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House committee advances bill to add California and Gambel’s quail to upland game list
Summary
A House Fish and Wildlife Committee voted 13–7 to pass HB57, which would add California and Gambel’s quail to Montana’s upland game bird definition; proponents cited dog‑training and hunting benefits, opponents urged more scientific study and warned of farming or release risks.
Representative Paul Fielder introduced House Bill 57, which would add California quail and Gambel’s (Gambel’s) quail to the statutory definition of upland game birds. Fielder told the committee the change came from the Environmental Quality Council and said the bill ‘‘adds California quail and Gambel’s quail to the list of upland game bird species.’’
The measure drew supportive testimony from upland-hunting advocates. Dave Heine, president of the Big Sky Region of the National Shoots Retrieve Association, said the California quail is ‘‘a bird that is cherished’’ and useful for training dogs. Jen May Moran, an upland hunter and bird-dog owner, said adding the species could create new hunting opportunities in the Flathead Valley and attract out-of-state hunters.
Conservation groups and wildlife advocates opposed the bill. Peter Dudley of Montana Audubon told the committee California quail are present in Montana but Gambel’s quail are not established, and warned that moving species currently classified as exotic to the upland-game list ‘‘opens the door to farming and raising them and releasing them around the state.’’ Tom Jacobson of the Montana Wildlife Federation and Matt Leo of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers urged deferring to Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) biologists and recommended further scientific study before changing designation.
Quentin Kujala, chief of conservation policy for FWP, appeared as an informational witness and described the department’s position. Kujala said California quail first showed up in the Bitterroot Valley in the late 1990s or early 2000s and that while observations have increased, FWP has not documented population-level evidence of competition with native species. He said if HB57 passed the commission would have discretion in season-setting and that a decision to deliberately reintroduce birds would require additional MEPA analysis.
Lawmakers asked whether reclassification would force seasons or conservation restrictions. Kujala said listing the birds as upland game would allow the Fish and Wildlife Commission to include them in season-setting—but the commission could also set a zero or narrow harvest season if it chose. Fielder, who identified himself as a wildlife biologist with more than three decades of experience, replied that he was not concerned about competition based on his experience and closed the hearing.
In executive action the committee voted on a motion by the vice chair to give HB57 a do-pass recommendation. The roll call recorded 13 ayes and 7 noes; the committee approved the bill and sent it to the floor.
What happens next: HB57 now advances from committee; any season or permit changes for the two quail species would be made later by the Fish and Wildlife Commission and could require additional environmental review if deliberate reintroduction or releases were proposed.
