How to Use this Guide for Hunting in Region 7

Included in this Guide is a regional map depicting the general location, identification number, and permission type for each BMA. There is also an associated chart that is organized by county and arranged in order by the BMA number. This chart gives general information for each BMA. The information in this chart will help locate the hunting opportunities you wish to pursue. It is important to recognize each BMA cooperator utilizes their own management style; this may include limits on daily hunter numbers, vehicular travel restrictions, pasture assignments, temporary closures, etc... The following outlines the procedure to request additional information for individual BMAs:

1. Refer to the map and chart to identify individual BMAs you are interested in hunting. Note: The chart lists ‘Primary Hunting Opportunities’. This is intended to assist hunters in selecting a BMA that fits their desired hunting opportunity. In contrast, for a BMA that does not list a particular commission-authorized game species, the omission of that species is not intended to represent that those game species may not be found or may not be hunted on that particular BMA. ‘Primary Hunting Opportunity’ information should be used as a general reference regarding game that is most likely to occur on the BMA. BMAs that have a formal species restriction in place will have such a restriction noted in the “Additional Information” column. It is important to note that Block Management cooperators may exercise their discretion in managing the hunting on their property in response to environmental conditions and game numbers.
2.  If you select a Type 1 BMA… Rules/maps can be obtained onsite at the hunter sign-in boxes or in person at the Regional office in Miles City. 
3. If you have selected a Type 2 BMA…Using the BMA number, request landowner contact information from the Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 7 headquarters in Miles City. Individual landowner contact information may be obtained in person at 352 I-94 Business Loop, by e-mailing fwpr7bmp@mt.gov or by calling (406) 234-0930. 
4. If you need more specific information about a BMA to assist in your planning efforts, a complete set of R7 BMA maps will be available for viewing at the Regional headquarters. Hunters are allowed to receive a maximum of five maps per day. Please help us reduce administrative costs by only requesting the maps of BMAs you intend to visit.
5. Individual BMA rules/maps will also be available for viewing/printing online.

How to Obtain Permission to Hunt Region 7 BMAs

Again, Type 1 BMAs are hunter administered (see step 2 above). For Type 2 BMAS, landowner contact information will be given for 5 BMAs per phone inquiry.  Contact information usually consists of the name and phone number of the person(s) with authority to grant permission. When you are contacting landowners to secure permission to hunt, please abide by the specified calling times for the cooperator.  When call times are not specified, please call between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM Mountain Time. Due to the volume of calls received, landowners are not required to and should not be expected to return phone calls. While obtaining permission to hunt BMAs within R7, please keep the following administrative rules/policies in mind:

• Use only current year BMA rules/maps. R7 produces new rules/maps each year to address rule, boundary, or permission method changes. Also, there is some turnover in BMAs from year to year, therefore a BMA from a previous year may no longer be enrolled.
• Reservations may not be made before August 22nd. If a BMA takes reservations, a hunter may only have 1 reservation on that BMA at any one time. After the dates of the reservation pass, a hunter may make another reservation to hunt that BMA. Hunters may have reservations on more than one BMA as long as they are not for the same hunting dates. However, due to the high demand, reservations will only be granted for 1 BMA at a time for the BMAs that are administered through the Region 7 office. Reservations can be up to 3 days, but must be for consecutive days. Individuals from the same hunting party may not make reservations for consecutive 3-day blocks in an attempt to book more than 3 days for their party. Hunters may hunt more than one BMA in a day, but are prohibited from making reservations to hunt on more than 1 limited-hunter BMA per day.
• Cancellations. If you make advance reservations on a BMA and are unable to hunt, please inform the landowner of this as soon as possible. In addition, inform the landowner if you are successful early in your hunt and won’t be hunting for your full scheduled reservation. Failure to do so may result in the loss of hunting privileges on that BMA for the remainder of the hunting season. Please be courteous and give others an opportunity to hunt.

Additional Hunting Opportunities in Southeast Montana

Approximately 11% of the total land base in FWP Region 7 is enrolled in the Block Management Program, leaving a substantial amount of land and associated hunting opportunities for hunters to explore.  As a result, hunters are encouraged to consider these alternative opportunities and not limit their hunting activities to only Block Management Areas.

Private Lands NOT Enrolled in Block Management

Region 7 is comprised of primarily private land (76%). Although the region hosts the largest Block Management Program with 320 cooperating landowners enrolling approximately 1.67 million private acres (9%) of the 19.2 million acres of private land in Region 7, hunting access can often be obtained on non-Block Management private property throughout much of the region by respectfully asking for hunting permission. Always remember to “Ask First” before hunting on private land.

Public Lands

In Region 7, there are over 3.8 million acres of public ownership (BLM, State Lands, National Forest Service and National Wildlife Refuge).  This assortment of public land constitutes a land base composition of 18% federal land and 6% State of Montana Department of Natural Resources (DNRC) land. Public lands are accessible via public roads or waterways, adjacent public land and adjacent private land with landowner permission. Hunting activities on federal lands are subject to both state and federal regulations. Some legally accessible tracts of Department of Natural Resource Land (State School Trust Land) are formally enrolled in the Block Management Program. Formally enrolled State Land must be posted with contact information for the method of obtaining permission.  If a BMA contains formally enrolled State Land, it will be noted in the Access Guide and on the map.  Please contact regional FWP staff to verify accessibility and use rules for accessing public lands contained within BMA boundaries.