HB 522- Provides landowner preference bison tags for landowners near YNP.

 HB 522 

Mr. Chairman and members of the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee.  

The Montana Sportsmen Alliance is a coalition of resident hunters, anglers and sportsmen and women. We stand in opposition to HB-522. The idea of providing preference to a landowner owning a minimum of 20 acres adjacent to YNP and allocating up to 15% of the annual licenses to these individuals is unfair. Drawing a bison tag is essentially as difficult and as coveted as drawing a moose, bighorn sheep or mountain goat tag. To provide preference to someone owning as few as 20 acres used by bison and who may never or rarely have bison on the property is a taking from the many Montanans who desire an opportunity at this license. Is this encouraging subdivision of important habitat?   There is no definition as to what constitutes use by bison. Is this meant to be one animal for one day in the past five years? This needs to be revised and clarified. Please do not diminish the common Montana resident with an opportunity to hunt bison adjacent to YNP.  Vote no on HB-522. 

Thank you

Montana Sportsmen Alliance 

Leadership Team

Jeff Herbert    Helena

Tim Thier   Trego

Dale Tribby    Miles City

Joe Perry    Conrad

JW Westman   Park City

Don Thomas    Lewistown

Steve Schindler   Glasgow

Harvey Nyberg   Lewistown

Andrew McKean   Glasgow

Ray Gross   Dillon

Robert Wood   Hamilton

Greg Munther   Missoula