Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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A popular Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 6 program that allows children and their families to check out free fishing rods and tackle is in full swing again this year. Just in time for summer fishing, FWP staff is in the process of restocking the 49 (and counting) different location sites across Montana's Hi-Line. The "Kids to Fish" program lets youngsters check out fishing rods, reels and basic tackle, such as hooks, bobbers and sinkers. Typically, eight rods are at each location, and a...
FWP Information and Education Program Manager for Region 6 Marc Kloker (left) and Lakeridge Motel and Tackle owner Gene Moore will provide expertise and insights into area fishing beginning next week. Our own novice sportsman James Walling will write the regular feature with their assistance. Look for it in the sports section.... Full story
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) have been making their rounds along the Hi-Line looking for public comment and questions on a few regulation changes. Comments need to be in by May 31. They made their stop in Glasgow last week and explained that there weren’t a lot of big changes in the works, and that has made for a fairly quiet public commenting period this year. Changes in our area, Region 6, include specifying more clearly the waters where use of live bait is allowed, prohibiting bow fishing for shortnose gar in the Fort Peck D...
Every spring Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks issues a message to Montanans to leave new born fawns, birds, and other infant wildlife where people find them. "If you care, leave them there," said Ron Aasheim, spokesman for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Helena. Aasheim said that most birds, for instance, learn to fly from the ground up, and not from the nest. "Whether you find a fawn or fledgling bird under a tree in a neighbor's yard or bunny under a bush it's important to know that wild...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and community volunteers recently sampled Box Elder Creek Reservoir (Bolster Dam) on the outskirts of Plentywood as part of their continued commitment to the fisheries in the Plentywood area. The sampling identified many interesting findings, and a few concerns as well. Region 6 fisheries biologists Tyler Haddix and Dave Fuller met with Plentywood community volunteers on the evening of April 14. Together, they set gill and trap nets, and also used electrofishing te...
WEDBESDAY – MAY 13 6-9 p.m. - FWP Open House meeting to provide information on the 2016-2019 fishing regulations to be held in the meeting room at the Glasgow Job Service, 74 4th Street N. More info, call Region 6 Headquarters at 406-228-3700. THURSDAY – MAY 14 Deadline to register for FMDH and Billings Clinic LifeStyle Balance Telehealth program on June 3 for the prevention and treatment of diabetes using telehealth technology by contaqcting Mary Christianson or Julie Lawson at 228-3500. Cost is $50. 1 p.m. - Malta Irrigation District's reg... Full story
WEDNESDAY – MAY 6 6 p.m. - A DC Trip meeting at GHS in room #4. It is not too late to sign up for the 2015-16 trip to DC. 6-8 p.m. - Free Skywarn Weather Spotter Class will be held at the Senior Citizen Center in Nashua. The National Weather Service in Glasgow will cover weather safety, ways of getting weather information, and how thunderstorms form. No RSVP is needed. For those who can not attend in person, there is also an online class. There are two online modules, and you can select the option to have your information sent to the NWS a... Full story
This year's Montana paddlefish seasons will again kick off on May 1 with the opening of the Upper Missouri River section from Fort Benton downstream to Fort Peck Dam. Camping and other access will be available at the James Kipp Recreation Area near the Fred Robinson Bridge south of Malta. The area is a popular location for paddlefish anglers and their families, and the public boat ramp at the Kipp Recreation Area is fully operational. For questions about the recreation area and other...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Glasgow is conducting a pilot project to open Block Management Areas (BMAs) for spring turkey hunting along the Milk River. Up to 9 BMAs could be open for the spring turkey season, beginning April 11, and running through May 17. Most of the properties are located along the Milk River between Hinsdale and Nashua. According to Tim Potter, Jr., Region 6 BMA coordinator, the idea of spring turkey hunting on BMAs has been in the works for awhile. "I have been... Full story
Warmer temperatures and melted ice mean the annual walleye spawning operation on Fort Peck Reservoir is beginning early this year and will soon be in full swing. Volunteers are always welcome, and needed, for the success of this operation. According to Heath Headley, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Fort Peck biologist, agency staff and volunteers will again be trapping fish and taking eggs from areas in the upper Big Dry Arm of the reservoir. “The reservoir is about 11 feet higher than last year,” Headley said, “so we will focus t...
He's probably more than just a local legend, more than likely he's part of many stories that are shared around the globe. A straight forward personality and a witty sense of humor could keep you on your toes with one local man. Many outdoor enthusiasts in the area may have met this individual and probably sigh with envy when it comes to some of his true tall tales. Woody Baxter, our local Fish, Wildlife and Parks regional state park and fishing access site manager in Glasgow, is setting out his...
The final results are in at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Havre check station for the 2014 hunting season. Overall, hunter numbers and big-game harvest were down. “In general, big game harvest was slower this year,” said Havre-area wildlife biologist Scott Hemmer. “This is likely due in part to the elimination of all Region 6 deer B licenses and buck-only harvest on the A-tag for mule deer. The weather this year also may have affected harvest. It was unseasonably warm at the beginning of the season, which may have reduced game sight...
Marc Kloker has been appointed as the Region 6 information and education program manager for Montana of Fish, Wildlife & Parks. He will be based out of Glasgow, and replaces Ron Selden, who passed away unexpectedly in August. In addition, Ken Plourde has been appointed as the new FWP Region 6 upland game bird program habitat specialist. Kloker, 37, a longtime Valley County resident, comes to FWP from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, where he worked as a land use...
