Montana hunters won a victory in the state House Wednesday as lawmakers and the Governor came together over a bill to let sportsmen used sound suppressors on their rifles.
Sound suppressors quiet the noise of a rifle to reduce ear damage to the hunter. Many hunters like them, but game wardens oppose them, because they say suppressors help poachers get away with breaking the law.
Two years ago Governor Steve Bullock vetoed a bill to allow suppressors, saying they “bolster anti-hunters' efforts to portray hunting in a poor light.” But Bullock changed his mind, and when the house passed a limited bill this year, allowing suppressors only for small-game hunting, he sent it back, suggesting changes to allow them instead for all hunters. Republican Kirk Wagoner of Montana City read the Governor’s letter on the House floor.
Bullock's letter said, in part: "It is time for Montana to join the clear majority of states that allow the use of suppressors for hunting. I understand the concerns regarding the risks of increased poaching and do not take this lightly, but other states have not found this to be the case."
The bill, with the Governor’s amendment, passed with broad bipartisan support. If the Senate concurs, suppressors will become legal for Montana hunters as soon as Bullock signs it into law.
