Game Damage Roster Set

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Hunters who registered for potential game damage hunting opportunities on private land in Montana this year can now check their status at online at FWP’s Game Damage Roster.

Game damage occurs when animals like elk, deer, and antelope concentrate on private farms and ranches and eat crops.   Under recently approved game damage hunt rules, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game managers will respond to the needs of landowers who provide public hunting during the general hunting season, yet who may still confront losses due to wildlife damage.   In some cases, that response may result in a game damage hunt.

More than 4,800 hunters signed up for potential hunts last month. A computerized, random drawing assigned each hunter a place on the waiting list. Hunts could take place anytime from Aug. 15 through Feb.15, 2007.   FWP will contact hunters on the game damage rosters when opportunities arise and their help is needed.

Prospective hunters can check their roster status online at fwp.mt.gov. Click on "Game Damage Hunt Roster Results." To check the results hunters will need their ALS number.  

In addition to game damage hunts, FWP may also offer management seasons when needed to deal with large concentrations of game animals due to seasonal migrations, extreme weather conditions, restrictive public hunting on adjacent or nearby properties, and other factors.

The effort to create hunter rosters is specifically intended to decrease game damage response time and to generally streamline the game damage process. Montana’s general five-week hunting season, and the creation of more either-sex seasons for big game, eliminated methods used in past years to generate lists of prospective game damage hunters.