Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks today closed a 1.2-mile stretch of the Big Hole River from Silver Bridge to Divide Bridge near Divide to all boating, floating and swimming.
(Headlines - August 01, 2008)
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission is seeking public comment on additions and changes to the state's classification of exotic wildlife.
(Headlines - August 01, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on 25 applications for snowmobile trail grants for 2009. FWP administers an annual grant program for projects including snowmobile trail grooming, rehabilitation, and maintenance of trail grooming equipment.
(Recreation - August 01, 2008)
The Yellowstone Valley Amateur Astronomers will present a public “celestial viewing” at Pictograph Cave State Park Saturday, Aug. 9, beginning at 8 p.m.
(Headlines - August 01, 2008)
On the rivers and streams, it could be an August to remember. The big – and late – snowmelt in many parts of trout country have the rivers dropping and clearing. Waters are still cool enough for fish to be active. Flows are in the comfort range for trout to go on a late summer feeding spree.
(Fishing - July 31, 2008)
Children will test their awareness skills, investigate mysteries in nature and learn to leave no trace Monday, Aug. 4, during the next session of “Earth Stewardship for Young Folks” at Pictograph Cave State Park south of Billings.
(Headlines - July 30, 2008)
On Nov. 23, 2007, someone shot a bull elk and left it to waste on the Jansen Block Management Area north of Billings. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wardens believe others witnessed the crime, so the department is offering a reward of as much as $1,000 for information.
(Headlines - July 30, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is teaming up with Pheasant Forever and the federal Bureau of Land Management to enhance pheasant and riparian habitat on public land in the Billings region.
(Headlines - July 30, 2008)
The Montana Conservation and Restoration Partnership steering committee, a group formed to advise agencies and organizations on how to best carry out new conservation programs, will meet in Helena, Aug. 5, at the Red Lion Colonial Inn. The purpose partnership is to bring together a broad coalition of people committed to a voluntary, incentive-based approach to the conservation and restoration of Montana’s premier fish and wildlife habitats and scenic landscapes.
(Headlines - July 29, 2008)
Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will meet Aug. 5 in Helena at the Colonial Red Lion Hotel, 2301 Colonial Drive, beginning at 8 a.m.
(Commission - July 29, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) and Plum Creek Timber Company signed a one-year agreement that ensures public access to nearly 500,000 acres of Plum Creek lands in west-central Montana.
(Headlines - July 29, 2008)
The dates for the fall hunter education course in Great Falls have been set. Registration will be 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sept. 9; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 10-12, at the Region 4 Fish, Wildlife and Parks office, 4600 Giant Springs Road. A parent or guardian must accompany each student 17 or younger to co-sign the registration card and liability release. Classes will be 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sept. 15, 16, 18, 22, 23, 25, and 29 at East Middle School, 4040 Central Ave. A field day test will take place Sept. 27.
(Headlines - July 29, 2008)
Lone Pine State Park is wrapping up its summer workshop series.
(Headlines - July 28, 2008)
Horseshoe Lake Road in the Thompson Chain of Lakes Fishing Access Site, 50 miles west of Kalispell on Highway 2, will be closed from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm beginning around July 28th, 2008
(Headlines - July 28, 2008)
Late spring runoff, ice and snow have postponed a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks plan to remove invasive brook trout from three mountain lakes and a stream in the Beartooth Mountains north of Cooke City.
(Headlines - July 28, 2008)
After more than a dozen instances in a week in which black bears tried to enter homes in and around Red Lodge, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is asking Carbon County residents to take special precautions.
(Headlines - July 28, 2008)
Trainers from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics will present two educational programs Friday and Saturday, Aug. 1 and 2, at Cooney State Park.
(Headlines - July 28, 2008)
The Humanities Montana Speakers Bureau will present a program on “Montana Memoirs – Montana Memories” Saturday, Aug. 9, at Cooney State Park.
(Headlines - July 28, 2008)
Have fun with the whole family learning how to identify wildlife in the great outdoors.
