ORIGINAL: PurpleSage
Don't take those Landowner Sponsored tags for granted anymore. I am a landowner in eastern MT and I just got my LS tag info from the Fish and Game. To sponsor a nonresident hunter this year, the landowner is required to permit public hunting at no charge. I will be surprised if many landowners will allow this. Now don't get me wrong, I do allow a few local hunters on at no charge but to allow unrestricted public hunting--no way. There is Block Management, State and Federal lands for that. This is just another way that the Fish and Game is driving a wedge between the hunting public and the landowners. Just my thoughts...
Purplesage,
You need to go back and read the LS tag requirements again. I just got them and they do no say what you are implying.Anylandowner whoowns more then 160 acresis allowed to sponsor up to 15 hunters. Any landowner who own more the 640deeded, contigous acres goes into themini drawing andget one Deer comboLS licence, then thethere is a second drawing for those who are being sponsored by someone who owns less then 640 acres, applied as a party or did not get drawn in thefirst mini drawing. After that inMay there is a drawing for tags that were turned back orare left over from earlier drawings. If you, as a landowner, wished to participate in that (it is voluntary) you then, and onlythen,must give "reasonable" access to public hunting. I asked what the FWP's definition of reasonable was and they said it was up to the landowner. So I don't know why you would say that the FWP is driving a wedge between landowners and the hunting public. You have complete control of the access and only have to allow reseasonable public access if you choose to participate in the left over drawing. I called the FWP to verify all of this.
I understand you don't like giving access to the public but to spread things that are false and then say the FWP is driving a wedge between landowners and the hunting public is a bad tactic. It doesn't surprise me though in dealing with most members of MOGA they would just as soon end all access to any private land for non paying hunters.
Nemont