Fowl Play: Predatory Montana Politicians put Wildlife Management in Crosshairs

...and why it should ruffle your feathers.

In the Lion’s Den

It wasn’t terribly long ago that I was up in arms about a few new line items added in the eleventh hour of a Montana FWP Commission meeting.

The target of my fury was something I wasn’t quiet about. Without implicating myself in legal troubles I certainly don’t need right now, let’s just say it had to do with an outfitter of a certain species who sat in a very important chair at the table, proposing regulation changes to policies concerning how that species could be hunted, including decreasing opportunity for resident hunters, increasing the regulation complications, changing policy statewide without biologist oversight, and conveniently, giving himself nearly unlimited opportunity to sell hunts to nonresidents at his outfitting company.

Those proposed regulation changes passed, giving this unnamed individual the power to write himself a blank check while the resident hunters of our state were further restricted.

I demanded there be an ethics inquiry. I fumed.

…and then, in very short order, I did absolutely nothing about it.

A Sloth’s Apathy

“The death of democracy is not likely to ba an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indiference, and undernourishment. “

~Robert M Hutchins

That’s the goal, isn’t it?

Between the day I walked out of our capitol building from that fateful commission meeting and today, I found myself filled with the utmost detached aloofness.

“Hey, did you hear about the proposed changes to…”
~Nope.
“Woah, Senator so-and-so just…”
~Neat.
“What do you think we should do about senate bill blah, blah, blah?”
~Yeahhhhh… I don’t care.

I recently discussed this new level of unbridled blitheness with Randy Newberg on Hunt Talk Radio. The gist of it all comes down to a few truths.

After spending countless hours, countless dollars, making countless phone calls, and sending countless emails - my efforts were, essentially, for nothing.

I took time off of work, emptied my own wallet into my gas tank, stayed up late researching until I passed out on my laptop, and slept in my truck in our state capitol so I could testify and ensure Montanan’s voices were heard.

All for the 90% of Montana’s voices to be ignored, including mine, for the benefit of a select few who held seats of power.

On top of it all was an onslaught of critiques about every aspect of my VOLUNTEER efforts. From online heroes letting me know I didn’t bring up the right topics in my testimony and telling me I was worthless to the trolls who called me every foul name they could misspell because of my affiliation with certain conservation groups that weren’t good enough for them to full-blown, credible threats on my life that required police involvement…

I hit a big fuckoff wall.

Why?

My ‘why’ used to be all things conservation, protection of our traditions, and pushing for science-based wildlife management.

My ‘why’ very quickly became… WHY?

Why am I missing valuable time with my family, spending money I don’t have to spend, and losing sleep for efforts that are consistently ignored, make no difference, and only result in personal strife?

I could have spent that gas money on a good dark beer and watched my family fish the small streams we (at least for now) have stream access to - instead of testifying, crying, and growing gray hairs - with an identical end result.

And in that realization, my priorities shifted, and I couldn’t have given a single slimy shit about any policy, any regulation, or any seat at any table. I let every membership to every organization lapse. I withdrew from the discourse. I was done.

My dive into an apathetic existence was the goal. It is exactly what they are hoping to achieve. And it worked beautifully.

An Assault on the Wrong Pack

I am a firm believer that one of the most dangerous groups of humans to cross is the educated, informed, independent, backwood folk. There’s something powerful about the quiet, intelligent masses who come across as unimposing but, in their quaint existence, can outwork, outhunt, outbuilt, outclimb, outlast, and outwit even the fanciest suit.

It is the plan that is formulated around a campfire above 10,000 feet that typically trumps the plan made in executive suites.

The wrong people have made the decision to pick a fight with the last group of people they should’ve taken aim at.

This isn’t just happening in my state. It just happens to be occurring openly in Montana, where unchecked power seems to be running rampant.

The Dismantling of Herd Health

The most recent Montana conservationist to be placed on sudden “administrative leave” is Fisheries Chief Eileen Ryce. Ryce was reportedly publicly escorted out of FWP headquarters in Helena.

This comes after a string of sudden, unexpected departures from Montana’s wildlife agency, beginning with the election of our current governor.

FWP Chief of Operations Mike Volesky was placed on administrative leave in October of 2023, citing a “personnel issue” without further explanation.

FWP Chief Warden Dave Loewen was placed on administrative leave in the summer of 2022 after raising concerns about “false rumors being spread, defamatory comments being made, and inappropriate communication being held between management-level staff and field staff,” though there was no official reason publicly given for the leave by the administration.

FWP Director (retired) Hank Worsech later sent out an email letting staff know Loewen would be retiring.

FWP Region 2 Wildlife Chief Mike Thompson “retired suddenly” in January of 2022 after being given a 20-day suspension from Worsech.

Why does any of this matter?

Well, it seems that the people who are educated and charged with leading science-based wildlife management in Montana are being suddenly, and without explanation, ousted. These men and women who have dedicated their lives to preserving the beauty and heritage of Montana’s wild spaces and wild species are being silenced and removed from their posts for what appears to be even the slightest move against the political grain.

Each one of them highly respected by the public; Each one of them discarded by the administration.

It is this systematic silencing of those who are standing up for Montana that has to stop.

The Extinction of Apathy

I hate politics. strike that.
I LOATHE POLITICS.

However, I hate what is happening more.

When I was deeply involved in the conservation space in my state, I saw firsthand the dirty dealings and abuse of power. As I’ve removed myself from that world, it seems to have only grown more blatant. Thus, my apathy must die, and so should yours.

We have to care. We have so much to lose.

If the only power we seem to have as citizens is to bombard those in power with calls, emails, op-eds, and public scrutiny, so be it.

If the only power we seem to have as citizens is to show up and stare into the dead eyes of those at the table in commission meetings, letting them know that the people are not happy, so be it.

But the real power we have as citizens is in the vote, and mine alone is not enough.

A vote for Gianforte is a vote against Montana.
It is a vote against wildlife.
It is a vote against habitat.
It is a vote against our traditions.
It is a vote against our way of life.

This isn’t a political party issue nearly as much as it’s a policy issue. I don’t care if you’re the most alt-right conservative or the loosest lefty liberal; the reality is that your vote matters this year, and for once, as Montanans, I think we can all finally get on the same page by voting a politician who seems to hate us all equally.

If you love hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, breathing mountain air, listening to elk bugle, eating local food, and enjoying crystal clear water - you just can’t vote for Greg Gianforte.

Greg Gianforte, a wealthy out-of-stater worth hundreds of millions of dollars, who (via his wife) has sued MT FWP, has been openly against stream access, financially supports causes to privatize public lands, and has almost exclusively voted against conservation-positive policy, is systematically stealing our state right from under us.

His administration has dismantled the legacy of Montana wildlife management in a way that will take years to rebuild if it can be rebuilt at all.

Don’t even get me started on his (multiple) hunting violations or his fascinating religious/science beliefs. Just Google it.

I’ve been asked to publicly support certain candidates and always declined. I’ve been asked to be in political commercials and have all but scoffed.
I’ve been asked if I have ever considered running for office, but I know all too well I run my mouth better than I could ever. I would rather chew off my own leg.

That all being said, I am publicly asking you to help stop Greg Gianforte from further destroying my home. We have to stop him from taking away my family’s hunting and fishing opportunities and access and pushing for the privatization of our wild places.

I am asking you to vote for literally anyone but him.

Join me in casting the right vote, showing up at the meetings, sending the emails, and refusing to watch apathetically as Montana turns into a fake commercialized playground for the rich and famous.

A vote for Greg Gianforte is a vote against Montana.

Here’s to the death of apathy.