Under Montana law, hunters must have a landowner's permission to hunt on private lands.

Hunters who take the time now to request landowner permission to hunt benefit by having more time and opportunity to build a relationship with the landowner.

Here are some ideas that can improve your odds of gaining permission to hunt on private land.

• Call or visit at times convenient to the landowner, and call back to clear specific hunting dates and times with the landowner.
• Provide complete information about yourself and your companions, including vehicle descriptions and license numbers.
• Explain what type of hunting you wish to do, and ask the landowner how best to access the land.
• Follow the landowner's instructions, and bring only the companions for whom you obtained landowner permission.
• Thank the landowner after your hunt.

For more on obtaining hunting access, visit the Hunting pages on Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ website at fwp.mt.gov. For information on FWP's Hunter-Landowner Stewardship Project go to the Hot Topics link on the Hunting page.