(Headlines - July 28, 2008)
Two day-long programs are set for Chief Plenty Coups State Park in August.
(Headlines - July 28, 2008)
Lee Burroughs of Lavina was honored recently with the Montana Game Warden Association Award of Excellence for south central Montana.
(Headlines - July 25, 2008)
Hopper time has arrived in Montana With the fishing year nearing August, it should come as no surprise that grasshoppers are starting to be talked about by anglers across Montana. Of all the fly patterns, grasshoppers are some of the most fun to fish. They’re big. They’re easy to see as they float with the current.
(Fishing - July 25, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Montana Outdoors was named the nation’s best state conservation magazine at the annual Association for Conservation Information awards ceremony on July 17 in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the third time in the past four years the FWP publication has received the ACI’s first place award in the magazine category.
(Montana Outdoors - July 25, 2008)
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission is seeking public comment on several recently approved elk-related proposals for the upcoming hunting season, including adjustments to elk management plan objectives in western Montana. Here's a summary of the proposals would result in changes for the upcoming season: 2008 Elk Season Harvest Quotas Region 2—Western Montana Reduce cow elk quota in hunting districts 204, 261 and the northern portion of 270 from 200 to 100.
(Hunting - July 25, 2008)
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission is seeking public comment on early season migratory bird regulations for the upcoming season. Here's a summary of the proposed changes in 2008: Expand the special permit season dates for Rocky Mountain population of sandhill cranes to Sept. 6—Sept. 21. Move the season dates for mid-continent sandhill cranes to Sept. 27 – Nov. 23.
(Hunting - July 25, 2008)
Hunters interested in obtaining a special permit to hunt the Rocky Mountain population of sandhill cranes must apply by July 31 for these limited permits. Proposed season dates in these areas are Sept. 6-Sept. 21. Prospective fall crane hunters interested in these permits must apply by mail using an official application; at a regional office; or online. Applications are available at fwp.mt.gov under Online Services. Mail-in applications must be received by 5 p.m. on July 31.
(Hunting - July 25, 2008)
Hunters planning to pursue wild turkeys in western Montana this fall must apply for a special permit by July 31 by mail using an official application, at a regional office, or online. Mail-in applications, which can be found on FWP’s website, must be received by 5 p.m. on July 31. Paper applications are available at fwp.mt.gov on the Hunting Page under Licenses and Permit then Paper Applications. Online applications are available at fwp.mt.
(Hunting - July 25, 2008)
Licenses must be purchased by Aug. 31 for the fall black bear season. Hunters may purchase a license at all FWP offices, FWP license providers, or online at fwp.mt.gov , look under Online Services. Black bear hunters must have successfully completed the Black Bear Identification Test and must present a certificate of completion when purchasing a black bear license. The training and test are also available on FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov under Online Services.
(Hunting - July 25, 2008)
General mountain lion hunting licenses must be purchased by Aug. 31. Resident and nonresident mountain lion hunters also have until 5 p.m. on Aug. 29 to apply for a special mountain lion license limited to a single hunting district of the applicant's choice in Western Montana's FWP Regions 1 and 2. Hunters may hold a general mountain lion license or apply for a special mountain lion license. A hunter cannot do both.
(Hunting - July 25, 2008)
Three lucky Montana hunters will get another shot at the dream this fall after beating the odds to win Montana's big game SuperTag lottery.
(Hunting - July 25, 2008)
The Private Land/Public Wildlife Council will meet on Aug. 14-15 in Miles City at the Guest House Inn & Suites, to discuss hunting and fishing access issues. Council members will convene on Thursday, Aug. 14 at 8 a.m. to discuss issues related to changes in Montana land ownership and land management, outfitting, wildlife management, and Montana’s hunting and angling traditions. The meeting will continue Friday, Aug. 15, from 8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
(Hunting - July 25, 2008)
Deer have been seen less frequently on the sides of roads and in nearby fields and green spaces in the past six to eight weeks. That is about to change quickly, and the result will be a challenge to Montana drivers. "This year's crop of fawns have their legs and are ready to travel more widely than when first born. We are going to begin to see does with fawns crossing roads more frequently," said Kurt Cunningham of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' Communication and Education Division.
