Revise hunting license fees to include cranes and swans
Summary
HB 146 revises Montana hunting license fees for migratory game birds and creates new application and license fees for sandhill crane and swan hunting. The bill raises the resident migratory game bird license fee from $5.50 to $10 and maintains the nonresident fee at $150. It also establishes separate resident and nonresident fees for sandhill crane and swan applications and licenses, including a requirement that anyone purchasing a sandhill crane or swan license must also hold a migratory game bird license.
The bill directs revenue from migratory game bird, sandhill crane, and swan license sales into a state special revenue account for the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and specifies that those funds may be used only for the protection, conservation, and development of wetlands in Montana. It also amends the application-fee statute to add sandhill crane and swan to the list of species subject to special drawing application fees, with the usual bonus point fees and deposit rules applying. The act takes effect March 1, 2026.
Impact
HB 146 amends sections 87-2-113 and 87-2-411 of the Montana Code Annotated to expand the state’s fee structure for migratory bird-related hunting opportunities and to dedicate associated revenue to wetland conservation. It creates new statutory fees for sandhill crane and swan applications and licenses, increases the resident migratory game bird license fee, and channels the resulting receipts into a special revenue account for department use. The bill primarily affects hunters seeking migratory game bird, crane, and swan licenses, as well as the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the state’s wetland funding stream.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad legislative support overall, passing the House and Senate with comfortable margins and clearing the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee unanimously. The Senate floor vote showed more division than the earlier stages, but the measure still advanced with a clear majority. The voting pattern suggests general acceptance of the fee changes and conservation funding approach, with some senators opposed or hesitant about the new costs.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the increase in hunting-related fees, especially the higher resident migratory game bird license fee and the new costs for sandhill crane and swan applications and licenses. Opponents may have viewed the bill as adding expenses for hunters or expanding fee-based access to game species, while supporters likely emphasized the conservation purpose and the linkage of revenue to wetland protection. The Senate floor votes indicate that, although the bill was ultimately approved, it drew more resistance there than in committee or the House.