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Notice to Hunters—Significant Archery Regulation Changes

Deer, Elk, Antelope

Significant season changes for the 2008 and 2009 hunting season include the implementation of limited archery permits for either sex elk in seven hunting districts within the Missouri River Breaks and unlimited archery permits for either sex elk in 23 other hunting districts in Regions 4, 5 and 7. The unlimited permits are scheduled to become limited in 2009. The limited permits must be applied for by June 2. The unlimited permits may be purchased or applied for by June 2. Please see individual hunting district regulations for additional specifics. Click here to view Archery Map. An advisory committee has been assembled to further evaluate some of these archery regulations.

There are also changes and additions to A9/B12 antlerless elk licenses available through the drawing or over-the-counter. In addition to adjusted numbers of these licenses for 2008, a conservation license is now the only prerequisite to this antlerless elk license for both residents and nonresidents alike.

The 900-archery antelope license has been adjusted from an unlimited to limited structure. 5600 of these licenses are available thru the drawing. The June 2 drawing application deadline applies to these licenses and all other elk, deer and antelope permits and licenses as well. Please see individual hunting district regulations for additional specifics.

The mountain lion season structure in Region 2 has been adjusted to limited permits in all hunting districts except the Missoula Special Management Area. 2008 mountain lion quotas will be finalized at the June 12 Commission meeting. Lion licenses must be applied for or purchased by August 31. Please see individual hunting district regulations for additional specifics.


