Guest opinion: Gianforte Appointments Favor Private Wildlife

Growing up in rural Utah, I had incredible public hunting opportunities just like so many in Montana have enjoyed for generations. I spent time with family and friends, pursuing mule deer and elk on both public and private lands in what were the defining moments of my upbringing.

That all changed when a group called Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife took over my home state’s wildlife agency, and made hunting strictly something for the wealthy. The public gets the crumbs, reduced to a handful of licenses. Even worse, in many hunting areas the public has to buy the license from an adjoining landow...