New laws include price break for student hunters

By WILL MELTON
Community News Service
UM School of Journalism

Some hunters at Montana’s public universities will soon find it’s cheaper to bag an elk or deer than it used to be.

Senate Bill 185, sponsored by Sen. Joe Balyeat, R-Bozeman, will save hundreds of dollars for nonresident full-time students who want to hunt deer and elk.

Last year, it cost these students $643 to buy a combination license, which allows hunters to hunt deer, elk and upland game birds, and also includes a fishing license. SB 185, however, will reduce the cost to $70 for the same rights.

According to Ron Aasheim of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, FWP didn’t officially endorse the bill, but they’re happy it exists as a “good way to get kids in the field.”

He said the bill could cost FWP some money but it may increase revenues too, because not many college students could afford the previous price. The fiscal note attached to the bill actually projects an increase of as much as $42,000 in revenues due to the changes.

To qualify for the lower prices, students must be enrolled for 12 credits of classes. The bill also applies to anyone with a diploma from a Montana high school who is currently a full-time student at an out-of-state college, so long as a parent remains a Montana resident.

Here are some of the other hunting and fishing bills signed into law this year:

• House Bill 74 allows Fish, Wildlife and Parks to include mountain lion, bear and wolf among species with designated archery-only seasons. Previously, the species list included deer, antelope, elk, moose, sheep and goat.

• House Bill 317 guarantees that a member of the Armed Forces who forfeits a special hunting license due to an overseas deployment will receive the same license, without additional fee, the year the member returns.

• House Bill 366 allows Montana’s anglers to fish in bordering states within 10 miles of the border on any body of water that crosses that border - if the bordering state reciprocates

• House Bill 383 offers free big-game licenses to youths under 18 with life-threatening illnesses. This expands the old law, which gave licenses to youths under 17 with terminal illnesses.