Increasing the number of commissioners on the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission from five to seven would add both better representation and clarity to hunters and anglers, supporters of a bill to do that said Tuesday.
But opponents of House Bill 163 argued several points, from the additional cost of adding commissioners to whether the makeup of the commission excluded recreationists such as wildlife watchers.
The governor-appointed and Senate-confirmed commission is the oversight board for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. It is one of the highest profile nonelected bodies in the state, routinely tackling hot-button issues ranging from hunting, fishing and trapping regulations to land acquisitions and conservation easements for wildlife.
Two northwest Montana lawmakers are considering a number of bills that could moderately or significantly change the way Montana manages wolves.
Sen. Bob Brown and Rep. Paul Fielder, both Republicans from Thompson Falls, have drafted legislation ranging from including wolf licenses in big game combination licenses and expanding trapping seasons to reclassifying the animals as predators similar to coyotes, meaning they could be killed year-round without a license. Other bill proposals include legalizing snares for wolf trappers and allowing private reimbursement for those who successfully harvest a wolf.
âBasically every drainage you go into you find wolves and the packs just keep expanding,â Brown said of the areas he hunts. âWith elk and deer numbers, youâre not seeing them up in the hills. You might still see quite a few but theyâre pushed down out of the hills and onto private land.â