Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks closed the Yellowstone River to angling from noon to midnight daily on the stretch of river from Big Timber to Huntley, effective Friday, Aug. 1 at noon. Water temperatures have exceeded 73 degrees since mid-July on the river.   “Confining fishing to the morning hours will help reduce the stress already on the rainbow and brown trout that populate this 105-mile stretch of the Yellowstone.
(Fishing - August 01, 2003)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is asking anglers to voluntarily limit fishing to morning hours on the Bitterroot River in western Montana below Tucker Crossing and to not fish on Rattlesnake Creek near Missoula, beginning July 30. Low flows combined with high water temperatures are stressing fish by concentrating them and reducing the amount of oxygen in the water.   Angling can put additional stress on trout.
(Fishing - July 30, 2003)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is encouraging anglers to reduce stress on fish this summer by fishing in the morning hours only and in mountain streams, lakes and reservoirs. “Fish in the cooler, high elevation streams, and in lakes and reservoirs are less stressed, while fish in low elevation streams with low flows and high temperatures are under more stress,” said Chris Hunter, FWP Fisheries Division administrator.
(Fishing - July 30, 2003)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has set voluntary restrictions, time-of-day restrictions or full angling closures on about 11 waters in the state in the past week. “Conditions continue to deteriorate on our waters and some are reaching water flow and temperature triggers set in the FWP Drought Fishing Closure Policy or in watershed drought management plans,” said Chris Hunter, FWP Fisheries Division administrator.
(Fishing - July 30, 2003)

Flows on the Jefferson River at Twin Bridges dropped below 400 cfs last week, triggering a call by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Jefferson River Watershed Council to ask anglers to limit fishing to the morning hours on the full length of the river. Water users were asked to conserve water to help maintain a minimum flow in the river for fish.
(Fishing - July 30, 2003)

Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will meet Thursday, Aug. 7, at the FWP Headquarters building on 1420 East Sixth Ave., beginning at 8 a.m. The Commission will make final decisions on the 2003 deer, elk and antelope quotas; 2003/2004 furbearer quotas; early season migratory bird regulations and the selection of   organizations to conduct the annual moose and sheep license auctions.
(Headlines - July 25, 2003)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is proposing fishing regulations for 2004-2007 that will be easier to read and to remember. As many as 16 pages may be cut from the new regulations and more information will be grouped by fishing district, so it is easier for anglers to find. Comments on the proposed regulations will be taken until Sept. 15.
(Fishing - July 25, 2003)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' River Recreation Advisory Council’s recommendations are completed and in use, as FWP works on a policy to manage recreation on the state's rivers.   The group submitted its 33-page "Recommendations for Managing Recreation on Rivers and Streams in Montana" to the FWP Commission earlier in July.
(Headlines - July 25, 2003)

Lightning and thunder are a serious physical threat to people, especially when recreating on the water.   Lightning kills hundreds of people annually and starts wildland fires. “Outdoor enthusiasts can plan to prevent the physical threat of lightning, just as they plan to avoid hypothermia or attracting bears to a camp,” said Liz Lodman, FWP boating safety coordinator.
(Fishing - July 25, 2003)

If you want to generate a lively discussion, walk into any fly shop or sporting goods store in Montana and ask folks what they think about crowding on our rivers. Even Internet chat rooms bubble with debate over who is responsible for crowding and what to do about it. Finding solutions, when each river and community has its own set of issues and management needs, is a challenge.
(Headlines - July 25, 2003)

An unprecedented run of record 100-degree days placed the Smith River's wild rainbow and brown trout in jeopardy and prompted state officials today to close the popular river to all fishing between the hours of noon and midnight through Sept. 15. The closure takes effect Thursday on the entire 125-mile stretch of the Smith River, which generally flows between White Sulphur Springs and Great Falls.
(Fishing - July 24, 2003)

Low flows and elevated water temperatures in the mainstem Blackfoot River and some of it’s tributary stream, northeast of Missoula, have prompted the Blackfoot Drought Response Committee and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) to request that anglers voluntary limit all fishing to morning-only, until conditions improve.
(Fishing - July 24, 2003)

BOZEMAN—Fishery workers from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Turner Enterprises, Inc. and the U.S. Forest Service will resume the Cherry Creek Westslope Cutthroat Trout Restoration Project on August 4.   The multi-year project involves removing non-native fish species from about 60 miles of upper Cherry Creek, its tributaries and Cherry Lake, and introducing native westslope cutthroat trout.   Cherry Creek is a tributary of the Madison River southwest of Bozeman.
(Fishing - July 23, 2003)

High water temperatures and low stream flows prompted Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials to close northwestern Montana's Thompson River and its tributaries to angling from noon to midnight daily until conditions improve. With little relief in sight from Montana's record-breaking heat, drought conditions threaten the Thompson River’s popular wild rainbow trout and native westslope cutthroat trout fisheries and its federally protected native bull trout population.
(Fishing - July 22, 2003)

