In Montana, A Clash of Populism and Property Rights

Bernie Nowack, a Wisconsin logging contractor turned real estate investor, came to Montana ten years ago to hunt elk and fell in love with the place. He bought a ranch near Philipsburg, and now owns, by his own estimate, some $9 million to $10 million worth of land in the state.

But his hunting dreams have run into a snag, one that infuriates many of the wealthy out-of-state landowners who are transforming the rural landscape of the Big Sky state: even though he owns a lot of property, he has to enter a lottery for a non-resident hunting license if he wants to pursue game on his land.