Montana is fortunate to have 75 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) totaling approximately 350,000 acres for wildlife habitat during the critical winter months and for recreational users to enjoy throughout much of the year. With the onset of fall and cooler weather, FWP reminds users of WMAs that firewood cutting for off-site use is prohibited on these lands that are so important for wildlife winter survival.
(Headlines - September 29, 2006)
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks have released tiger muskellunge in Gartside Reservoir. According to Mike Backes, Region 7 fisheries technician, “This release is an experimental stocking to reduce stunted panfish numbers, that may result in an increase in average panfish size. A second goal is to provide a trophy fish opportunity for local anglers. The average sized tiger muskellunge will be 8 inches in length when stocked. We expect to release 750 juvenile tiger muskellunge.”
(Fishing - September 29, 2006)
119 Montanans and 5 non-residents were drawn from among 7,125 applicants for a license to hunt bison in Montana this winter.
(Headlines - September 27, 2006)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has adopted a Chronic Wasting Disease management plan to help protect Montana's wild deer and elk from infection and to manage the disease should it occur here. CWD, a chronic brain disease in deer and elk that is always fatal, has not yet been found in wild herds in Montana.
(Hunting - September 27, 2006)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks plans construction at two Fishing Access Sites in southwestern Montana.
(Fishing - September 27, 2006)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is seeking public comment on an environmental analysis of rules proposed for managing commercial uses of FWP-managed lands such as wildlife management areas and Montana State Parks.
(Headlines - September 27, 2006)
A game damage hunt for antlerless elk will take place on private land north of Winston, Montana, in Hunting District 380 from Sept. 28 though Oct. 11. The hunt is being conducted in response to crop damage occurring on private land and will be open to four hunters drawn from the FWP Game Damage Hunt Roster.
(Headlines - September 26, 2006)
The outlook for antelope hunters in northeast and north-central Montana is bright, but it's brightest in Hill and Chouteau counties.
(Headlines - September 26, 2006)
Deer and elk hunters can drop off heads of harvested animals for CWD testing at 6 collection sites in and around FWP's Region 6.
(Headlines - September 26, 2006)
Region 7 Fish, Wildlife and Parks in partnership with Custer Rod and Gun Club, KATL, Miles City Star, Steadman’s ACE Hardware, Big Sky Car Wash and Nyacor Lube Center’s TLC Car Wash is offering hunters one free car wash for their hunting vehicle. Hunters heading to the field for the opener of the 2006 antelope rifle season (October 8th) have a free opportunity to remove potential noxious weed seeds that may be on their vehicle.
(Hunting - September 25, 2006)
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission is seeking public comment on a tentative Smith River Rule. The final rule will be approved at the December FWP commission meeting. The proposed rule enables FWP to grant a fee waiver for up to two authorized outfitter launches each season. Outfitters generally donate a trip to a cause or group on a not-for-profit basis and this fee waiver would assist in this donation.
(Parks - September 22, 2006)
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission is seeking public comment on the tentative 2007 Parks Biennial Rule. Comments will be accepted through Nov. 10. The tentative rule would implement the FAS camping fee at three fishing access sites including Lichen Cliff FAS and Prickley Pear FAS in the Missouri River drainage and the Newlan Creek Reservoir FAS near White Sulphur Springs.
(Parks - September 22, 2006)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking comment on the 2007 Nonresident Combination hunting license tentative annual rule. The FWP Commission adopted the tentative rule at its Sept. 14 meeting.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
Approximately $818,000 in funding was approved recently by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park Commission for 25 Future Fisheries Improvement Program projects. The funding will be matched by more than $1 million from outside sources.
(Fishing - September 22, 2006)
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission is seeking public comment on the tentative 2007 Parks Biennial Rule. Comments will be accepted through Nov. 10. The tentative rule would implement the FAS camping fee at three fishing access sites including Lichen Cliff FAS and Prickley Pear FAS in the Missouri River drainage and the Newlan Creek Reservoir FAS near White Sulphur Springs.
(Parks - September 22, 2006)
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission is seeking public comment on a tentative Smith River Rule. The final rule will be approved at the December FWP Commission meeting. The proposed rule enables FWP to grant a fee waiver for up to two authorized outfitter launches each season.
