Facing Down The Hunting Access Challenge

Michael Downy, FWP Public Land Access Coordinator

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You have finally captured the permit of your dreams, your rifle is shooting a one inch group at 150 yards, and your boots are well oiled and ready for that first snow.  Despite your careful preparation, there’s still a pit at the bottom of your stomach as you contemplate opening day.  There is still one last, big, question mark. Where?  The process of nailing down a place to hunt has become a significant source of anxiety for a majority of hunters today.  In some cases, hunters have given it up altogether for lack of readily accessible hunting ground. Access to good hunting all comes down to one word, preparation.  First, you need to know your options.  Fish, Wildlife, and Park’s Block Management Program offers free public hunting on nearly 8.5 million acres of private land.  Montana is blessed with over 30 million acres of public land.  More than 50 million acres of additional private land are available to those willing to make the effort to stop and ask. Too often, hunters rely on only one of these options. Those who use a combination of all three will usually find a good hunting area, with options to spare. The first step is getting a good set of maps.  Some popular maps are great tools for finding your way around, but the land ownership information may be outdated and inaccurate. The BLM and the Forest Service are the best source for maps that distinguish land ownership.  Unfortunately, many of these maps are also dated and are not completely reliable.   There are a number of other good sources for land ownership information. Many counties and conservation districts offer up-to-date land ownership maps. FWP has a free Directory of Montana Maps that provides sources and addresses for obtaining land ownership maps. FWP also has a hunt planner on the web at http://www.fwp.state.mt.us/hunting/plan/default.asp that provides maps of public lands and other useful information. Another great source for land ownership information is the Montana Department of Administration’s Cadastral Mapping Project. Located on the web at http://gis.doa.state.mt.us/, this site provides detailed land ownership information for 42 of Montana’s 56 counties.  It is possible to scout an area, and then, in the comfort of your home, determine precisely who owns what.  This is a good strategy for identifying the agency you might need to ask for permission to access isolated public lands.   Another strategy is to identify landowners adjacent to Block Management Areas. Hunting pressure on a BMA will often disperse game onto adjacent private land.  Not everyone will grant you permission to hunt, but a phone call or a visit with a jar of homemade jam can open a lot of closed gates.   Regardless of where you hunt, good preparation before you go out in the field will prevent the frustration of driving around at first light desperately searching for a spot that doesn’t already have 10 vehicles parked in front of it. For a free copy of the Directory of Montana Maps, Montana Access Guide to Federal and State Lands, Access Courtesy Cards and Block Management information, contact your local FWP office, call 406-444-2602, or write to: FWP - Field Services, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.