Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is looking for public feedback on work from a citizen advisory council tasked with developing guiding principles for developing a new Mule Deer Management Plan. “We know how concerned people are with mule deer numbers across the state,” said FWP Director Dustin Temple. “Our focus is developing a new plan that will guide our efforts to manage herds well into the future. The council’s work is a critical first step for our planning process.” In early 2024, FWP solicited applications from Montana citizens to serve on...
A Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Hunter Education classroom course and online field day has been set for the Glasgow area. In person course: An in-person classroom course will take place in the evenings Aug. 12-16 from 5:15 p.m.-9 p.m. The classes will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, adjacent to the FWP office, with the field day at the Valley Co. Rifle and Pistol Club. In-person, instructor-led hunter education classroom courses are available to anyone age 10 and older and provide new hunters with a hands-on...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking up to 12 people to serve on a statewide River Recreation Advisory Council. The River Recreation Advisory Council’s purpose is to develop a set of recommendations for managing river recreation in Montana and administering the use of water-related activities. The focus area extends to department lands and water bodies that are restricted under the authority of FWP. This includes recreation use on and along the water way, including fishing access sites. Montana boasts an abundance of publicly accessible r...
Monday, June 24, alongside Wildlife Manager Brett Dorak, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Dustin Temple held a press conference to address the status of eastern Montana’s mule deer. “Our job at FWP is to manage Montana’s wildlife resources by providing full contextual, transparent, accurate data with full context,” Director Temple said. “Across the state, we are making the effort to ensure our management of mule deer is based on the best science and data.” FWP biologists have completed annual spring surveys. For Region 5, the numbers...
Biologists conducting spring deer and elk surveys found some areas with improved herd growth and some areas with lower recruitment due to poor habitat conditions and disease. During the spring season, FWP wildlife staff get a pulse on deer and elk numbers by conducting aerial spring trend surveys or green-up flights across the state. These flights occur in the same areas year after year so biologist can understand population trends. During the flights, staff count the total number of deer and elk they see and classify fawns/calves and adults...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Bowhunter Education course dates have been set for Glasgow, with an in-person course taught by volunteer instructors starting Monday, June 24, and a field day for online students on Thursday, June 27. These bowhunter education courses are free of charge. In-person bowhunter education class Bowhunter Education classes are taught by skilled volunteer instructors and offer hands-on learning experiences, mentoring opportunities, and the ability for students to ask questions of experienced bowhunters. Students must be... Full story
The new Montana Mule Deer Citizen Advisory Committee will meet twice this spring and help the department identify important issues in mule deer management and goals for the new mule deer management plan. This is an early step in the planning process with multiple opportunities for public input before the plan is finalized in time to inform the 2026-2027 hunting season-setting process. Members of the committee include Valley County residents Eric Albus, Hinsdale, and Mitchell Griebel, Glasgow. “Most Montanans have a familiar appreciation for m...
Landowners have until May 1 to apply for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Elk Hunting Access Agreement (EHA) Program. These EHA agreements, which were established by the 2001 Legislature, provide landowners with an elk license (including elk B), an either-sex permit or combination of the two in exchange for allowing free public hunting access for elk management purposes. The licenses/permits issued through this program may be designated to an immediate family member or an authorized full-time employee of the landowner valid only on the l...
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet virtually on Wednesday, April 17, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The meeting will be streamed live on Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ website, https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/commission/april-2024-meeting, and YouTube, www.youtube.com/@MontanaFWP. The commission will take public comment on agenda items from registered commenters on Zoom. Those who want to make a comment on Zoom must register on the Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ website by noon on April 16. Written comment on most agenda items were accepted thr...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is accepting applications from landowners who are interested in participating in the 2024 Block Management Program. Application deadline is June 1. Through the Block Management Program, landowners and FWP work together to help manage wildlife and public hunting activities on enrolled lands. Landowners and FWP enter into voluntary agreements that determine how hunting will be conducted on the landowner’s property. Items such as permission requirements, times when permission will be granted, hunting opportunities pr...
Hunters have until April 1 to apply for deer and elk permits and nonresident combination licenses. Hunters can buy licenses and apply for permits on the FWP website; click on “Buy and Apply.” Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks offers several tools to help hunters navigate the application process. Click here to watch a video tutorial for Montana residents; click here to watch a video tutorial for nonresidents. To see a playlist of all FWP’s hunting license video tutorials, click here. For help with understanding how bonus points are used, you can v...
Whether you love hiking, hunting, biking or fishing, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wants to hear your thoughts on what matters most for the future of outdoor recreation in our state. Over the next few months, FWP will be gathering input from the recreating public as it updates its Statewide Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). SCORP serves as a guide for local, state and federal agencies as they work with FWP to develop future outdoor recreation opportunities across the state. SCORP also outlines outdoor recreation goals for the state over the...
The new license year opens March 1, which means that is the day you can buy your 2024 hunting, fishing and conservation licenses and begin applying for permits and special licenses. The deadline to apply for deer and elk permits is April 1. Applications for most species – deer, elk, antelope, deer B licenses, elk B licenses, antelope B licenses, moose, sheep, goat, bison, bear, turkey – can be made beginning March 1. A new online feature this year is the option for applicants to reapply for the same offerings as last year with just a sim...