Recent Hunting News

Deer, Elk, Bison, Antelope & Lion Supertag Winners Announced
Hunters from Montana, and Washington recently won Montana's deer, elk, antelope, bison, and mountain lion SuperTag lotteries. (August 27)
Important Dates For Hunters
Important dates for hunters (August 27)
Elk And Brucellosis Stir Cooperation And Action
As Montana seeks to manage the risk and stop the spread of brucellosis, hunters and landowners will be working together this fall. (August 27)
Over-The-Counter Antelope Licenses And Surplus Big Game Licenses Available
Hunters can soon buy over-the-counter antelope licenses and surplus licenses for deer, elk and antelope. (August 08)
Youth Pheasant And Waterfowl Hunting Opportunities
Youth Waterfowl and Pheasant Weekend                     Sept. 27-28 Montana's young hunters will have a special treat Sept. 27-28, the weekend of the youth waterfowl and pheasant special seasons. Legally licensed hunters age 12 through 15 will be able to hunt ducks, mergansers, geese, coots and ring-necked pheasants statewide on these two days. (August 15)
Game Bird Hunters, Don't Be Caught Without One
Pheasant hunters, don't be caught without one leg and foot left naturally attached to all birds you harvest.   The leg and foot must be attached at all times, including while transporting the bird. On game birds such as grouse and partridge, one fully-feathered wing must be left naturally attached for species identification. (August 15)
Upland Game Bird Hunting Outlook
Upland game bird hunting in Montana may be a mixed bag this year. Most game bird hunting begins Sept. 1. Pheasant season opens Oct. 11. "The eastern plains experienced a mild winter, while in the mountains we had a heavy snow pack. Both are good conditions for game bird survival," said Rick Northrup, FWP game bird coordinator.   Then came the end of May and a two to three week span of cool, moist weather just at the peak hatch for many upland game birds. (August 15)
Permission Is Required For All Hunting On Private Land
Don't wait until it is too late. Hunters who haven't already asked permission from private landowners to hunt need to do so as soon as possible. (August 22)
Hunters—Be Sure You Have The Right Stuff!
A recent survey of hikers in Glacier National Park revealed that 35 of the 50 people interviewed who thought they were carrying bear spray actually had the wrong product. Hunters may have the same false sense of securtiy. Grizzly bears can be found throughout western Montana. In recent years, grizzly bear populations have expanded and bears are returning to historic ranges. (August 22)
Hunters Need To Know Montana's Food Storage Rules
Hunters, if you haven't traveled in Central and Northwestern Montana recently, you may be surprised and sobered by the signs instructing visitors on how to avoid problems with local grizzly bears. (August 22)
Common Sense Steps For Harvested Game
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds hunters that simple, common sense precautions will help to ensure that their game is properly, and safely, field-dressed and butchered this season. (August 15)
Bison Hunting Applications Available Aug. 8
Applications for Montana’s upcoming bison hunt will be available online and from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks offices on Friday, Aug. 8. (August 08)
Bear Hunting License Deadline Is Aug. 31
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds black bear hunters that licenses must be purchased by Aug. 31 for the fall season. Hunters may purchase a license online at fwp.mt.gov, at FWP regional offices and from FWP license providers. (August 08)
Mountain Lion Licenses And Permit Applications Due Aug. 31
Mountain lion hunting licenses for Montana’s 2008 season are available at all Fish, Wildlife & Parks license providers and online at fwp.mt.gov. (August 08)
Some Archery-Only Antelope Hunting To Open Aug. 15
Some archery-only antelope hunters will be afield Friday, Aug. 15. (August 08)
Upland Game Bird And Pheasant Season Details
In Montana, upland game birds consist of sage and sharp-tailed grouse, blue, ruffed and Franklin’s grouse, pheasants, Hungarian (grey) partridge, and wild turkeys. Most upland game bird seasons begin Sept. 1. The exception is the ring-necked pheasant opener, which is set for Oct. 11. Upland bird seasons run through Jan.1, 2009—with the exception of sage grouse season, which closes Nov. 1, and mountain grouse season, which closes Dec. 15 . (August 15)
2008 Upland Game Bird Hunting Seasons To Open Sept. 1
Opening day for most upland game bird hunting seasons occur on the same day every year—Sept. 1.   The statewide hunting season openings are: Sage Grouse                        Sept. 1––Nov. 1 Sharp-tailed Grouse          Sept. 1––Jan. (August 15)
Bird and Bowhunters, Avoid Becoming The Hunted
With Montana’s upland game bird and bow hunting season underway Sept. 1 and Sept. 6, it is a good time to review the basics of hunting safely in bear country. (August 15)
Hunters: Know Your Bulls
With elk archery season opening Sept. 6, and backcountry elk season set to open Sept. 15, no elk hunter wants to shoot the wrong elk in the right place, or the right elk in the wrong place. Some elk management units also have special regulations that state the type of bull elk that is legal to harvest. Elk hunters need to know their bulls. An antlered bull elk is any elk with an antler or antlers at least four inches in length measured from the top of the skull. (August 15)
Stop Poachers—Enough Is Enough! Call 1-800-Tip-Mont
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks toll-free hotline for reporting wildlife poaching, property damage, and violations of fish and game laws is in operation 24 hours a day. (August 15)
FWP Seeks Comment On 2008 Tentative Late Season Migratory Bird Regulations
