Environment (Wildlife)

introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 14, 2025

LC 3065: Permitting reimbursements to all individuals for receipts of costs incurred related to the hunting or trapping of wolves for all lawfully harvested wolves

This bill allows licensed hunters and trappers in Montana to receive reimbursements for costs incurred when lawfully harvesting wolves. The provision creates an exception to existing rules that generally prohibit giving prizes or gifts for hunting or trapping activities. Under this change, individuals who legally harvest wolves can be compensated for their expenses related to the hunt or trap. The bill amends state law to specifically permit these reimbursements while maintaining restrictions on other types of contests or prizes for wildlife.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill provides financial incentives for wolf harvesting, which may undermine conservation efforts and weaken environmental protections for wildlife populations.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 14, 2025

LC 1743: Creating open wolf hunting season until the population is at or below a certain number

This bill amends Montana's wildlife code to establish a year-round open wolf hunting season with an unlimited quota that remains in effect until the state wolf population reaches 600 or fewer animals. It directly affects hunters, wildlife officials, and landowners by authorizing the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Commission to manage wolf hunting seasons and set population targets. The legislation also clarifies that the commission cannot close wolf hunting seasons in areas adjacent to national parks unless a harvest quota has been met, while maintaining existing provisions for special hunting seasons and trapping.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill removes wolf hunting restrictions and sets unlimited quotas until population drops to 600, weakening environmental protections for wolf conservation.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 18, 2025

LC 1321: Remove FWP requirement to regulate wolves as furbearers or game animals

This bill removes the legal requirement for Montana's Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to manage wolves as either game animals or furbearers. It amends state law to allow the department to classify wolves as a species in need of management instead, pending a future determination that they no longer require special protection. The legislation also clarifies that livestock protection measures, including special kill permits for landowners, must be part of an approved wolf management plan. This change affects how the state legally categorizes and regulates wolf populations without changing the authority to manage them.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill removes regulatory requirements for wolf management, potentially weakening environmental protections and reducing conservation oversight for a protected species.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 9, 2025

LC 2548: Require unlimited wolf hunting quota when population is at or above 450 wolves

This bill requires Montana's Fish and Wildlife Commission to implement an unlimited statewide wolf hunting quota when the gray wolf population reaches 450 or more. Under this provision, hunters and trappers could legally harvest an unlimited number of wolves, use bait for hunting, and hunt on private land at night with artificial light or night vision equipment. The legislation also mandates consistent data modeling methods for counting wolf populations and allows landowners to take wolves threatening safety or livestock without a hunting license, subject to annual quotas.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill allows unlimited wolf hunting, use of bait, and night hunting, which weakens wildlife conservation and environmental protections.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Dec 27, 2024

LC 3034: Revise fish and wildlife commission techniques for gray wolf management

This bill amends Montana's gray wolf management laws to give the Fish and Wildlife Commission more flexibility in setting hunting and trapping regulations. It allows the commission to apply different techniques across regions, including permitting multiple wolf licenses per person, unlimited harvests per license, and the use of night vision or thermal scopes for hunting. The legislation also enables landowners to take wolves on their property without a license if the animals threaten livestock, dogs, or human safety, provided they report the taking and stay within annual quotas. Additionally, public land permittees with livestock depredation issues can obtain special permits to remove wolves without purchasing standard licenses.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill increases wolf hunting/trapping flexibility and removes conservation restrictions, weakening environmental protections for wildlife populations.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Lands Wildlife

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Dec 3, 2024

LC 512: Revise law related to damage-based muskrat and beaver harvesting

This bill updates Montana's laws to allow year-round trapping or hunting of beaver and muskrat that damage rural or urban structures, in addition to existing protections for irrigation projects and stock water ponds. It requires landowners or employees to obtain a permit from the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to remove these animals during the closed season, except between June 1 and August 31 when no permit is needed. The legislation also clarifies that "urban developed structures" are now included alongside rural structures in the list of protected properties eligible for damage-based removal. Violations of the new rules carry fines up to $1,000, possible jail time, and a 24-month suspension of hunting, fishing, or trapping privileges.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill permits year-round hunting of beaver and muskrat, which are natural ecosystem components, potentially weakening wildlife conservation and habitat protection.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 222: Creating open wolf hunting season until the population is 600 or fewer

HB 222 proposed creating a year-round open wolf hunting season in Montana. This season would have an unlimited quota, meaning there would be no limit on the number of wolves that could be hunted. The hunting season would continue until the statewide wolf population reached 600 or fewer, at which point it could be closed. The bill aimed to amend existing state law to mandate that the Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission authorize this specific wolf hunting season.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill mandates unrestricted wolf hunting to reduce population below conservation levels, directly opposing wildlife protection efforts and conservation requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 71: Revise special license requirements allowing second lion license and removing Tendoy sheep reporting

HB 71 revises Montana hunting rules by allowing hunters to obtain more than one mountain lion license in a single license year, removing a previous restriction that limited hunters to one lion license per year. It also eliminates mandatory reporting requirements for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks regarding harvests and tissue sampling from the Tendoy mountain sheep herd. These changes directly affect hunters seeking mountain lion licenses and the wildlife department’s reporting obligations. The bill amends Section 87-2-702 of Montana law to reflect these policy adjustments, focusing on simplifying licensing and reducing administrative reporting burdens.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRemoves mandatory wildlife harvest reporting, weakening data-driven conservation for mountain lions and Tendoy sheep populations.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 139: Revise laws related to mule deer buck hunting in November

HB 139 aimed to revise laws related to mule deer buck hunting in Montana, directly affecting hunters and the state's Fish, Wildlife & Parks commission. The bill would have restricted the commission's ability to close mule deer buck hunting during the general rifle season in November. Specifically, it would have prohibited closures in more than 20% of hunting districts per season, for more than two years within a six-year period in any district, or prior to November 6 in any district. These new restrictions would not have applied to any district closures already in place before December 1, 2024.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill restricts wildlife commission's ability to close hunting areas, limiting conservation measures for mule deer populations and weakening protective regulations.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 176: Require unlimited wolf hunting quota when population is at or above 450 wolves

House Bill 176 (HB 176) revises Montana's wolf hunting laws, primarily affecting the Fish and Wildlife Commission, wolf hunters, trappers, and landowners. The bill mandates an unlimited statewide gray wolf hunting quota when the state's wolf population reaches or exceeds 450 wolves. Under this quota, the Commission must authorize multiple hunting licenses per applicant, allow an individual to harvest an unlimited number of wolves, permit the use of bait for hunting or trapping, and allow night hunting on private lands with artificial light or night vision scopes. It also requires consistent data modeling for wolf population estimates.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill removes population limits on wolf hunting, weakening conservation protections for an ecosystem keystone species per Fish and Wildlife subjects.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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