Draft out on "Revise FWP super tag program laws"

You are a ray of sunshine today buddy. Have another cup of coffee an take a BM.
It is kind of a tight spot isn't it?

Almost as if someone played a better game of chess.

Tie the various tag give away programs to block funding, which in turn makes it tough to find alternative solutions to fund block if they go away. Everyone knows it won't fund itself with $20 elk tags and $16 deer tags.

That also creates another problem when another bill is introduced to increase max payouts to participating landowners enrolled in block.

To quote one of my favorite Tarantino movies of all time, "Now, about this pickle, we find ourselves in...."
 
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It is kind of a tight spot isn't it?

Almost as if someone played a better game of chess.

Tie the various tag give away programs to block funding, which in turn makes it tough to find alternative solutions to fund block if they go away. Everyone knows it won't fund itself with $20 elk tags and $16 deer tags.

That also creates another problem when another bill is introduced to increase max payouts to participating landowners enrolled in block.

To quote one of my favorite Tarantino movies of all time, "Now, about this pickle, we find ourselves in...."

The funding sources for Block are tied mostly to NR sales of the B10, B11 and others. I'm all for raising resident rates, but if we want to invert the percentages of resident to non-resident funding, we need to raise the price of an elk tag to $200 and a deer tag to $150.

I'm fine keeping the earmarks. it provides a stable source of funding for the programs without the issues associated with the budgeting process. Not every state has Wyoming's budgeting process, and so protecting key programs with restricted dollars is not a bad idea, and it's saved programs like Habitat Montana over the years.
 
Historically, I buy my sportsman w/ bear plus one super tag draw for each of the following; elk, deer, moose, sheep, and goat. So what I'm understanding is that I will automagically be entered into the moose, sheep, and goat drawings just by purchasing my sportsman w/bear? Is this correct? It would be a net loss of $15 for the state which I believe is everyone's point. I just want make sure I'm understanding it correctly.
 
Historically, I buy my sportsman w/ bear plus one super tag draw for each of the following; elk, deer, moose, sheep, and goat. So what I'm understanding is that I will automagically be entered into the moose, sheep, and goat drawings just by purchasing my sportsman w/bear? Is this correct? It would be a net loss of $15 for the state which I believe is everyone's point. I just want make sure I'm understanding it correctly.

After diving into it more, the free tag is going to begiven to folks under this definition: https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0870/chapter_0020/part_0010/section_0020/0870-0020-0010-0020.html

So I think that you'd get 1 free super tag choice for sportsman's, but that may be wrong. It may apply to your deer, and elk license, so you'd get 2. It's a bit confusing.
 
The funding sources for Block are tied mostly to NR sales of the B10, B11 and others. I'm all for raising resident rates, but if we want to invert the percentages of resident to non-resident funding, we need to raise the price of an elk tag to $200 and a deer tag to $150.

I'm fine keeping the earmarks. it provides a stable source of funding for the programs without the issues associated with the budgeting process. Not every state has Wyoming's budgeting process, and so protecting key programs with restricted dollars is not a bad idea, and it's saved programs like Habitat Montana over the years.
IIRC, the native and come home to hunt tag fees go 100% to block?

So, if these tag give away programs go away (I wish they would) where is the revenue made up?

Come Home to Hunt License​

This law encourages nonresidents who once lived in Montana to "come home to hunt" with parents, siblings, and other close family members. The program is aimed at continuing Montana family traditions by making an effort to bring sons, daughters and family back home during hunting season at a substantially reduced price. The sponsoring adult family member must claim Montana as his or her legal residence and must have a valid Montana hunting license. The sponsor can be a parent, step-parent, grandparent, sibling, step-sibling, child, step-child, spouse, or in-law. The applicant must have completed a Montana hunter education course and have previously purchased a Montana resident hunting license.

Qualifying nonresidents 18 years of age or older need to apply for either a Deer, Elk or Big Game Combination license starting March 1 and the deadline is April 1. Come Home to Hunt licenses are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.

Nonresidents who are awarded a Come Home to Hunt license must hunt with a properly licensed adult family member.

Proceeds from the sale of Come Home to Hunt licenses are used by FWP to acquire public hunting access to inaccessible public land.
 
