In my recent experiences hunting here in Montana I have noticed that there is a very limited opprotunity for hunters to access the places where wildlife are. The Dept of Game & Fish Biologist proclaim that the wildlife numbers are above management levels, and the harvest numbers are down.
 
   In many of these locations the landowners have favorable spots landlocked in order to prevent access from sportsmen. This means that the land owner is blocking access to places such as National forest, state lands, and BLM land. There are land owners who do participate in the "Hunting Access Enhancement Program," however, those are so far and few between. Many cases have been observed by law enforcement agency where the private landowners are actually disputing with the hunters over boundaries in the field, thus, causing useless conflicts. Other cases, landowners are trying to cash in buy charging tresspass fee's in order for hunters to hunt these lands.

   Greety landowners prevent hunters from doing what we are meant to do, and that is help manage wildlife numbers thru the means of hunting while providing meals for our families. Hunters need to unite together and make a change to the way this hunting access enhancement program is conducted. Every hunter pays a Hunting Access Enhancement Fee annually if they want to hunt in Montana. This program was created by the Montana Legislature in 2001, and then a new initiative was created (intiative 161) in 2010.

   Initiative 161 was created in order to abolish 5500 outfitter guaranteed licenses and reallocate them to the general draw. Within this initiatives language it states that the Non-Resident Licenses Fee are to be raised for the specific purpose to have a larger amount allocated to the Hunters Access Enhancement program. This initiative was successfully passed in 2010 for the 2011 seasons.

   The private landowners who do participate in this program are granted a few rewards from the State of Montana as well as Game & Fish. However, there is just not enough landowners willing to participate! We propose that the private landowners who have acreages in excess of 50 acres should have to pay extra real estate taxes per acre owned if they do not want to participate in this Hunters Access Enhancement Program (Block Management). The extra real estate taxes would be allocated to the Hunters Access Enhancement Program for the purpose of supporting all hunters.