(Parks - September 22, 2006)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has approved the following ice fishing contests for winter 2006-2007. Participants must comply with state fishing regulations, including daily and possession limits.
(Fishing - September 22, 2006)
Together, we can stop poachers. Over the years, hunters in Montana have helped FWP restore elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and other game animals. Now they and others interested in conservation can help us protect that wildlife from poachers. Poaching is a growing problem, one that occurs statewide and year-round. Poachers take some of Montana’s biggest and best game specimens, robbing law-abiding citizens of opportunities to see and legally harvest those animals.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
Montana's hunter education manual is a good resource for anyone interested in hunting or in learning to be more confident and competent in handling firearms. That may be anyone from a long-time hunter looking to brush up on their skills to the spouse of a hunter who wants to become more confident living around and handling a rifle.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
Pheasant hunters in Montana may enjoy even better hunting than they saw last year Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials say. Bird numbers are generally improved and birds appear to be filling up prime habitat and spilling over into marginal areas.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
Pheasant hunters, don't be caught without one leg and foot left naturally attached for identification of sex on all birds. The leg and foot must be attached at all times while transporting the bird. For other game birds such as grouse and partridge, one fully feathered wing must be left naturally attached for species identification.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
"I get as much of a kick out of watching a young hunter shoot a few ducks as I do out of hunting them myself," said Jim Hansen, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Central Flyway coordinator in Billings. Hansen said the purpose of Montana's youth waterfowl season is to focus on youngsters and their hunting. It is a way to spend quality time with a young hunter and to give them a solid foundation in waterfowl hunting.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
Antelope hunters in Montana can expect another year of good hunting. "Antelope hunting will be as good as last year or better in most of the state, with some populations in north central Montana at or near record highs," said Quentin Kujala, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wildlife management bureau chief.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
For most of us, hunting a Montana bighorn sheep is a long-odds proposition. For example, this year 20,842 applicants applied by May 1 for the 487 bighorn sheep licenses available in hunting districts around the state. About 60 percent of bighorn sheep hunters harvested an animal in 2004, the most recent year that data is available.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
It's tough to draw a Montana license to hunt bighorn sheep. For the fall 2006 season, about two percent of all applicants were successful in drawing one of the 487 bighorn sheep licenses , including either-sex and ewe-only licenses.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
This year 487 lucky hunters, 438 residents and 49 nonresidents, drew a Montana bighorn sheep license. In total, 20,842 hunters applied for the licenses. Bighorn hunting season generally runs Sept. 15 to Nov. 26, with some exceptions.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
The mountain goat is the least common, and among the most difficult to study, big game species in North America. Opportunities to hunt mountain goats are rare, making it a small pool of persistent hunters who have this experience.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
Big game hunters hold Montana's vigorous moose population in high regard. This year 22,994 hunters applied to be in the drawing for a moose license—20,892 of them resident and 2,102 nonresident hunters. From among this pool of applicants, only 617 succeed in getting a license—595 residents and 22 nonresidents. That is a three percent chance of drawing a moose tag. Based on past statistics, more than 80 percent of this year's moose hunters will be successful.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
About one out of every 20 or 25 black bear hunters bags a black bear each year. That is generally the easy part. Next the hunter has to skin the bear and get the hide off and the meat cooled, out of the woods and to the professionals.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
The 1,100 volunteers who teach Hunter Education would like to remind all hunters of the four basic rules of gun safety.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
Grizzly bears are still out and active, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks advises hunters heading to the Rocky Mountain Front or other locations in Western Montana to carry and know how to use bear pepper spray.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
It's time for hunters who plan to hunt on private land to be thinking about securing permission from landowners. Montana law requires hunters to obtain permission for ALL hunting on private land. Whether pursuing upland game birds, coyotes, gopher or big game, hunters must ask permission from the landowner before hunting on private property.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
Before going afield to hunt, it is always wise to review the proper ways to handle and transport wild meat. For example, it is illegal to transport back to Montana the head and spinal cord of an animal you harvest in a state that has found CWD in their wild game populations. CWD has not been detected in free-ranging deer or elk in Montana.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
TIP-MONT, the "crime stopper" program managed by Montana, Fish, Wildlife & Parks, offers substantial rewards to callers who report valuable information on natural resource crimes. If the information leads to an arrest, a call to 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668) may lead to a cash reward of up to $1,000.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
The fishing closure on the Lower Reach of the Big Hole River from Dickie Bridge near Wise River to the mouth near Twin Bridges will be lifted at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006.
