Bill > HB450

This bill modifies Montana's licensing laws for training bird hunting dogs by introducing several key changes. A Class D-5 license, which costs $5 for residents and $10 for nonresidents (with free options for youth ages 12-18), will now require applicants to report the number of dogs they plan to train, and this number will be printed directly on the license. The bill shifts the Fish and Wildlife Commission's rulemaking authority from a mandatory "shall" to a permissive "may", giving the commission more flexibility to establish rules. Specifically, the commission can now limit the number of Class D-5 licenses issued to nonresidents and restrict the number of dogs that can be trained under a single license. The legislation maintains existing provisions that allow training of bird hunting dogs using game birds, with specific requirements such as tagging captive game birds obtained from licensed game bird farms. The bill aims to provide more precise regulation and tracking of bird dog training activities in Montana while maintaining the existing framework for licensing and bird dog training.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC4148