FWP’s Block Management Program will offer hunting access to over 8 million acres of private and isolated public land enrolled by more than 1,000 landowners for the 2001 hunting season. To help hunters identify how a Block Management Area (BMA) is administered, regional tabloids will depict BMAs as either Type I or Type II. Type I BMAs are areas where hunters administer their own permission, either by signing in at sign-in boxes or hunting on areas which require no formal permission. Hunter numbers are typically not limited on these BMAs. Type II BMAs are areas where someone other than the hunter administers permission, usually with either landowners or FWP staff issuing permission slips. Type II BMAs may implement hunter management restrictions such as limits on hunter numbers, pasture assignments, and reservation systems. Hunters can expect to see more BMAs with formal hunter management systems this year, which help to disperse hunting pressure. "Hunters should view the Block Management Program as a menu offering a wide variety of hunting options," says Alan Charles, FWP coordinator of landowner/sportsman relations."Each BMA is unique, in that the rules, the hunting opportunities, and potential ’quality of experience’ are unique to that area. Some BMAs offer easy access for many people, while others may offer tough access for only a few. Some BMAs are enrolled for a specific purpose, either to meet wildlife management objectives for a particular species or to provide recreational opportunities to meet an identified regional need. As with any menu, people must make choices, experience the offering, and then decide whether or not to make a similar choice again." It’s most important for hunters to realize that BMAs are only one of many hunting access options, says Charles. Many other private landowners not associated with the program also offer access to hunters who ask courteously, obey ranch rules, and say thanks. Montana also contains nearly 35 million acres of public land, much of which is available to hunters who do their homework. To obtain a regional list of BMA cooperators or learn more about individual BMAs, hunters should contact the local FWP office (see accompanying list) in the region where they plan to hunt. Also available is a brochure,"Block Management Basics," which explains the program and identifies regional differences.
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