Promising protocols and emerging science are helping wild sheep managers, conservationists, and wool growers mitigate disease transmission.

Leaders of the Montana Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus will welcome attendees and discuss some of the Caucus' recent victories. This session will also feature remarks from the Director of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks who will discuss the wide range of hunting and fishing opportunities the state offers, among other topics.

Leaders of the Montana Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus will welcome attendees and discuss some of the Caucus' recent victories. This session will also feature remarks from leaders of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks who will discuss the wide range of hunting and fishing opportunities the state offers, among other topics.

In many states, non-resident college students are unable to afford the cost of hunting licenses which has implications for the future of hunting. Through a cooperative and collaborative approach, we successfully passed legislation in Montana which allows non-resident students to purchase resident rate hunting licenses. The combination of effective and unique partnerships, respect for a process-oriented approach, a willingness to seek and follow advice, and robust student participation were keys to our success. We share lessons learned during our passage of this legislation while highlighting the collaborative nature and learning opportunity we were given.

This session will explore the differences between the North American Model of Wildlife Management and how wildlife is managed in the United Kingdom. Two tenets central to wildlife management in the United States, the public trust doctrine and the prohibition against market hunting, are not components of wildlife management across the pond. As the commercial sale of wild venison has been debated in some states recently, this session will compare the pros and cons of each management model with perspectives provided by a U.S. certified wildlife biologist and UK-based chef, restaurateur, and hunter.

Sportsmen and women know hunting is not poaching, and that poachers are thieves, not hunters. Poaching goes against all that we hold sacred as law-abiding sportsmen and women and undermines the entire foundation of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. However, poachers are not always treated as such under our laws. Wildlife cases are disproportionately dismissed, and penalties are often applied inconsistently. The Boone and Crockett Club’s Poach & Pay Project aims to develop a better understanding of the scope of the issue and provide specific actions to increase the prosecution and penalties for wildlife crimes. The Poach & Pay Project works with state wildlife agencies, legislators, and judiciaries to improve the detection and conviction of poachers and to ensure that the fines being assessed for this illegal killing are in line with the value our society places on its wildlife.

Join us for a refreshment break in the exhibitor area and stop by exhibitor booths to enter a raffle.

This session will feature a moderated discussion with leaders of state legislative sportsmen's caucuses as they reflect on best management practices and lessons learned in their efforts to maintain highly effective and relevant entities to protect and advance the interests of their sportsmen and women constituents.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte will be joining this year’s NASC Summit to welcome all attendees and highlight the many sporting pursuits and natural wonders that Big Sky Country has to offer. As a valuable member of the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus, Governor Gianforte will provide remarks on how sportsmen and women are a vital part of Montana’s cultural fabric.

The NASC Executive Council Nominations Committee Chair Senator Robin Webb will moderate this session which will provide candidates for the Executive Council an opportunity to provide brief remarks on their work with the respective caucuses and why they wish to be considered for the Executive Council.

Attendees will meet in the main lobby for transportation to the off-site location where the various outdoor activities will be held. Guests are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather.

Attendees will head to the Manhattan Wildlife Association for an afternoon of activities and demonstrations. Participants will have an opportunity to shoot trap, learn how to break down a deer carcass, learn about trapping technology and techniques, and more.

Buses will return to the Kimpton Armory for the evening reception, dinner, and auction.

This year’s auction and raffle, which will be held during the reception and dinner, will feature a wide array of hunting, fishing, and shooting items and excursions. Attendees will have the opportunity to take advantage of some great deals to wrap up their holiday shopping, or perhaps to begin planning for trips afield next year, all while supporting the work of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation in strengthening the NASC network.

During dinner, you will also hear from Safari Club International who will be presenting on 'Working Together to Protect the Freedom to Hunt.'

Frontal assaults and backdoor attempts to undermine regulated hunting and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation are unfortunately the status quo today on the state and federal level. From access related issues to trophy importation bans, to predators, the list goes on and, through it all, SCI remains First For Hunters. This session will focus less on the historical background of these issues and more on the current and ongoing threats to sustainable hunting. Safari Club International (SCI), the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and promoting wildlife conservation worldwide, works with the sporting community, elected officials, and SCI members to ensure wildlife management decisions are based on sound science, not emotional sentiment or politics.

Scotland has seen generations of war. Today the war is different. Gone are swords and muskets replaced by government policies pushed by groups staffed by Scotland’s urban elite. Reminiscent with the acts of genocide during the Highland Clearances after the battle of Culloden in 1746 there is a modern effort to remove rural folks from the land. The targets are gamekeepers, ghillies, and deer stalkers whose families have been working the land, in some cases, for centuries. The land provides jobs and wages which they use to buy food and pay bills; keep families living in small communities filling local schools with children; and providing active wildlife and habitat management. It’s a war for control. It’s basically class warfare. It’s a war where wildlife biodiversity and habitat conservation may be a thing of the past.