(Education - July 25, 2008)
With the recent federal court decision that reinstated Endangered Species Act protection for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains, federal law will once again guide Montana's management of its population. As a result of the decision, the line that once divided Montana's wolf population as a "nonessential experimental" population in the southern half of the state, and an "endangered" population to the north, has also been reinstated by the court.
(Wild Things - July 25, 2008)
Wolves are Relisted in the Northern Rocky Mountains A U.S. Federal District Court reinstated federal Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies on July 18, 2008. Federal laws and regulations once again guide Montana’s management of the federally protected wolf population. Wolves across northern Montana are reclassified back to endangered and wolves across southern Montana are reclassified to experimental while the litigation moves forward.
(Wild Things - July 25, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) issued a decision notice to acquire approximately 12 acres of land along the Clark Fork River eight miles northwest of Missoula, near old Harper’s Bridge.
(Headlines - July 25, 2008)
Montana's freshwater mussels can be an important source of food for raccoons, muskrat, otter and other animals who live near the trout streams and prairie rivers the mussels inhabit. But perhaps most importantly they are an important indicator of water quality and healthy fish populations. The state is home to three native mussel species—the western pearlshell, Margaritifera falcata; the fatmucket or Lampsilis siliquoidaea; and the giant floater, or Pyganodon grandis.
(Headlines - July 25, 2008)
Visit Beavertail Hill State Park on Friday, Aug. 1 to get a glimpse into the Nez Perce War of 1877 through the eyes of Major Charles Rawn, portrayed by Robert M. Brown, Director of the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula.
(Headlines - July 25, 2008)
Visit Salmon Lake State Park on Saturday, Aug 2 to learn about the history and future plans for the Milltown Dam site. The program starts at 8 p.m. at the state park, 10 miles south of Seeley Lake just off Highway 83.
(Headlines - July 25, 2008)
The Montana Department of Transportation found a dead wolf along Interstate 90 near Lookout Pass on July 21. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks confirmed that the wolf had injuries consistent with a vehicle collision.
(Headlines - July 25, 2008)
Wolves killed two llamas and injured a third in the Bitterroot Valley south of Florence this week. USDA Wildlife Services confirmed the depredations on July 24.
(Headlines - July 25, 2008)
The body of a man who went missing after a recent deadly hailstorm at Tongue River Reservoir was recovered Monday. Portions of the reservoir that were closed to boat traffic during search efforts have been re-opened.
(Parks - July 24, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ personnel captured a grizzly bear in the Soda Butte Campground east of Cooke City on July 22.
(Headlines - July 24, 2008)
Visit Beavertail Hill State Park Friday, July 25 to get a glimpse into Mark Twain’s journeys through Montana. The program starts at 8 p.m. at Beavertail Hill State Park, 26 miles southeast of Missoula just off Interstate 90.
(Headlines - July 22, 2008)
Learn about life in Montana’s Upper Missouri River basin during the 1880s at Salmon Lake State Park on Saturday, July 26. The program starts at 8 p.m. at the state park, 10 miles south of Seeley Lake just off Highway 83.
(Headlines - July 22, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is proposing to acquire 7,540 acres of important wildlife habitat along the Marias River. FWP Region 4 supervisor Gary Bertellotti made the decision July 16 after reviewing an environmental assessment on the property, addressing local residents’ concerns, and considering significant public support. A local landowner bequeathed the property, known as the Lincoln property, to the Helena Catholic Diocese.
(Headlines - July 22, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks plans to remove invasive brook trout from three mountain lakes and a stream in the Beartooth Mountains north of Cooke City on Aug. 4.
(Headlines - July 18, 2008)
July 18, 2008 Montana Fishing Roundup This is a brief synopsis of fishing conditions and reports from select waters across the state. For more detailed information, contact a fly shop, bait store, or boat marina for the particular water. For detailed information on river flows, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.
