Sorted by date Results 1 - 13 of 13
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Fort Peck Reservoir walleye spawn/egg-take effort will be completed using only Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 6 staff. Unlike prior years, no volunteers will be participating in this popular spring event. FWPs’ number one priority is the health and safety of the public and its employees. FWP Fisheries Chief, Eileen Ryce, determined that with the current social distancing guidelines, this was the best decision for all those involved. Many other projects across the state that oftentimes use v...
(Updated Friday, March 20):FWP to close front desk services in response to COVID-19 • Licenses purchased online will be mailed • Call center active and ready to help To protect the public and staff from the spread of COVID-19, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will close its offices around the state to the public beginning at 5 p.m. today, Friday, March 20. “With license sales and applications, traffic through our offices has been robust even with warnings about social distancing and public safety due to COVID-19,” said FWP Director Martha...
Montana is experiencing a large decline in conservation reserve program acreage along the northern tier of the state, which may have an impact on hunting experiences in Regions 4 and 6. CRP is a program that pays landowners to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species which improve environmental health and quality of bird habitat. In Region 5, pheasant crow counts this spring in the Clarks Fork valley indicated that over-winter survival was not too good. Pheasant harvest will likely be somewhat lower...
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) threaten Montana’s waterways and fisheries. AIS are plants, animals and pathogens that are not native to Montana and cause harm to Montana’s native plants, animals and fish. AIS populations can reproduce quickly and spread rapidly because there are no natural predators or competitors to keep them in check. *Anglers can help prevent the spread of AIS by following these 3 simple steps: * *Clean.* After you’re done recreating or fishing in a water body, completely remove all plants, animals, mud, and standing water...
Due to high flows and ice jams during spring runoff on the lower Yellowstone River, a few boat ramps will be unusable for an extended period of time. Elk Island Fishing Access Site in Richland County suffered extensive damage during ice jams this spring. Water more or less washed away the entire site, making it impossible to reach the boat ramp. Elk Island has a second boat ramp on the Wildlife Management Area that was also destroyed during ice events this spring. Boat ramps at Elk Island FAS...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will hold two public meetings in January to gather public comment on proposed hunting seasons and regulations for the next two years. A meeting will be held in Miles City on Wednesday, January 10 at Miles Community College from 7-9 p.m. in Room 106. A second meeting will be held in Glendive on Thursday, January 11 from 7-9 p.m. at Dawson Community College, in the UC Buildings Room 102. Proposals for Region 7 include expanding B license elk and spike bull opportunities in specific hunting districts. Another...
Surplus wolf and over the counter licenses are now on sale. Surplus deer B, elk B licenses, and antelope licenses went on sale as of Monday, Aug. 7, also available are wolf and over-the-counter licenses listed in the regulations. The surplus licenses will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Online sales began after nighttime maintenance on the licensing system. The total number of Deer B licenses an individual may hold through a combination of drawing, over the counter and surplus is 7. A list of available surplus...
Hunters who did not apply for bonus points during this years big game drawings or who are new to hunting, can now purchase a bonus point until September 30 to help in next years drawing. This new feature at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks was set up by House Bill 623, introduced by Rep. Kerry White during the 2017 Legislature, and allows anyone who missed applying for bonus points to still participate in the program by purchasing a bonus point for the drawings. The legislation also ensured any bonus points accumulated will not expire, allowing...
Montana’s welcoming summer waters annually draw anglers, hikers, wildlife viewers, campers, floaters and boaters into the outdoors because it’s still easy to have a great summer experience on Montana’s rivers. The key is river etiquette, a mix of common sense, courtesy, and respect to minimize one party’s impact on another party’s good time. Here are some examples of basic river etiquette. • Respect People’s Space and Privacy—The point at which someone feels crowded is subjective, but every outdoor activity requires space. On the river, main...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wardens will be trying to catch young people doing something right this summer. FWP and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary have teamed up with McDonald’s and Super 1 Foods stores to hand out coupons for free ice cream cones to young boaters ‘caught’ wearing their life jackets while boating. The coupons will be given to anyone 16 years of age and under wearing a life jacket while enjoying Montana’s waters. Montana law requires youth under 12 years of age to wear a life jacket when the boat is in motion. “Having...
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wants to remind persons using stand-up paddleboard (SUPs) that a life jacket is required to be on board. The use of SUPs has exploded in Montana over the past few years. The vessels are fun, easy-to-use and have equipment requirements, not unlike other vessels. All SUPs need to have a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket on board, children under 12 years of age must wear a life jacket. With this increase in popularity more people than ever are participating in this recreational activity. In 2008 the U.S. Coast...
The swift fox is an elusive animal, but in recent years more sightings of these small, gray-red foxes with black-tipped tails have been reported in southeastern Montana. "We are seeing more in the area," said Region 7 Wildlife Manager John Ensign. "We hope to get a study funded. This is the time of year where they're starting to move around and set up territories." In Montana the swift fox is a species of concern, managed through season quotas. But numbers are sparse in Region 7, so there is no...
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will hold their regular monthly meeting Dec. 8 at its headquarters office in Helena. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. Audio and video of the meeting will be available at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks regional offices. People will also be able to make public comments from regional offices through the live feed. Audio of the meeting will be streamed online at fwp.mt.gov. The Commission will take final action on the following items, Biennial fishing access site rule; Biennial commercial use permit...
