FWP Commission Postpones Bison Hunt—Will Reconsider Drawing Process

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The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission agreed Monday to postpone the hunting season for bison in southwestern Montana that was set to begin Saturday.

Commissioners stressed they were not opposed to hunting bison and directed FWP to continue to address bison-hunting options with the expectation a three-month hunting season over a larger area of southwestern Montana would be held next fall and winter.   Such a hunt would be expected to run Nov. 15 through Feb. 15, 2006. The hunt approved late last year was to run for 30 days and only in an area north of Gardiner.

About 8,300 people applied for 10 hunting licenses that were to be issued through a drawing last week. While the commission agreed to refund all fees to all applicants, they will reconsider that decision today at 9 a.m. via conference call.  

"Because all of the options weren’t fully explored, the commission wants to revisit the drawing process," said FWP spokesman Ron Aasheim. "They’ll discuss the possibility of conducting the drawing and   awarding the hunters drawn the first 10 licenses for use next license year once a season and quotas are established."

A 2005 bison season was tentatively approved by the FWP last month and will be fully considered the public and the FWP Commission.

The intent of the 2003 law authorizing a bison hunt is to allow Montana hunters to harvest wild, free-roaming bison under fair chase conditions and to reduce damage to private property by altering bison behavior and distribution.   Officials said the hunt is not expected to regulate bison populations.   Population regulation will continue to be achieved through the Interagency Bison Management Plan that was approved several years ago.

Public bison hunts are established in several western states, including Alaska, Arizona, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. In Montana, the last public bison hunt took place in 1990.