Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 87. FISH AND WILDLIFE

CHAPTER 2. FISHING, HUNTING, AND TRAPPING LICENSES

Part 7. Special and Combination Licenses and Nongame Certificate

Landowner Preference For Class B-10 Nonresident Big Game Combination License

87-2-714. Landowner preference for Class B-10 nonresident big game combination license. (1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (6), 15% of licenses issued under 87-2-505 may be placed in a landowner preference pool for nonresident landowners to hunt only on property the landowner owns in fee title or on other private property the landowner leases to produce a crop as defined in 80-8-102.

(2) A nonresident landowner of record may designate an immediate family member to receive the license issued under this section. For purposes of this section, an immediate family member means a spouse, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, niece, or nephew of the landowner by blood, marriage, or legal adoption.

(3) (a) To qualify to receive a Class B-10 license pursuant to this section, the landowner must own at least 2,500 contiguous acres in fee title. Subject to the provisions of subsections (3)(b) and (5), for each additional 2,500 contiguous acres owned by the landowner, the department may issue to the landowner or the landowner's immediate family members an additional Class B-10 license up to a maximum of five Class B-10 licenses per qualifying landowner.

(b) An individual may not hold more than one Class B-10 license.

(4) Applicants must pay the full Class B-10 license fee established in 87-2-505.

(5) If there is a sufficient number of licenses set forth in subsection (1) and multiple applications made per qualifying landowner, the department shall issue one license to each qualifying landowner or the landowner's immediate family member before it issues a second or subsequent license to any landowner or the landowner's immediate family member. All Class B-10 licenses not issued pursuant to this section shall be returned to the general draw pool available to all applicants pursuant to 87-2-505.

(6) The commission may, by rule, limit the overall number of licenses that can be provided to landowners or their immediate family members pursuant to this section to less than 15% of those available pursuant to 87-2-505.

(7) A landowner who receives a license pursuant to this section and who was enrolled in a department-administered private land hunting access program in the previous license year may purchase an additional bonus point for an elk or deer license or permit drawing for the fee established in 87-2-113.

History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 487, L. 2023.