The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will discuss tentative changes and clarifications to the regulations for the 2005 fishing season at its Aug. 5 meeting in Helena. The proposed changes are available now for public review on the FWP web site at www.fwp.state.mt.us on the Fishing page under Hot Topics, or by calling 406-444-2449.
(Headlines - July 28, 2004)

Lucky hunters who applied for Montana's special deer and elk permits should check their mail early next week for the coveted permits. The 2004 deer and elk drawings will be conducted about two weeks earlier than usual this year to allow hunters to better plan for their fall hunts. Antelope hunters will receive their licenses earlier than usual, too, but will have to wait a couple of weeks to check their mailboxes.
(Hunting - July 27, 2004)

Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will meet in Helena, Aug. 5, beginning at 8 a.m. at the FWP headquarters, 1420 East 6 th Ave.
(Headlines - July 23, 2004)

Want to know the difference between a spoonhead sculpin and a brook stickleback? Are you looking for a good picture of a walleye? Either way, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has a new poster for you. FWP's popular Fish of Montana poster series continues its run with the release of the second poster in a series of five.   Joe Tomelleri produced images for the posters. Tomelleri is an artist recognized nationally for his accurate fish reproductions.
(Fishing - July 22, 2004)

The fall turkey special permit application deadline is Aug. 2. Applicants must mail their application and a $3 nonrefundable drawing fee to the Regional FWP offices offering the turkey hunting permits.   Drawing results will be posted on the FWP web site at www.fwp.state.mt.us . Successful applicants must purchase a fall turkey license which is $5 for residents and $115 for nonresidents.
(Hunting - July 22, 2004)

The application deadline for special permits to hunt sandhill cranes is Aug. 2. The tentative season dates are Sept. 4-12, and the tentative bag and possession limit allowed with a special permit is one sandhill crane. Proposed permit numbers will be approved Aug. 5 by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission. Permits are required for all sandhill crane hunting, whether free permits in the Central Flyway and or those obtained through a drawing with a $3 nonrefundable drawing fee.
(Hunting - July 22, 2004)

Bears are fast learners. What they have learned from several consecutive years of drought may be to forage for food near residences, say Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks bear management specialists. “We’ve had an unusual number of calls about bears in yards and on the fringes of communities this year,” said Gary Hammond, FWP Wildlife Division bureau chief.
(Headlines - July 22, 2004)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds black bear and mountain lion hunters that licenses must be purchased by Aug. 31, a Tuesday, for the fall season.  Hunters may purchase a license at any FWP office, FWP license provider or on the Internet using a credit card at www.fwp.state.mt.us under Hunting or the Discover Montana site at www.discoveringmontana.com under Online Services. All mail-in applications must be postmarked no later than Aug. 31.
(Hunting - July 22, 2004)

Scholarships are available for a limited number of women to attend the “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman” (BOW) workshop this summer. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is sponsoring the 11 th annual BOW summer workshop August 13-15, at Lubrecht Forest near Missoula. “Several $100 scholarships and one $125 scholarship are available to anyone in need, but especially for single head of household mothers and college students,” said Liz Lodman, FWP BOW coordinator.
(Headlines - July 22, 2004)

Q. What is Montana’s state fish? A.   The Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Salmo clarki bouvieri) and westslope cutthroat trout (Salmo clarki lewisi) are Montana’s official state fish. They bear names related to Captains William Clark and Meriwether Lewis and the Lewis and Clark expedition based on Clark’s identification of the trout at the Great Falls of the Missouri in 1805.   Q. What is a fish ladder? A.
(Fishing - July 22, 2004)

Summer, when Montana’s State Parks are crowded with visitors, is one of the most tempting times for vandals. Recently, a vandal has been using a cutting torch to steal fee envelopes from campgrounds and recreation sites all across western Montana. To date almost 50 sites have been hit. If you have information about this or other vandalism in a Montana State Park or on U.S. Forest Service lands, you can act immediately to report the details of the crime by calling TIPMONT at 1-800-847-6668.
(Parks - July 22, 2004)

For some refreshing family entertainment, check out the Campfire Programs at Montana’s State Parks.   As an added bonus, entry into Montana’s State Parks is now free to Montanans, thanks to an optional $4 annual fee on Montana vehicle registrations. Camping, tour and rental fees continue in effect. Here is a schedule of some upcoming programs. For a full listing, check the FWP web site at www.fwp.state.mt.us under Parks, then click on the Calendar of Events. Aug.
(Parks - July 22, 2004)

