Outfitters’ Tag Share Assured If Hunt Cut

The Senate has voted to allow the Fish and Game Commission to allocate deer and elk tags set aside for outfitters among the outfitters if it decides to clamp down on harvests of either big game animal.

The measure was sent to the House on a 20-15 vote as critics complained that it essentially sanctioned controversial proposals to reduce the elk and deer harvests now under commission review, or diverted even more tags to outfitters.

But Resource Committee Chairman Laird Noh, R-Kimberly, said the bill only assures outfitters a comparable share of available tags so they can remain in business during any scaled-back hunting period.

, DataTimes