After a week of consideration, Gov. Greg Gianforte sent House Bill 635 back to the Legislature with two amendments that have further disappointed some hunters.
For proof, resident hunters have pointed to the statistic that between 2012 and 2022, nonresident hunter numbers increased by 80% as resident hunter numbers fell by 7%.
“Process becomes the punishment,” Rep. Jedediah Hinkle said, as the goal of a lawsuit may be not to win, but to inflict financial hardship on those impacted.