(Fishing - July 18, 2008)
A full-sized Apsaalooke lodge – or Crow teepee – will be installed and explained Friday evening, July 25, at Pictograph Cave State Park.
(Headlines - July 18, 2008)
Visit Beavertail Hill State Park Friday, July 18 to get a glimpse into life on the Lewis & Clark journey through an in-character performance of one of the expedition’s members. The program starts at 8 p.m. at Beavertail Hill State Park, 26 miles southeast of Missoula just off Interstate 90.
(Headlines - July 16, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will offer a free boating-education class on July 31 in Helena. The class will include an overview of boating safety, equipment requirements and the rules of safe operation. Participants must pre-register and read the boating manual provided by FWP prior to the class. The class, which is for Thursday, July 31 at 6:30 p.m., will be held at FWP headquarters, 1420 East Sixth Ave.
(Education - July 16, 2008)
Three lucky Montana hunters will get another shot at the dream this fall after beating the odds to win Montana's big game SuperTag lottery.
(Headlines - July 16, 2008)
Children can learn about the tracks that wildlife and other animals leave in the soil Monday, July 21, at the latest session of “Earth Stewardship for Young Folks” at Pictograph Cave State Park south of Billings.
(Headlines - July 14, 2008)
Asa Mowery, a Boy Scout and student at Meadowlark Elementary School in Billings, will lead a geocache hunt with prizes and talk about this unique, high-tech outdoor adventure Saturday, July 19, at Pictograph Cave State Park.
(Headlines - July 14, 2008)
Fire-danger is an ever-present threat during summer in Montana.
As summer temperatures heat up, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds everyone who plans to be outdoors to be aware that fire danger is also on the rise.
(Headlines - July 11, 2008)
Hunters have until July 31 to purchase chances for elk, deer, bison, antelope and mountain lion SuperTag hunting licenses.
(Headlines - July 11, 2008)
Hunters planning to pursue wild turkeys in western Montana this fall must apply for a special permit by July 31.
(Headlines - July 11, 2008)
Hunters interested in obtaining a special permit to hunt sandhill cranes in the Sweet Grass and Wheatland counties portion of the Central Flyway, as well as in three areas of western Montana in the Pacific Flyway, must apply by July 31. The four limited permit areas proposed for sandhill crane hunting in Montana are: Central Flyway: Sept.
(Headlines - July 11, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host three public hearings in July to gather comment on a rule proposal that would allow state wildlife officials to designate the gray wolf as a species in need of management.
(Headlines - July 11, 2008)
A public meeting on a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks proposal to buy 72 acres for a fishing access site northwest of Columbus is set for 7 p.m. July 24, 2008, at the Columbus City Hall.
(Headlines - July 11, 2008)
Have you ever wondered if the mushroom you found is edible? Learn the basics of mushroom identification and more at a special program at Salmon Lake State Park on Friday, July 18.
(Headlines - July 10, 2008)
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will meet in Kalispell July 17 to consider final upland game bird seasons and to discuss cutthroat trout conservation in the South Fork of the Flathead River drainage in northwestern Montana.
(Headlines - July 10, 2008)
USDA Wildlife Services killed three wolves from the Elevation Mountain pack June 27 near Helmville, completing the lethal control action initiated this spring after wolves killed livestock in the area.
(Headlines - July 09, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking applicants to fill two volunteer positions on the Region 2 Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC). The 16 member CAC was established four years ago.
(Headlines - July 09, 2008)
The Yellowstone Valley Amateur Astronomers will present a program on stargazing Saturday night, July 12, at Cooney State Park.
(Headlines - July 08, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comments on an environmental assessment regarding a proposal to grant funds to the Dillon Rifle and Pistol Club for range improvements.
(Headlines - July 08, 2008)
The ever-popular Spring Meadow Lake Cardboard Cup Regatta will take place this year on July 12.
(Headlines - July 08, 2008)
Learn the basics of geocaching at a special program at Salmon Lake State Park on Saturday, July 12. The program starts at 8 p.m. at the state park, 10 miles south of Seeley Lake just off Highway 83.
