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69th Legislature 2025 HB 71.1
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 71
1 HOUSE BILL NO. 71
2 INTRODUCED BY S. MANESS
3 BY REQUEST OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PARKS
4
5 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT REVISING LAWS RELATED TO HUNTING OF MOUNTAIN LIONS
6 AND MOUNTAIN SHEEP; REVISING RESTRICTIONS ON SPECIAL LICENSES; ALLOWING MORE THAN
7 ONE MOUNTAIN LION LICENSE TO BE ISSUED TO THE SAME HUNTER IN A LICENSE YEAR;
8 ELIMINATING REPORTING REQUIREMENTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PARKS
9 REPORT ON HARVESTS AND TISSUE SAMPLING EFFORTS FROM THE TENDOY MOUNTAIN SHEEP
10 HERD; AND AMENDING SECTION 87-2-702, MCA.”
11
12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
13
14Section 1. Section 87-2-702, MCA, is amended to read:
15 "87-2-702. Restrictions on special licenses -- availability of bear and mountain lion licenses. (1)
16 A person who has killed or taken any game animal, except a deer, an elk, or an antelope, or a mountain lion,
17 during the current license year is not permitted to receive a special license under this chapter to hunt or kill a
18 second game animal of the same species.
19 (2) The commission may require applicants for special permits authorized by this chapter to obtain
20 a valid big game license for that species for the current year prior to applying for a special permit.
21 (3) Except as provided in 87-2-815, a person may take only one grizzly bear in Montana with a
22 license authorized by 87-2-701.
23 (4) (a) Except as provided in 87-1-271(2), 87-1-275, and 87-2-815, a person who receives a
24 moose, mountain goat, or limited mountain sheep license, as authorized by 87-2-701, with the exception of an
25 antlerless moose or an adult ewe game management license issued under 87-2-104, is not eligible to receive
26 another special license for that species for the next 7 years. For the purposes of this subsection (4)(a), "limited
27 mountain sheep license" means a license that is valid for an area in which the number of licenses issued is
28 restricted.
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69th Legislature 2025 HB 71.1
- 2 - Authorized Print Version – HB 71
1 (b) (i) Except as provided in 87-1-271(2) and 87-2-815, a person who takes a legal ram mountain
2 sheep with at least one horn that is equal to or greater than a three-fourths curl using an unlimited mountain
3 sheep license or a population management license issued pursuant to 87-2-701 is not eligible to receive
4 another special license for that species for the next 7 years. For the purposes of this subsection (4)(b)[(i)] (4)(b),
5 "unlimited mountain sheep license" means a license that is valid for an area in which the number of licenses
6 issued is not restricted.
7 [(ii) The department shall biennially report to the environmental quality council in accordance with
8 5-11-210 information on:
9 (A) mountain sheep harvested pursuant to this subsection (4) from the Tendoy Mountain herd;
10 (B) efforts to collect tissue samples and other biological information from mountain sheep
11 harvested from the Tendoy Mountain herd to determine the immunity of surviving herd members to pneumonia
12 outbreaks; and
13 (C) attempts by the department to share tissue samples and other biological information collected
14 from the Tendoy Mountain herd with Washington State University, other public entities, and private entities that
15 research the interaction between mountain sheep and domestic sheep.]
16 (5) An application for a wild buffalo or bison license must be made on the same form and is subject
17 to the same license application deadline as the special license for moose, mountain goat, and mountain sheep.
18 (Bracketed language in subsection (4)(b) terminates July 1, 2027--sec. 3, Ch. 186, L. 2017.)"
19 - END -