(Headlines - September 22, 2006)
Bow hunters and rifle hunters will be afield at the same time in the next few weeks said Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials, and hunters are urged to take extra care in confirming their target.
(Hunting - September 22, 2006)
Three yearling heifers were recently confirmed injured by wolves on private land in the Madison Valley. USDA Wildlife Services investigated the depredations on Sept. 19 and Sept. 22. The three heifers had to be euthanized by the landowner.
(Headlines - September 22, 2006)
A Hunter Education course tailored to women will be held the first week of October in Glasgow.
(Headlines - September 19, 2006)
By order of the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission, hunting district 501-20, which includes portions of Carbon, Park and Stillwater counties, will be closed to all hunting of bighorn sheep, effective one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, September 20, 2006. The order closing the hunt came shortly after Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials received word that the pre-established harvest quota for bighorn sheep had been met.
(Hunting - September 18, 2006)
Montana's lakes, ponds, rivers and streams constitute a multi-million dollar resource, which we all enjoy. Our sport fisheries are among the finest in the world. However, when people illegally introduce fish to these waters, they jeopardize those fisheries.
(Fishing - September 18, 2006)
Beginning today Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will conduct an antlerless elk game damage hunt in Hunting District 380 in the Boulder Valley. The season was initiated to address elk damage that has become a regular occurrence in the area over several years.
(Headlines - September 15, 2006)
Surplus A7 licenses, valid for antlerless elk primarily on private land, will be available beginning Monday, Sept. 18 on a first-come, first served basis for seven west central Montana hunting districts. Hunters must exchange their general elk license at the Missoula Fish, Wildlife and Parks office to receive one of the licenses. There is no fee for the exchange.
(Headlines - September 15, 2006)
Federal and state officials are investigating the death of a grizzly bear found southwest of Augusta on the Rocky Mountain Front.
(Headlines - September 15, 2006)
Hunters along the Rocky Mountain Front should be aware the grizzly bears are still out and active.
(Headlines - September 15, 2006)
Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking public comment on a proposed project to construct new housing and office facilities at Camp Baker in Smith River State Park, northwest of White Sulphur Springs, MT.
(Headlines - September 15, 2006)
The 2006 fall hunting seasons have begun, starting with an early antelope archery season, followed by the September first opener for sharptailed grouse, Hungarian partridge, sage grouse, mourning doves and fall turkey.
(Hunting - September 11, 2006)
Montana hunters have the opportunity to take part in some of the finest hunting found anywhere. But each fall, some individuals unwittingly or knowingly violate the state’s game laws.
(Hunting - September 11, 2006)
Region 7, Fish, Wildlife and Parks proposes improvements to improve the utility of the existing boat ramp at the East Rosebud Fishing Access Site.
(Parks - September 11, 2006)
The Jefferson River will re-open to fishing beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, September 13, 2006.
(Headlines - September 11, 2006)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials will attempt to destroy any of the domestic elk that recently escaped from an eastern Idaho private game preserve if they are found in Montana, agency officials said today. Licensed hunters also could legally take the escaped animals.
(Hunting - September 11, 2006)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will hold several public meetings around west-central Montana this month to discuss a draft management plan and programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) for grizzly bears in 17 counties located in western Montana.
(Headlines - September 11, 2006)
The US Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and MT Audubon are sponsoring a Birds in the Classroom Teacher Workshop at the Lee Metcalf Wildlife National Refuge near Stevensville Oct. 19-20, 8:30-3:30 p.m. The workshop will include an introduction the Flying WILD Curriculum and Educator’s Guide.
(Headlines - September 11, 2006)
Toll-free and online reporting systems are now part of Montana's effort to detect the possible arrival of a virulent strain of bird flu that could be brought to North America via migrating waterfowl. Montana citizens can report sick or dead birds via a toll free phone number, 1-866-608-5024, or online at fwp.mt.gov
(Headlines - September 08, 2006)
Fall fishing can be some of the best of the year. Cooler air temperatures and great weather make for pleasant times on the water, and the bugs of summer are disappearing quickly. Also, with schools starting back up and hunting season underway, there is a noticeable drop in fishing pressure on many lakes and streams across the state.