(Headlines - July 08, 2008)
Visit Beavertail Hill State Park Friday, July 11 to get a glimpse into the life of Mary Gleim, a nineteenth century Missoula resident known for her business savvy, volatile personality and run-ins with the law.
(Headlines - July 08, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host three public hearings in July to gather comment on a rule proposal that would allow state wildlife officials to designate the gray wolf as a species in need of management.
(Wild Things - July 07, 2008)
Sign up will start Monday, July 14, for the only hunter education course offered in Yellowstone County this summer. The class runs Aug. 7-9 at the Billings Rod and Gun Club just west of the Billings airport.
(Headlines - July 07, 2008)
Children can learn to experience nature while walking like a fox and watching like an owl. Such nature-awareness skills are part of the Monday, July 14, session of “Earth Stewardship for Young Folks” program at Pictograph Cave State Park south of Billings.
(Headlines - July 07, 2008)
Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will meet July 17 at the Red Lion Inn in Kalispell, located at the Kalispell Center Mall. The meeting offers a good opportunity for people in northwest Montana to attend a FWP Commission meeting where all five Commissioners are present.
(Headlines - July 07, 2008)
July 4, 2008 Montana Fishing Roundup This is a brief synopsis of fishing conditions and reports from select waters across the state. For more detailed information, contact a fly shop, bait store, or boat marina for the particular water. For detailed information on river flows, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.
(ALS - July 03, 2008)
The second meeting of the 2008 Elk Archery Committee, a group formed to recommend regulations in 23 hunting districts outside of the Missouri River Breaks, will meet in Bozeman Tuesday, July 8 at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' Region 3 office.
(Headlines - July 03, 2008)
The mount of an 830-pound male grizzly bear struck and killed by a pickup truck near Lincoln last fall will be on display at the Hooper Park Pavilion in Lincoln on Saturday, July 5 from 9am-5pm as part of a living in bear country display.
(Headlines - July 03, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks issued a draft environmental assessment Thursday, July 3, for public review and comments on a proposal to help fund improvements at the Billings Trap Club on northeast of Lake Elmo.
(Headlines - July 03, 2008)
A landowner in the East Fork of the Bitterroot near Sula shot and killed a wolf early Tuesday, July 1 that was threatening his cattle. No livestock were killed or hurt in the incident.
(Headlines - July 02, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host three public hearings in July to gather comment on a rule proposal that would allow state wildlife officials to designate the gray wolf as a species in need of management. The need for new rules follows the official removal of the northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf in March from the federal list of threatened and endangered species.
(Headlines - July 02, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds visitors to Montana's state parks, Wildlife Management Areas and fishing access sites that they need to leave the fireworks at home.
(Parks - July 01, 2008)
Lone Pine State Park has planned programs for children throughout the summer.
(Headlines - July 01, 2008)
In Montana all first-time bowhunters, regardless of age, must complete a bowhunter education course.
(Headlines - July 01, 2008)
Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), Region One, has completed an environmental assessment (EA) for the purpose of conducting a depletion population estimate of lake trout in Swan Lake, Montana.
(Headlines - July 01, 2008)
It is illegal to set off fireworks on FWP lands.
(Headlines - July 01, 2008)
Poker Joe Fishing Access Site (FAS) on the Bitterroot River between Florence and Stevensville will be closed beginning July 7 while a new parking area and latrine are installed.
(Headlines - July 01, 2008)
Fish, Wildlife and Parks is now offering bowhunter education over the Internet. Although the course is online, students must still take a field test to receive their bowhunter education card. In the Great Falls area, online students must also attend a one-hour class to watch two videos and take a short quiz before the July 19 field day. Several one-hour classes have been scheduled: 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., July 17; 1 p.m., July 18; and 9 a.m., July 19. The field course will begin at 11 a.m., July 19.
(Headlines - July 01, 2008)
With the annual Independence Day holiday this week, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reminds people that it is illegal to use fireworks in the state’s many parks and fishing access sites.
(Headlines - July 01, 2008)
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