A new partnership is helping meet the needs of both irrigators and anglers in western Montana on Skalkaho Creek, a tributary that enters the Bitterroot River near the town of Hamilton. Scenic beauty is one of the area’s assets; others are good rainbow and cutthroat trout fishing and a growing economy and population. On a nearly nine-mile stretch of Skalkaho Creek, large irrigation canals draw water out of the creek for local use. Summer flows in these canals are commonly higher than in the creek.
(Fishing - July 22, 2004)

Montanans will have a chance to discuss and comment on rules that could help Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks manage recreation on the state's rivers at a series of ten public meetings set to begin later this month.   “The proposed river recreation rules are designed to provide FWP guidance on managing river recreation in order to prevent or resolve social conflicts,” said Charlie Sperry, FWP’s river recreation management specialist.   Meetings will start at 6:30 p.m.
(Fishing - July 08, 2004)

Montana’s Future Fisheries review panel will meet in Missoula, Thursday, July 22, at 8 a.m., at the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks office, 3201 Spurgin Rd. At the meeting, panel members will discuss 12 project applications requesting about $195,000 for fish-habitat improvements. The Future Fisheries review panel evaluates lake and stream restoration proposals and recommends projects to the FWP Commission for funding.
(Fishing - July 08, 2004)

The Private Land/Public Wildlife Council is seeking comment through Aug. 4 on 12 draft recommendations regarding Montana’s Block Management Hunting Access Enhancement program.   The council adopted draft recommendations to continue and enhance the existing program through new landowner incentives, additional funding and better maps and patrol of enrolled lands.
(Hunting - July 08, 2004)

For a return to genuine family entertainment, check out the Campfire Programs at Montana’s State Parks. Here are some upcoming programs. For a full summer schedule, check the FWP web site at www.fwp.state.mt.us under Parks, then click on the Calendar of Events.   Bannack State Park -- Sat. and Sun., July 17-18 at 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Bannack Days is the annual two-day celebration of pioneer life on the Montana frontier. Join the fun and wear your 1800’s period clothing.
(Parks - July 08, 2004)

Bats once had a serious image problem to overcome as underworld creatures carrying disease and prone to getting entangled in your hair. That was the past. Today, wildlife viewers appreciate these highly refined, nocturnal mammals and their unique abilities. Traveling at 40 miles an hour, a bat can make a right-angle turn in just the length of its body. It navigates in the dark by echolocation, emitting ultrasonic pulses that echo back to it.
(Headlines - July 08, 2004)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment July 1- Aug. 31 on proposed statewide river recreation management rules. “The rules provide guidance on managing river recreation in order to prevent or resolve social conflicts,” said Charlie Sperry, FWP’s river recreation management specialist.
(Fishing - July 01, 2004)

Bannack, one of Montana’s most carefully preserved ghost towns, will celebrate its golden anniversary as a State Park with activities in Dillon on Monday, July 12, including a book signing and public reception. “For 50 years, Bannack has contributed to the Dillon-area economy, drawing in tourists from all over the country to experience a real ghost town,” said Tom Lowe, assistant manager of Bannack State Park.
(Parks - July 01, 2004)

This 4th of July weekend Montanans have 43 Montana State Parks to enjoy and they will pay no daily entrance fees. Montanans now have free daily access to all state parks, including vacation and cultural destinations like Flathead Lake near Kalispell, Bannack ghost town near Dillon, Lewis and Clark Caverns near Three Forks, and Cooney Reservoir near Billings. The Montana license plate is now your pass into Montana’s State Parks, thanks to an optional $4 annual fee on Montana vehicle registrations.
(Parks - July 01, 2004)

Many Montanans and visitors to the state are planning to celebrate the July 4 weekend outdoors fishing, camping and hiking. In most areas of the state, that means they will be sharing space with the state’s mountain lions and bears. Montana’s black and grizzly bears spend the summer months raising young and building up essential fat stores. Black bears are widely distributed across western and central Montana, while grizzly bears are more restricted to the western part of the state.
(Headlines - July 01, 2004)