted five hunts per year at Hidden Hills Outfitters, a commercial biggame guiding and outfitting business near Broken Bow, Nebraska. They transported parts of big game animals from Nebraska to Ohio—a direct violation of the Lacey Act. Thirty-nine people were convicted, and thirteen people resolved their cases through administrative abandonment of various trophies from the outfitter. The violations were related to 97 illegally taken deer and turkeys, deer taken over bait, deer, pronghorn, and turkeys taken with weapons or firearms prohibited during their respective seasons. Additional violations were deer taken during closed seasons from the road, or without a permit, and mule deer taken in a closed Deer Conservation area. Various agencies investigated.

So, I ask… WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE MODERN TV HUNTING GROUP? Methinks too much trophy mentality is at work, and ease of modern equipment, at distances shots are taken... just my age involved. I’ve been doing this since 1961, so I have my opinions. Stay safe, be ethical and responsible.

Ye Olde Bowhunter Mike Shepard