2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 87. Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 6. Fish and Wildlife Criminal Provisions › Part 2. General Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping Offenses -- Related Offenses › 87-6-206. Unlawful sale of game fish, bird, game animal, or fur-bearing animal

87-6-206. Unlawful sale of game fish, bird, game animal, or fur-bearing animal.
(1) A person may not purposely or knowingly sell, purchase, or exchange all or part of any game fish, bird, game animal, or fur-bearing animal.
(2) The value of the game fish, bird, game animal, or fur-bearing animal must be determined from the schedules of restitution values set out in 87-6-906 and 87-6-907. The value of game fish, birds, game animals, or fur-bearing animals that are sold, purchased, or exchanged pursuant to a common scheme, as defined in 45-2-101, or as part of the same transaction, as defined in 46-1-202, may be aggregated in determining the value.
(3) This section does not prohibit the:
(a) sale, purchase, or exchange of hides, heads, or mounts of game fish, birds, game animals, or fur-bearing animals that have been lawfully killed, captured, or taken, except that the sale or purchase of a hide, head, or mount of a grizzly bear is prohibited, except as provided by federal law;
(b) sale, purchase, or exchange of naturally shed antlers or the antlers with a skull or portion of a skull attached from a game animal that has died from natural causes and that has not been unlawfully killed, captured, or taken or accidentally killed;
(c) sale, purchase, or exchange of the bones of an elk, antelope, moose, or deer that has died from natural causes and that has not been unlawfully killed, captured, or taken or accidentally killed;
(d) donation, sale, purchase, or exchange of paddlefish roe as caviar under the provisions of 87-4-601; or
(e) sale, purchase, or exchange of captive-reared migratory waterfowl.
(4) If a person is convicted or forfeits bond or bail after being charged with a violation of this section and if the value of all or part of the game fish, bird, game animal, or fur-bearing animal or combination thereof does not exceed $1,000, then the person shall be fined not less than $50 or more than $1,000 or be imprisoned in the county detention center for not more than 6 months, or both. In addition, the person may be subject to forfeiture of any current hunting, fishing, or trapping license or permit issued by this state and the privilege to hunt, fish, or trap in this state for a period set by the court.
(5) If a person is convicted or forfeits bond or bail after being charged with a violation of this section and if the value of all or part of the game fish, bird, game animal, or fur-bearing animal or combination thereof exceeds $1,000, then the person shall be fined not more than $50,000 or be imprisoned in the state prison for not more than 5 years, or both. In addition, the person shall forfeit any current hunting, fishing, or trapping license or permit issued by this state and the privilege to hunt, fish, or trap in this state for not less than 3 years up to a revocation for life from the date of conviction.
(6) As used in this section:
(a) "lawfully killed, captured, or taken" means killed, captured, or taken in conformance with this title, the regulations adopted by the commission, and the rules adopted by the department under authority of this title; and
(b) "unlawfully killed, captured, or taken" means not lawfully killed, captured, or taken.
History: En. Sec. 12, Ch. 258, L. 2011; amd. Sec. 125, Ch. 258, L. 2011.