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I followed the money in Montana, and this is what I found. I thought this corner-crossing fight was going to be simple. Rich landowners blocking public access, big donations going straight to the governor, and a clean money trail. I went through the governor’s entire donor list and started comparing it with the biggest landowners in Montana. The answer was not what I expected. I found a couple $300 donation but that’s it. I even looked at PACs, ad buys, and mailers. Nothing.That is when this got a lot more interesting and a lot more confusing. If everyday hunters and regular voters mostly support corner crossing, why would the governor’s office take the opposite position? Politicians do not usually do things for no reason. What I found is that this is not as simple as billionaire landowners buying a governor. The pressure appears to be coming through outfitters, ranching groups, agricultural PACs, and people inside the hunting/ranching world itself. In other words, the people fighting corner crossing are not outsiders or rich land owners at all. They are ranchers and outfitters trying to stop hunters from accessing public land they use to increase the value of leasing their land, and for guided hunts. This fight seems to be coming from within our own community. I definitely did not see this coming.— Stephen ZieglerOutdoor writer | Owner, DeLong Lures