Hunters hoping to set their sights on sandhill cranes in the Central Flyway portion of Montana this fall should note that this year they must enter a drawing for permits if they wish to hunt in Sweet Grass and Wheatland Counties. In 1997, hunters wishing to hunt in these two counties will need to apply in writing for one of 30 permits available through a drawing at the Fish, Wildlife & Parks headquarters in Helena.
(Headlines - June 20, 1997)

Perry Brown, a Fish, Wildlife & Parks game warden based in Columbia Falls, has been named the 1996 recipient of the prestigious Shikar-Safari Club International's Wildlife Officer of the Year award for Montana. A nine-year veteran of FWP's Enforcement Division, Brown began his career in Bozeman as a warden trainee before transferring to Chinook, where he served as the district game warden until moving to his current Columbia Falls assignment in 1993.
(Headlines - June 20, 1997)

This year's "Becoming an Outdoors-Woman" workshop, hosted by Fish, Wildlife & Parks for the fourth year, is scheduled for August 1-3 at Beaver Creek Park, a camp in Havre, Montana. At the three-day workshop, women will learn the basics of fishing, shotgun and rifle shooting, archery, and outdoor cooking skills, as well as wilderness survival and map and compass skills.
(Headlines - June 20, 1997)

A newly revised brochure, A List of Montana Birds , is hot off the press. A companion pamphlet to the 5th Edition of Montana Bird Distribution , the brochure can be used for gathering data on Montana's birds. Volunteer birdwatchers have used various editions of the brochure to keep careful records of their bird observations, which helps to better understand our bird populations. The brochures are available from either the Montana Natural Heritage Program, 1515 E.
(Headlines - June 20, 1997)

In an attempt to help populations of deer recover in areas where the winter of 1996-97 caused unexpectedly high population losses, the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission on May 30 adopted the following changes to the general deer hunting season in 1997: REGION 1 Either-Sex Whitetail Hunting Periods Change: Hunting for either-sex whitetails in most of the region now will be allowed only during the first week of the 1997 season (Oct. 26-Nov. 2).
(Headlines - June 06, 1997)

At its May 30 meeting in Helena, the Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission set tentative deer, elk and antelope license and permit quotas for this fall's hunting seasons. Public comment is now being accepted on those proposed quotas, which are scheduled to be adopted in final form at the Commission's August 8 meeting in Helena.
(Headlines - June 06, 1997)

At its meeting on May 30, the FWP Commission adopted tentative lynx, bobcat and fisher trapping quotas for 1997-98. The bobcat quota in Region 5 is proposed to increase from 150 to 200. The proposed 1997-98 trapping quotas for lynx and fisher are the same as were in place last fall and winter. Comments on the tentative regulations will be accepted by the Wildlife Division, PO Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701, through July 25, 1997.
(Headlines - June 06, 1997)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has closed eight fishing access sites (FAS) in southwestern Montana due to flooding. According to Tom Greason, maintenance and FAS coordinator for FWP in Bozeman, most of the sites are located on the Yellowstone River. However, several Jefferson and Missouri River sites also have been closed. "Our standard for closing is when our sites are unusable--people cannot access them.
(Headlines - June 06, 1997)

The campground and boating facilities at Placid Lake State Park northeast of Missoula are once again open following a short-term closure caused by flood damage to the county road that serves as the main access to the park. Lee Bastian, Region 2 parks manager for Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Missoula, says repairs have now been completed to the county road leading to this picturesque park, located 10 miles southwest of Seeley Lake.
(Headlines - June 06, 1997)

With the school year coming to an end for most students in Montana, the hundreds of volunteer instructors who form the backbone of Montana's Hunter Education program remind all owners of firearms, including pellet guns and BB guns, to check all firearms kept in the home to make sure they are stored safely and away from curious children. They remind Montanans that most accidental shootings happen in the home and are preventable.
(Headlines - June 06, 1997)