Gov. Greg Gianforte at a news conference regarding grizzly bear delisting on Aug. 5, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)
I am a 70-year-old, retired farmer. I am a fourth generation Montanan and a lifelong avid hunter, angler and conservationist. I have a degree in wildlife biology and research experience on large predators. I started farming in 1977. I own Circle S Ranch in eastern Montana and pay property taxes in five counties.
I have always shared the bounty of the ranch with sportsmen, sportswomen and conservationists for free. No one has ever paid a dime for access. I have been engaged in conservation, habitat improvement, and fish and wildlife management for a lifetime. I don’t hold myself out as a Republican or a Democrat. However, I write this letter as hunting season begins to urge all Montana hunters to start paying attention to how you vote, and which party is helping local Montana hunters, and which one is not…