Wyoming Coach Accused of Claiming Montana Residency for Hunting Tags

We know there are plenty of good things about being a Montanan. There's no sales tax (at least as of today), and for many hunters, there's nothing better than being able to buy a cheap Montana hunting license

Read More: Montana's Nonresident Hunters Surge While Residents Decline

But getting away with just calling yourself a Montanan might not always be easy, especially if you live in two states.

Montana Investigators Started Asking Questions

Coach Conner Anthony Brown of Gillette, Wyoming, is charged by Montana authorities after they accused him of using false Montana residence information to obtain his resident hunting licenses. Although brown does have ties to Montana, Court documents reportedly indicate that he moved to Wyoming in 2022 after residing in Miles City for several years. Nevertheless, according to Court filings, Brown obtained resident hunting licenses for three consecutive seasons (the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons) and listed Miles City residences. Those licenses were allegedly used to hunt a black bear, a whitetail buck, and a mountain lion.

a lion walking through the snow

Although brown has entered a plea of not guilty regarding the charges brought against him, these are still claims made by the prosecution.

So Where Did He Actually Live?

The part of the story that becomes most interesting at this point occurs in the way the prosecutors frame their case. According to charging papers filed against Brown, law enforcement personnel gathered and examined his cell phone data. They then determined that Brown was physically present in Montana for 168 days in 2022, for 136 days in 2023, and only for 98 days in 2024.

blue and white mail box on green grass field

Law enforcement claims that Brown initially stated to them that he lived in both Wyoming and Montana. Additionally, law enforcement claims that Brown admitted to investigators that he had kept a mailing address in Montana, rented property in Montana, and paid income taxes in Montana.

At this point, the story transitions from a simple case of someone from Wyoming buying a resident elk tag to something much more complex.

2 men standing on brown grass field during daytime

In addition to merely having an address or sometimes sleeping on the right side of the state line, Montana requires an individual to meet other criteria to become eligible to receive a resident hunting license. Prosecutors appear to believe that Brown did not reside in Montana for enough time to make him eligible for the resident licenses he bought.

Montana Takes Resident Hunting Licenses Seriously

If convicted of either felony or misdemeanor charges, the penalties Brown may face would be far greater than paying the price difference between the cost of the resident hunting tag versus a non-resident tag. A conviction on the felony charge could result in substantial fines, jail time, and/or suspension/loss of hunting privileges. As a hunter in Montana myself, I understand why cases like this draw public attention.

a deer standing on top of a grass covered field

Resident hunting privileges are one of the benefits of living in Montana all 12 months of the year. Just as much as shoveling snow, driving through potholed roads, and viewing increasing crowds on popular trailheads as early as late September/October. Ultimately, whether or not Brown legally resides in Montana will be decided by the courts.

It is likely safe to assume that thinking more carefully about that "residents" box on your next hunting license application will occur as a direct result of this case.