# Montana HB 897: Generally revise laws related to shed hunting on wildlife management areas

Montana HB 897, Generally revise laws related to shed hunting on wildlife management areas, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Jill Cohenour (Democrat); status signed, last action 2025-05-19 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB897-2025
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Montana HB 897
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Generally revise laws related to shed hunting on wildlife management areas
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-03-27
- Last action: 2025-05-19, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Jill Cohenour (Democrat)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Fish, Revenue, State, Rule Making
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 4 (211 yes, 87 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- New WMA shed hunting license and access: mixed, medium. The law creates a $50 Class F license for nonresidents to shed hunt on wildlife management areas. Residents get seven days of exclusive WMA access for shed hunting before nonresidents. Shed hunting means taking naturally shed antlers or horns, or antlers/horns with part of a skull from animals that…
- Buy a conservation license first: mixed, low. You must buy a conservation license before you buy hunting, fishing, nonresident WMA shed-hunting, or trapping licenses. You also need it before using lands owned or controlled by the department or for general recreation on state trust land. There are exceptions in 87-2-803(6) and 87-2-815. The app…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Jill Cohenour (Democrat), House
- Cosponsor: Tom McGillvray (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-22 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 50 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-18 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 49 | 1 |   |
| 2025-04-05 | House | Do Pass | pass | 60 | 38 |   |
| 2025-04-04 | House | Do Pass | pass | 52 | 48 |   |

## Actions (29)

- 2025-05-19: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-05-13: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-05-07: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-05-06: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-05-02: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-28: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-22: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-22: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-18: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-16: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-04-15: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-04-10: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: Hearing Canceled (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-04-05: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-04-05: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-04-04: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-04-02: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-04-01: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-04-01: Hearing (House)
- 2025-04-01: Fiscal Note Printed (House)
- 2025-03-31: Fiscal Note Unsigned (House)
- 2025-03-31: Fiscal Note Received (House)
- 2025-03-28: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-03-28: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-03-27: Fiscal Note Requested (House)
- 2025-03-27: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-23: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=415bf052-3a1b-437c-83e3-530ef10df6a1)
- Introduced, 2025-03-27: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=97499b88-65df-4e78-ae09-1ac2a96850c1)

## Related bills

- SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law (signed)
- HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit (vetoed)
- HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws (vetoed)
- SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act (vetoed)
- SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed)
- SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed)

## Sources
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=415bf052-3a1b-437c-83e3-530ef10df6a1)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=97499b88-65df-4e78-ae09-1ac2a96850c1)

## Related
- [SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB437-2025)
- [HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB831-2025)
- [HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB628-2025)
- [SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB410-2025)
- [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025)
- [SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025)
- [Montana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana/bills)
- [Montana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB897-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).