Sports
OPINION: The Montana Master Hunter Program
Published
4 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersA creative solution for wildlife management
By Zach Brown
In 2018, One Montana started the Montana Master Hunter Program on a hypothesis: That there would be a demand for advanced education opportunities within Montana’s hunting community, and that more than a few landowners would be excited to work with respectful, highly skilled and vetted hunters. A year and a half later, we are excited to report that our bets were right on; in fact, we hit the jackpot.
We have graduated 90 Master Hunters through our rigorous program. Our class requires our students to dedicate over 50 hours toward classroom study, lectures, readings and skills training. At the end of our course, we require a 75 percent passing score on a 100-point written exam, and passage of a rifle-accuracy certification led by our partners at 406 Precision. The program requires hunters to engage at a level above and beyond any other American hunting certification out there. Our Master Hunters truly earn their title.
Cascade rancher Scott Hibbard helped jump start this project as a contractor to One Montana in 2015, when this program was still just an idea in the mind of a few.
Scott spent the better part of six months on the phone and on the road, meeting with landowners and hunters across Montana. He asked dozens of folks what it would take to improve hunting access and wildlife in Montana, and how we can improve relations between our state’s landowner and hunting communities.
His answers to those questions became the curriculum framework behind our course. Additionally, Scott’s focus on landowner perspectives, including agricultural economics and private land stewardship, helped us solidify the buy-in of landowner groups such as the Montana Stockgrowers Association, the Grain Growers Association and the Western Landowners Alliance. That focus, making sure that everything about our program is landowner driven, has become the heart and soul of our program.
After our hunters graduate, One Montana’s staff works hard to find them places to hunt. We reach out to thoughtful landowners who might be looking for help managing their wildlife populations, but are hesitant to just let any random person onto their property. In one case, we have a ranch partner that is offering a service-for-access agreement. If a Master Hunter agrees to spend one Saturday lopping encroaching conifers—a task that improves wildlife habitat as well as cattle grazing conditions—they can earn a two-day cow elk hunt. And for two full days of lopping, a Master Hunter can earn the privilege of crossing private land to access landlocked public land for three days of archery bull elk hunting.
In another example, a rancher is allowing our Master Hunters to hunt white-tailed deer, an opportunity he has not allowed for many years because the deer spend time near ranch buildings and cattle. But he sees a need for management, and trusts that our vetted hunters will make safe, ethical shots near his valuable property.
Ultimately, Master Hunters are actively improving hunting access and wildlife management in Montana. Working with these hunters and the stewardship-oriented landowners who invite them onto their land is enough to give a person hope. These Montanans are breaking down barriers between rural and urban communities, and building relationships that will serve Montana’s people and wildlife for many years to come.
Master Hunters are community builders and ambassadors for Montana’s proud hunting tradition. Does that sound like you?
Visit mtmasterhunter.com for more information.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
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February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
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15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
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Verge Theater
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
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March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
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Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
29mar3:00 pm4:00 pmGood Friday Mass: St. Joseph Catholic Mission3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event City:Big Sky
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Friday of the Passion of the Lord St. Joseph Catholic Mission
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Friday of the Passion of the Lord
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
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