Dark-money group stealing your wildlife

The Montana Conservation Society – now that sounds like a group worth supporting. But, take a look under the hood and you’ll see that this dark-money group is really a snake, working to get hunter dollars and handing licenses to large landowners.

The group’s website conveniently leaves out that its president was an outfitter who, for several decades, leased hundreds of thousands of acres of private land, blocking out the public. He also was engaged with Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife – the Utah group that has made millions off the infamous “Expo” auction that sells off trophy hunts.

Its policy director is an out-of-state lobbyist who has no interest in promoting Montana hunters. But he’s lobbying in the state Capitol, working on key bills about hunting seasons and licenses to benefit his organization. And it’s unclear where his funding is coming from.

If this sounds familiar, that’s because it is. The same model came to Utah two decades ago, and since then, resident hunters have gotten less and less opportunity, while outfitters and large landowners hog the best.

Beware this group. They’re coming for your hunter license dollars, at the expense of your hunting opportunity.