(Fishing - September 08, 2006)
For the second year in a row, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks completed a black bear DNA Study in southwest Montana. The 2006 project focused on a 400 square mile area south of Butte and encompassed the Mount Haggin and Fleecer Wildlife Management Areas.
(Headlines - September 08, 2006)
Concern over high paddlefish harvest in eastern Montana is motivating a number of proposed changes to snagging regulations on both the lower Yellowstone and Missouri rivers and the Missouri River above Fort Peck Reservoir. FWP fishery biologists believe the high paddlefish harvest cannot be sustained over time without causing a decline in the population.
(Fishing - September 07, 2006)
There is no room for poachers in Montana, one of the few states in the country where convicted poachers now face jail time and hefty fines. That's part of the "Enough is Enough" anti-poaching message Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and several private groups want to send this fall as the state continues to battle professional poachers who kill Montana wildlife for profit.
(Headlines - September 07, 2006)
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 3 has adopted Stage II fire restrictions on all FWP lands in Gallatin and Park Counties effective Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006, at 12:01 a.m. Due to extreme fire danger in southwest Montana, all FWP state parks, fishing access sites, and wildlife management areas in Gallatin and Park Counties are under Stage II restrictions.
(Headlines - September 06, 2006)
Fish, Wildlife & Parks will accept public comment through Sept. 15 on a number of changes to paddlefishing in the Eastern Fishing District.
(Headlines - September 06, 2006)
A fall Hunter Education class has been scheduled for the Lame Deer area in Region 7. The class is offered free to the public and is required for anyone 12 years of age or older, or anyone born after January 1, 1985, who wishes to hunt this fall.
(Education - September 05, 2006)
Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will meet Sept. 13 at the FWP Helena Headquarters, 1420 East 6 th Ave, beginning at 8 a.m.
(Commission - September 05, 2006)
A limited number of hunters will be able to hunt antlerless elk on private lands in portions of Hunting Districts 360 and 362 in the Madison Valley this fall during the general five-week hunting season.
(Headlines - September 05, 2006)
Hunters, please remember that it is your responsibility to identify and abide by any drought and fire-related restrictions that may be in effect in areas where you plan to hunt.
(Hunting - September 01, 2006)
Hunters who are taking to the field for Montana’s big game archery season beginning Sept. 2 need to take the warm, dry weather predicted for some areas of the state into account in their hunt planning. It can be tough to stalk big game when every blade of grass rattles and every twig snaps.
(Hunting - September 01, 2006)
Applications for Montana’s upcoming 90-day bison hunt are due Sept. 15. Prospective hunters must apply for licenses, which will be awarded via a special drawing. A license will cost $125 for residents and $750 for nonresidents.
(Hunting - September 01, 2006)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will hold 11 public meetings this month to discuss a management plan and draft programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) for grizzly bears in 17 western Montana counties.
(Wild Things - September 01, 2006)
Off-highway vehicles, including motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), quadricycles, dune buggies, amphibious vehicles and air cushion vehicles, have registration and use rules. Snowmobiles are not considered OHVs.
(Hunting - September 01, 2006)
When planning a hunting trip, it is important for hunters to be mindful of the regulations associated with using State School Trust Land managed by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Just a few tips: * A $2 state lands access fee is now included in the $8 resident and $10 nonresident price of the FWP conservation license. This license replaces the $10 state lands recreational use license for hunting, fishing and trapping activities on state lands.
(Hunting - September 01, 2006)
Coyotes, the great adaptors, were quick in the past 100 years to take over habitat vacated by wolves. In doing so, they also took on a share of the natural ire that rural-dwelling Montanans feel when faced with threats to domestic stock and pets. The bushy-tailed coyote has survived that ire by being extremely adaptable and resilient. Coyotes generally weigh 20 to 35 pounds with rich fur coats that some hunters and trappers find very attractive.
(Wild Things - September 01, 2006)
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission adopted waterfowl hunting regulations Thursday for the upcoming seasons.
(Hunting - September 01, 2006)
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