Fish and wildlife bills carried to Helena

Outside of the realm of wolves and mountain lions, the 2013 Legislature will examine a host of other fish and wildlife bills this session. Here’s a quick look at just some of the proposals by Montana lawmakers:

• House Bill 147, sponsored by Rep. Alan Redfield, R-Livingston, would increase the fine for hunting non-game animals and predators on private land without permission from no more than $25 to no more than $150 for a first offense. A person caught hunting big game without permission would be fined no less than $500 and lose their license for three years.

• House Bill 198, sponsored by Rep. Champ Edmunds, R-Missoula, would allow the FWP Commission to set late deer and elk seasons from Dec. 15 to Jan. 10 in areas where deer and elk populations are above management levels. It also allows a late season for muzzleloaders, shotguns, bow and arrow, and crossbow. The idea is to allow people who come home for the Christmas holidays a chance to hunt.

• Senate Bill 123, sponsored by Sens. Kendall Van Dyk, D-Billings, and Jeffrey Welborn, R-Dillon, would create a “hunters against hunger” program so hunters could donate game to food banks and other charitable non-profits. The program would also allow hunters to donate $1 above the cost of a license toward the program to pay for meat processing.

More than 34 bills deal with fish and wildlife, but two are already likely dead. One, sponsored by Rep. Ted Washburn, R-Bozeman, called for killing a bear or other large predator if it harms a human or is an immediate threat to human safety. Another, sponsored by Rep. Pat Connell, R-Conner, which required barbless hooks on catch-and-release waters, was tabled in committee.