IIRC, the native and come home to hunt tag fees go 100% to block?

So, if these tag give away programs go away (I wish they would) where is the revenue made up?

Come Home to Hunt License​

This law encourages nonresidents who once lived in Montana to "come home to hunt" with parents, siblings, and other close family members. The program is aimed at continuing Montana family traditions by making an effort to bring sons, daughters and family back home during hunting season at a substantially reduced price. The sponsoring adult family member must claim Montana as his or her legal residence and must have a valid Montana hunting license. The sponsor can be a parent, step-parent, grandparent, sibling, step-sibling, child, step-child, spouse, or in-law. The applicant must have completed a Montana hunter education course and have previously purchased a Montana resident hunting license.

Qualifying nonresidents 18 years of age or older need to apply for either a Deer, Elk or Big Game Combination license starting March 1 and the deadline is April 1. Come Home to Hunt licenses are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.

Nonresidents who are awarded a Come Home to Hunt license must hunt with a properly licensed adult family member.

Proceeds from the sale of Come Home to Hunt licenses are used by FWP to acquire public hunting access to inaccessible public land.

CHTH is pretty undersubscribed, and at 1/2 price, it's not a huge hit to the budget. The NR Relative program is uncapped. I'd rather keep CHTH and get rid of NR Relative entirely.
 
CHTH is pretty undersubscribed, and at 1/2 price, it's not a huge hit to the budget. The NR Relative program is uncapped. I'd rather keep CHTH and get rid of NR Relative entirely.
I know how the programs work and what they are...I also know the revenue they generate is not insignificant to block funding.

In particular if the cap is raised on payouts.

Since raising the "tax", as the Montana legislature refers to as hunting license costs, and we cant increase the "tax" on $20 elk and $16 deer resident tags...looks like a Bake Sale is the most viable option to fund Block.
 
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So I’m guessing there isn’t a bill in the works to get rid of these programs?
 
After diving into it more, the free tag is going to begiven to folks under this definition: https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0870/chapter_0020/part_0010/section_0020/0870-0020-0010-0020.html

So I think that you'd get 1 free super tag choice for sportsman's, but that may be wrong. It may apply to your deer, and elk license, so you'd get 2. It's a bit confusing.
Seems odd to me. Yes, there's the potential loss of revenue, but why dilute the odds of winning by flooding the pool with free entries? I'm agitated by this death by a 1,000 paper cuts state legislature.
 
So I’m guessing there isn’t a bill in the works to get rid of these programs?
If there ever is to be one, there better be a fiscal note attached to make up the lost revenue.

Like I said from the start, these tag give away programs, all of them, are not worth it...cause all sorts of issues and people/agencies/NGO's are addicted to the $$$.

Handcuffs proper decision making for all involved, every....single....time.
 
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Seems odd to me. Yes, there's the potential loss of revenue, but why dilute the odds of winning by flooding the pool with free entries? I'm agitated by this death by a 1,000 paper cuts state legislature.
Votes back home...political pay backs, etc.
 
This is a silly one. What’s the supposed rationale behind this bill? Is John Q. Montana Hunter really going to get all the more excited about a long-odds raffle that many regard as a donation? Is it supposed to give a perceived resident preference to the super tag drawing by diluting the pool with boatloads of new entries? Not sure what constituent this really aims to please, or how pleased they’re really going to be with the result.
 
Slightly off topic, but last year I got 6 buddies to buy their M,S,G,E,D super tags and then drop $10 / hunter into a kitty. The hunter with the cumulative lowest drawing position across the 5 species won the pot. Hoping to get enough guys this go around that someone gets their in-state license paid for. I share, not to get you jokers in the game, but rather to show there are other, more creative, ways out there to get super tag participation up.
 
I just don't see the point of this. If every tag holder elk, deer, A and B tags gets one entry for their purchase of their tag I think that will do 2 things. One your chances of drawing a super tag will go WAY down (its already really low). Because of this I think less people will actually purchase a super tag drawing. I know I probably won't anymore, whats the point. That would actually decrease the revenue. I just don't see the upside here. What are the legislators saying about the upside of this?
 
I’m buying as many doe tags as possible as super tag chances and then tossing them in the waste basket. Everyone should follow my lead
 
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