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 6 Citizen Advisory Committee will meet 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at the Best Western Great Northern Inn in Havre. In addition, an open house for legislators to interact with attendees is scheduledfor 2 to 4 p.m. The intent of this portion of the meeting is to provide legislative updates and present FWP proposed legislation. A second and similar open house will be held 2-4 p.m. Dec. 18 in Fort Peck at the FWP Hatchery conference room. The meetings are public. For more details, contact the Region 6... Full story
Comment Period Ends Dec. 11 On Bison Habitat Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) and Montana Department of Livestock invite the public to comment on an addendum to their 2013 draft environmental assessment, Year-round Habitat for Yellowstone Bison. The addendum focuses on a new alternative under consideration that combines components of three of the original alternatives with some additional management tools depending on the bison population level. Comments can be submitted by regular mail to MFWP – Bison Addendum, PO Box 200701, Helena M...
Paddlefish season begins May 15 on the Yellowstone River below the mouth of the Bighorn River and Missouri River downstream of Fort Peck Dam. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks biologists continue to monitor these unique populations and take a conservative approach to managing these long-lived fishes. “Opening day this year falls on a catch and release only day so anglers need to be aware that if they intend to fish on opening day, Intake Fishing Access Site is their only option that day”, said Mike Backes, Region 7 Fisheries Manager. All paddlefis...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host a series of nine public meetings in May to review and discuss recent recommendations from an advisory council tasked with adjusting Montana’s hunting and fishing licenses and fees. The Fish & Wildlife Licensing and Funding Advisory Council spent the past eight months examining FWP’s current license system and funding cycle for fish and wildlife management. That work resulted in recent recommendations to FWP Director Jeff Hagener that would provide an additional $6.25 million a year to stave off deep bud...
The most-recent aerial surveys of elk populations in the Region 6 portions of the Missouri River Breaks and the Bears Paw Mountains south of Havre indicate a sizeable increase in animals in both areas over survey numbers that were last gathered. According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 6 Wildlife Program Manager Mark Sullivan, biologists flew the surveys in Breaks Hunting Districts 621 and 622 and then in HDs 631 and 632. A total of 1,950 elk were counted in HD 621 and 622, and a total of 646 elk were observed this winter in HDs 631 a...
Shed-antler hunters and other recreationists planning to visit a Montana Wildlife Management Area are reminded that while many popular WMAs open at noon on May 15, several do not open until June 1. It is illegal to enter a state WMA prior to its formal opening day. Buck deer and bull elk and moose grow antlers each year, some to magnificent size, which drop off to regrow each spring. Hunting for and collecting these “shed” antlers in spring has become a popular activity on more than 30 WMAs managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Many of...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks biologists say lower Fort Peck Reservoir water levels have had an impact on some fish populations, but benefits are still being realized from good water years in 2008 through 2011. “Since 2011, water levels have dropped 29 feet and approximately 65,000 surface acres have been lost on Fort Peck,” said FWP Biologist Heath Headley. “That acreage equals nearly two Canyon Ferry Reservoirs.” Fort Peck Reservoir elevations rose only a foot from January through June of 2013. The impact of these operations is that no shor...
A Minnesota man has been ordered to pay $2,070 in fines and restitution for allowing his teenage son to illegally kill a 5x5 bull elk in the Larb Hills area of the Missouri River Breaks during the 2013 archery hunting season. Troy A. Carlson, 48, lives in the St. Paul suburb of Inver Grove Heights, but his family owns property in the Larb Hills. The elder Carlson was cited by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Warden Ben Morin for possession of the illegal elk and hunting without a license by accountability for allowing his son to shoot and kill th...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has scheduled four public meetings along the Hi-Line in January to discuss tentative hunting regulations for the next two years. A total of 43 of the public gatherings are scheduled across the state. In FWP Region 6, the meetings will be held in Plentywood on January 9, Malta on January 14, Glasgow on January 21 and Havre on January 23. Each meeting will run from 7-9 p.m. on their prospective days. At the meetings, FWP will present proposals to aid the recovery of Montana’s declining deer populations by r...
Hunter numbers and reported harvests at the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 6 game check station outside Havre are still down when compared to past years. “Hunter numbers so far this year have only been about 2 percent lower than last year’s numbers, but they’re still down 38 percent from 2010 levels,” said Havre-area Wildlife Biologist Scott Hemmer. “Antelope and white-tailed deer are the two species that have seen the largest decreases in harvest.” Region 6 antelope and deer numbers were heavily impacted by several recent hard winters....
A memorandum of understanding between Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation allows about 3,700 acres of federal land near Wagner in Phillips County to be specifically designated as being open to the public, FWP announced. According to Acting FWP Region 6 Hunting Access Coordinator Tim Potter Jr., the new 20-year agreement covers federal lands associated with Reclamation’s Milk River Project. The Milk River Project was authorized by Congress for the primary purpose of irrigation, but the...
State wildlife officials are seeking tips from the public about the poaching of a mature bull elk on the Williamson Ranch Block Management Area south of Chinook. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Warden Dirk Paulsen said the elk was shot from the Lloyd Road just south of Cow Creek Reservoir in southern Blaine County on the night of Nov. 2. The meat was left to waste on the private property that is enrolled in FWP's Block Management Program. "The bull was discovered by hunters driving the road...
