DINK: You are way over-simplifying the situation! THE main problem is that for the last 3+ decades "outfitters" have been buying up the Hunting rights on more and more and more private lands and access to public lands as well. These ranches, access to public lands and private lands as well, had very often previously been available to the average Hunter! I just yesterday Hunted adjacent to an "outfitted" ranch that had just over 1,200 (one thousand two hundred!) Elk on it! Myself and my two companions counted them! It took a LONG time to count this many Elk by the way. Yeah... its an "outfitted" ranch that charges BIG MONEY to harvest a Bull Elk ONLY, from that amazing herd. Once the Hunting season is over this same rancher (for the last several years anyway) simply dispatches a small fleet of hired hands on ATV's to "disperse" (run off or "de-outfit"!) those same Elk! Then, after the season, these Elk take refuge from the Wolves on neighboring ranches where the owners do not appreciate/make money off of their presence! So instead of having game animals Hunted throughout the season by many folks, and the animals spread out among the various public lands and the edges of private lands the Elk (Deer and Antelope often as well) annually seek the relative calm of the outfitted/private lands. By the way, the last I heard the "outfitted" (tresspass fee!) price on this ranch was $5,500.00 and was limited to 10 Bull Elk Hunters during a 37 day long Rifle season!!! Hmmm... I wonder if that rancher/outfitter declares that $55,000.00 as "income"??? This is JUST ONE reason MOST people are against "outfitter" set aside tags! By the way we never saw an Elk - not EVEN ONE ELK, during yesterdays Hunt on the adjacent lands where we were allowed to Hunt. There are about 20 (twenty) equally pertinent reasons MOST Montana voters ARE against the "outfitter" set asides!!! The reason it was "put to a vote" was the majority of Montanans ARE absolutely sick of the situation, as is. DINK and this, part of reality (good mental health!) is being aware that MOST people could give a rats ass less what YOU or I think! Your opinion matters ONLY to you - when a situation that you obviously have no clue about has offended the majority of the affected people THEN in a democracy the affected people vote on it! And again the results are "is what it is" and your and my opinions are now irrelevent. By the way I did vote on this matter and as a result of the way the election turned out I am hoping to see an improvement in Hunter access. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
