Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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 animals commonly cache their young for periods of time to protect them from predators while the adults are feeding."
Montana law prohibits the capture, feeding, possession and harassment of wildlife-both game and nongame species. These laws also protect Montana's wild animals from becoming "pets."
To learn more about living with Montana's wildlife, visit the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov then Living With Wildlife.
PADDLEFISH HARVEST ENDS:
FORT BENTON TO FORT PECK DAM
The 2015 paddlefish harvest season on the Upper Missouri River section from Fort Benton to Fort Peck Dam closed at noon on Tuesday, May 19, state officials said Sunday.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 6 Fisheries Program Manager Steve Dalbey said the 24-hour harvest closure notice issued Monday at noon means that in the Upper Missouri River, paddlefish can only be caught and released for the remainder of the 2015 season.
The catch-and-release season will remain open through June 15. Proof of purchase of a white paddlefish tag on the angler's fishing license is required for catch-and-release fishing in this section. Legal hours for catch-and-release fishing for paddlefish are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
The 2015 paddlefish harvest target for this population in the Upper Missouri River is 500 fish. As of May 18, a total of 465 paddlefish had been harvested. Since the season opened on May 1, harvest has been slow relative to prior years due to low river flows. FWP staff report that the number of anglers pursuing paddlefish remains high. FWP has the authority to close the paddlefish harvest season within 24 hours if it appears the harvest target may be exceeded.
FWP LIFTS FISH-CONSUMPTION ADVISORY
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has lifted its consumption advisory for fish caught on the Yellowstone River near where an oil pipeline broke west of Glendive.
On Jan. 17, 2015, the Bridger pipeline broke where it crossed the Yellowstone River upstream from Glendive, dumping 30,000 gallons of crude oil into the water. FWP advised anglers to use caution when deciding whether to eat fish caught downstream from the spill until biologists could test for petroleum in the edible muscle tissues.
Sampling for contaminated fish – as well as cleanup of the spilled oil – was hampered by ice that covered most of the river downstream from the spill site. After the ice left the river in March, FWP fisheries biologists were able to catch 213 fish representing species known to live in the river between the spill site and the North Dakota border.
Laboratory tests of those fish showed no detectible levels of petroleum contamination in the edible muscle tissues. As a result, FWP has lifted its fish-consumption advisory.
2015 SUPERTAG CHANCES ON SALE
Montana's SuperTag chances for the hunt of a lifetime are on sale.Hunters can win the SuperTag drawing by purchasing one or more $5 SuperTag chances for the fall 2015 hunting season.
Eight SuperTag hunt licenses are offered-moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, elk, deer, antelope, mountain lion and bison. Winners may hunt any district open to the species for which they won a tag.
SuperTags are available at all FWP offices, license providers, or online at fwp.mt.gov. A 2015 conservation license is needed to purchase a SuperTag.
Proceeds from SuperTag sales go to enhance hunting access and enforcement.
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