Montana’s final plan to conserve and manage gray wolves when they are removed from the federal endangered species list is on track for completion in August, state wildlife officials said today. "We're rapidly bringing this long and closely watched process to a close," said Jeff Hagener, director of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
(Headlines - July 18, 2003)

The application deadline is Aug. 1 for fall turkey permits for hunters planning to hunt in Flathead, Lincoln, Sanders counties and a portion of Lake County, and in FWP Region 3 in south central Montana. The number of fall either-sex turkey permits available varies from 10 in FWP Region 3 to 300 in the Flathead Valley area. Applicants must submit in writing their name, address, ALS number and a $3 nonrefundable drawing fee to the FWP Region 1 office at 490 N. Meridian Rd.
(Hunting - July 17, 2003)

Montana’s Future Fisheries review panel will meet in Lewistown on Thursday, July 24, at 8 a.m., at the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks office on Airport Road west of town. The public is welcome. At the meeting, panel members will discuss 22 project applications requesting about $414,000 in program funding. The Future Fisheries review panel evaluates lake and stream restoration proposals and recommends projects to the FWP Commission for funding.
(Fishing - July 17, 2003)

Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks bear specialists say that campers, hikers and anglers need to be bear aware this summer. Grizzly bears are gradually expanding into new areas, and Montana’s black bear population is thriving. FWP wildlife managers say when bears associate food with people they quickly become bolder and more dangerous, but by nature a bear will try to avoid humans.
(Hunting - July 11, 2003)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds sometime resident anglers and anyone who has yet to give fishing a try, that a two-day fishing license is now available.   The $5 fee for the two-day license is refundable, if residents return it to a FWP license provider and purchase a season fishing license. A $4 resident conservation license is a prerequisite for purchasing the two-day fishing license, as it is for purchasing an annual fishing license.
(Fishing - July 11, 2003)

Women interested in kayaking are invited to a beginning kayak class sponsored by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Aug. 9 beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Hyalite Reservoir, south of Bozeman in the Gallatin National Forest. “Kayaking is one of the fastest growing outdoor sports in the country and this is an opportunity to learn the basics needed to be confident and to join in the fun kayaking,” said Liz Lodman, FWP coordinator of the Becoming an Outdoor Woman workshops.
(Headlines - July 11, 2003)

The Private Land/Public Wildlife (PL/PW) Council will meet in Helena at the Wingate Inn, 2007 N. Oakes, on July 29 and 30 to discuss the Block Management Hunter Access Program.   The sixteen-member Council, comprised of hunters, landowners, and outfitters recently appointed by Governor Martz, will meet Tuesday, July 29, from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., and Wednesday, July 30, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
(Hunting - July 11, 2003)

July’s heat is already drying out the landscape and lowering the flows in rivers.   This time of year calls for extra caution when visiting or camping at Montana State Parks, Fishing Access Sites and on other lands.   By taking some simple precautions, you can help prevent wildfires and protect the state’s natural resources. *         Fires should be built only in established fireplaces or fire rings.
(Headlines - July 11, 2003)

  I once drove by the place on old Montana Highway 2 some eight miles southwest of Three Forks, and didn’t even realize it was a state park.     Parker Homestead is little more than a sod-roofed, log cabin and shed sitting forlornly beneath a half dozen cottonwood trees in the scenic valley of the Jefferson River.   But it is representative of thousands of simple frontier homes that provided shelter and an austere lifestyle for the hopeful pioneers of Montana.
(Parks - July 11, 2003)

The new day use shelter at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, 19 miles west of Three Forks, was singled out from among 39,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund projects nationwide for recognition by Americans for Our Heritage and Recreation in a celebration at the park July 2.
(Parks - July 11, 2003)

Refunds for Moose, Sheep & Goat applications have been processed and will be mailed July 10, 2003.
(Hunting - July 10, 2003)

The application deadline for special permits to hunt sandhill cranes is Aug. 1. The season is Sept. 6-14 and the bag and possession limit allowed with a special permit is one sandhill crane. In the Central Flyway, for Wheatland and a portion of Sweet Grass County, 35 special permits will be available. Hunting sandhill cranes in the remainder of the Central Flyway requires a free license available from FWP regional offices.
(Hunting - July 03, 2003)

The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will discuss and set tentative fishing regulations for the 2004-2007 fishing seasons at its July 10 meeting in Helena. The proposed regulations the Commission will discuss are available now for public review on the FWP web site at www.fwp.state.mt.us on the Fishing page, in the right hand column under "Fishing Reg Revision," or by calling 406-444-2449.
(Fishing - July 03, 2003)