A Measured Look At Montana's Youth Waterfowl Hunt

Tom Carlsen, Montana FWP Wildlife Biologist in Townsend

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Montana’s popular early youth waterfowl hunt appears to have a lot of support among adult waterfowl hunters, based on a 2004 survey.

The special statewide two-day youth waterfowl season—Sept. 24 and 25—is a popular opportunity for youngsters ages 12-15 to hunt ducks, mergansers, geese and coots before the general waterfowl season. They must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult at least 18 years of age; and bag limits, shooting hours, hunter safety requirement and all other regulations apply.

Shooting a week earlier than the general waterfowl season opener on Oct. 1 can redistribute waterfowl, especially in popular spots such as the Canyon Ferry Wildlife Management Area.

Some hunters wondered what the youth hunt’s impact was on the general waterfowl season opener at the WMA. To provide some answers, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks compared check station data from before—1992-1996—and after the youth hunt—1997-2004.

We discovered that waterfowl numbers were indeed down by 46-55 percent during the general season opener on the Canyon Ferry WMA, but the majority of hunters didn’t seem too concerned.

Last year, when we asked hunters coming through Canyon Ferry area check station about the youth hunt, 98 percent agreed that the youth hunt helps foster greater participation in waterfowl hunting and saw that as a good thing.   Ninety-seven percent knew there was a special youth hunt and 39 percent said someone from their family had participated.

I think part of the reason is that hunters are aware that around the turn of the 19 th century, when wildlife populations were nearly decimated by over-hunting, it was hunters, through their license fees and taxes on some sporting goods, who led the renewal of the wildlife populations we now enjoy throughout the western U. S.   As a result, most hunters tend to agree that young people who participate in and enjoy hunting will also help continue this tradition of wildlife conservation.

That may be why some of the area’s long-time hunters support the youth hunt, while acknowledging early season activity disperses the waterfowl on the Canyon Ferry WMA.

About 22 said the impact on the general waterfowl hunt wasn’t significant to them. Another 12 said the hunting depends more on local birds and weather. Other common comments included: the birds get wiser, geese are spooky, and some birds are displaced by the youth hunt.

Suggestions for improvement included setting the youth hunt more than two weeks before the general season opener, trying to regulate the distribution of hunters and reminding people it is a statewide hunt with many potential places to hunt.

With the many good waterfowl hunting spots in the state, there is room for everyone to enjoy the statewide youth waterfowl hunt. And, the more dispersed the hunters, the less dispersed waterfowl will be prior to the general season opener.