87-2-526. License for nonresident to hunt with resident sponsor or family member -- use of license revenue. (1) The department may offer for sale 500 B-10 nonresident big game combination licenses, 500 B-11 nonresident deer combination licenses, and 500 nonresident elk-only combination licenses that must be used as provided in this section and as authorized by department rules. Sale of licenses pursuant to this section does not affect the license quotas established for Class B-10 and Class B-11 licenses in 87-2-505 and 87-2-510 or the number of nonresident elk-only combination licenses available pursuant to 87-2-511. The price of licenses sold under this subsection is one-half of the fee set for the equivalent license in 87-2-505, 87-2-510, or 87-2-511.

(2) A license authorized in subsection (1) may be used only by an adult nonresident family member of a resident who sponsors the license application and who meets the qualifications of subsection (3). The nonresident family member must have completed a Montana hunter safety and education course and have previously purchased a resident hunting license. A nonresident family member who receives a license pursuant to subsection (1) must be accompanied in the field by a sponsor or family member who meets the qualifications of subsection (3).

(3) To qualify as a sponsor or family member who will accompany a nonresident licensed under subsection (1), a person must be a resident, as defined in 87-2-102, who is 18 years old or older and possesses a current resident hunting license and who is related to the nonresident within the second degree of kinship by blood or marriage. The second degree of kinship includes a mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, spouse, grandparent, grandchild, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepbrother, stepsister, stepson, and stepdaughter. The sponsor shall list on the license application the names of family members who are eligible to hunt with the nonresident hunter.

(4) If the department receives more applications for licenses than the number that are available under subsection (1), the department shall conduct a drawing for the licenses. Applicants who are unsuccessful in the drawing must be entered in the general drawing for a nonresident license provided under 87-2-505 or 87-2-510, as applicable.

(5) All money received from the sale of licenses under subsection (1) must be deposited in a separate account and must be used by the department to acquire public hunting access to inaccessible public land, which may include obtaining hunting access through private land to inaccessible public land.