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on the tentative 2008 late season migratory bird regulations recently adopted by the FWP Commission. The proposed regulations include changes to the 2007 season dates and bag limits. (August 08)
FWP Seeks Comment On Elk Proposals
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission is seeking public comment on several recently approved elk-related proposals for the upcoming hunting season, including adjustments to elk management plan objectives in western Montana. Here's a summary of the proposals would result in changes for the upcoming season:   2008 Elk Season Harvest Quotas Region 2—Western Montana Reduce cow elk quota in hunting districts 204, 261 and the northern portion of 270 from 200 to 100. (July 25)
Permission Is Required For All Hunting On Private Land
Don't wait until it is too late. Hunters who haven't already asked permission from private landowners to hunt need to do so as soon as possible. (August 15)
Hunters Are Asked To Report Signs Of Wolves
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks requests that hunters report any sightings or signs of wolves. A gray wolf is, on average 2.5 feet tall; 5-6 feet long; 70-120 pounds with a broad snout, round ears and fur ranging from gray, black or tan to white. (August 15)
Stop At Game Checking Stations
Officials at biological checking stations gather information needed to manage the state's wildlife resources. When hunters stop at these biological check stations, they may be asked a variety of questions including how many deer, elk or antelope they saw and in which drainages or the general locations where their hunting took place. (August 15)
FWP Calls On Hunters To Be Weed-Aware
Noxious weeds—like knapweed, leafy spurge and Canada thistle— are spreading across Montana. Hunters need to be aware of these silent invaders. FWP recommends that hunters and others: (August 15)
Access: Ask Early Don't Wait
Montana's some 23,000 landowners own nearly 60 million acres of private land, much of with excellent hunting. The only catch is gaining the landowner's permission to hunt. It is Montana law that hunters obtain landowner permission to hunt on all private land. (August 15)
FWP Block Management Region Contacts
Hunters interested in obtaining access to more than eight million acres of private lands enrolled in FWP's Block Management Program may contact the regional FWP office in the area where they plan to hunt, or check the "Hunting" pages on the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov . (August 15)
Are Off-Highway Vehicles And Hunting Compatible?
The Montana Hunter Behavior Advisory Council reported ten years ago that motor vehicle use during hunting, including off-highway vehicles, is creating serious problems. Today the situation is magnified, as growing numbers of hunters use OHVs. (August 15)
Black Bear Hunters Must Keep Meat
The black bear hunting season reopens for the fall on Sept. 15 in most areas of Montana. Hunters should check the regulations for exceptions. (August 15)
Early Migratory Bird Seasons Set
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission has adopted 2008 hunting regulations and season dates for "webless" migratory game birds. (August 15)
Migratory Bird Hunters Get HIP Again This Season
Everyone who hunts doves, ducks, geese, sandhill cranes, snipe, or coots in Montana must be "HIP" certified for the upcoming hunting seasons. HIP stands for Harvest Information Program. (August 15)
Visit FWP's Hunting Pages Online Now
Lucky hunters with extra time in their lives are already scouting for good public hunting locations and while others are planning when they will contact that landowner they know to ask for permission to hunt. (August 15)
Fire Restrictions Apply To Hunters Too
Montana hunters planning early-season hunting trips should expect widespread public and private fire restrictions this time of year. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds hunters it is a hunter's responsibility to identify and abide by all fire restrictions in effect in the area where they are hunting. Montana’s first hunting season, limited to about 5,500 archery-only antelope hunters with a special license applied for earlier this year, opened Aug. 15. (August 15)
Montana's 2008 Hunting Season Offers Veterans Discounts
Veterans will enjoy discounts and new opportunities during Montana's 2008 hunting season. (August 15)
Archers Reminded to Have Licenses In Order Before Hitting the Field
Fall hunting officially gets underway Friday, August 15th with opening of archery antelope season in many Montana hunting districts. Sportsmen are reminded that, to hunt antelope with a bow and arrow in a special August archery season, they need to have drawn a special 900-series tag and bought a bow-and-arrow license. (August 15)
Stop Poachers—Enough Is Enough! Call 1-800-Tip-Mont
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks toll-free hotline for reporting wildlife poaching, property damage, and violations of fish and game laws is in operation 24 hours a day. (August 22)
Off-Highway Vehicle Registration Reminder
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds-off-highway vehicles owners, including motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), quadricycles, dune buggies, amphibious vehicles and air cushion vehicles, have registration and use rules that are worth reviewing before setting off on a hunt. (August 22)
Firearms, Bears, And Bear Spray
I’ve been studying bear-human conflict for the past 17 years, and have heard all sides of the ‘firearms versus bear spray’ debate among big game hunters. The issue is: If you're hunting and you encounter an aggressive bear—is it better to shoot it, or use bear spray to repel it? (August 22)
Recent Hunting News
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