The hunting and trapping of wolves in Region 5, 6 and 7 closed a half hour after sunset Jan. 21. The order halting the harvest of wolves in these regions came after Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials received word that the pre-established harvest quota of five wolves in these regions had been met. With the exception of Wolf Management Unit 313, wolf harvest quotas elsewhere in the state have yet to be met. Those interested in up-to-date information on the status of Montana’s wolf harvest can view FWP’s wolf dashboard, https...
Two diseases mostly affecting wild birds have been detected recently in Montana. These include pigeon paramyxovirus (PPMV), which has become more widespread in the past month, and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which has been detected in Montana since 2022. Mortality in wild birds from HPAI tends to cycle with waterfowl migrations, and detections of HPAI in Montana have increased recently due to seasonal migrations. Hunters, livestock and pet owners, and other residents may have questions about these pathogens and what precautionary...
The Private Land/Public Wildlife Advisory Committee will meet Tuesday, Jan. 30 and Wednesday, Jan. 31. Participants can attend in person at the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation headquarter in Helena or via Zoom. The meeting runs from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 and from 8 to 11:45 a.m. on Jan. 31. The 13-member advisory committee, appointed by the governor, is charged with reviewing FWP’s access programs and offering recommendations to help achieve program goals and maintaining good relations between hunters and l... Full story
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Region 6 Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) will meet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at Fort Peck Multispecies Fish Hatchery in Fort Peck. The public is welcome to attend. FWP will give updates on current Region 6 fisheries, wildlife, enforcement, education, and parks and outdoor recreation happenings. Each of FWP’s seven administrative regions has a volunteer CAC to help guide policies and programs. The Region 6 group meets three to four times a year. FWP ensures that its meetings are fully acc... Full story
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host two meetings in January to discuss proposed 2024 upland game bird hunting regulations. FWP staff will present proposed 2024 upland game bird seasons and regulations, along with recent trends in upland game bird populations, harvest, and hunting pressure. The meetings are being held in Glendive and Scobey, as eastern Montana attracts many resident and nonresident upland gamebird hunters. Both meetings will have options for people to attend virtually. The purpose of the meetings is to share information... Full story
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is forming an advisory council to help begin the process of developing a new statewide mule deer plan. The Mule Deer Citizens Advisory Council (MDCAC) will consist of 10 to 12 people and will identify expectations for the new mule deer plan, which could include expectations for development process, management actions and goals, and results. “As we begin the process of developing a new mule deer plan, we are really open to taking a different approach, if that’s what the public wants,” said FWP Director Dusti...
The Private Land/Public Wildlife Advisory Committee will meet Wednesday, Dec. 19, via Zoom from 1 to 4:30 p.m. The 13-member advisory committee, appointed by the governor, is charged with reviewing FWP’s access programs and offering recommendations to help achieve program goals and maintaining good relations between hunters and landowners. Members are Ed Beall, chair, of Helena, Eric Albus, of Hinsdale, Cynthia Cohan, of Butte, Lee Cornwell, of Glasgow, Paul Ellis, of Bozeman, Everett Headley, of Stevensville, Donna McDonald, of Alder, Rod P...
Montana K9 Safety, along with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, will offer a free workshop for dog owners interested in learning how to free dogs from traps. The workshop is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 3, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Best Western Plus, 1425 US Hwy 2 (on the hill) in Havre. For centuries, people have trapped furbearers across Montana. Fur trapping is highly regulated, biologically sustainable, and an important part of Montana’s cultural history and outdoor lifestyle. However, sometimes traps that attract or surprise targeted animals... Full story
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host a series of virtual and in-person public meetings around the state to present proposed hunting regulations for 2024/2025 hunting seasons. The Region 6 meeting will be held in Glasgow on Wednesday, Nov. 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cottonwood Inn. This will be the only meeting held in Region 6. There will be a Zoom option available for these meetings that can be found by going to https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/public-comment-opportunities/biennial-season-setting, where the full list of proposals can be found... Full story
The State Trails Advisory Committee (STAC) will meet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. via Zoom. updates to the Recreation Trails Grant Program (RTP) and the Trail Stewardship Grant Program (TSP) for the 2024 grant cycle. For information on how to join the Zoom meeting, go to fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/commission-councils-committees/state-trails-advisory-committee. STAC advises FWP on trail issues in Montana, including funding, use and the promotion of recreational trails across land ownership....
The Montana Off-Highway Vehicle Advisory Committee (OHVAC) will meet from 1 to 4 p.m. via Zoom. The committee will review and discuss updates to the Off Highway Vehicle Grant Program (OHV) and the Summer Motorized Trail Pass Grant Program (SMTP) for the 2024 grant cycle. For information on how to join the Zoom meeting, go to fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/commission-councils-committees/ohv-advisory-committee. OHVAC advises FWP on trail issues in Montana relating to the funding, provision of, development, renovation, maintenance, management, usage and...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on two environmental assessments (EAs). For more information, including how to submit comments, click on the link provided or visit fwp.mt.gov/public-notices. White Bear Fishing Access Site EA FWP is proposing a project to provide security features and develop additional recreational amenities to mitigate undesirable and illegal public behavior at White Bear FAS near Great Falls. The proposed project would provide the following benefits: Provide additional security features to increase...
