The hunting of all mountain lions in southcentral Montana hunting district 520, which includes portions of Carbon, Stillwater and Sweet Grass counties, will close at one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, February 25, 2004. The order halting the hunt came shortly after Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials received word that the pre-established harvest quota for the district had been met. For more information, visit FWP's web site at fwp.state.mt.
(Hunting - February 24, 2004)

The hunting of female mountain lions in southwestern Montana hunting districts 323, 324, 325 and 327, which include portions of Madison and Beaverhead counties, will close at one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2004.       The order halting the hunt came shortly after Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials received word that the pre-established harvest sub-quota for the districts combined had been met.
(Hunting - February 23, 2004)

By order of the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission, the season for trapping otters in Trapping District 2 in western Montana will close one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2004. The district includes portions of Deer Lodge, Granite, Lewis and Clark, Mineral, Missoula, Powell and Ravalli counties. For more information, visit FWP's web site at fwp.state.mt.
(Hunting - February 23, 2004)

The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission recently increased recreational opportunities for Montanans by approving two new fishing access sites and a new state park. Tower Rock near Cascade along the Missouri River will soon become the state’s newest state park. Meriwether Lewis said this towering granite outcropping marked the transition between travel on the plains and travel in the Rocky Mountains for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The site will require minimal upkeep by FWP.
(Headlines - February 20, 2004)

Hunters and anglers will notice some changes this year when they go to buy their new licenses for the March 1, 2004-Feb. 28, 2005 license year. Free youth combination licenses for first time young hunters will please many and advertisements in the Big Game regulations booklets may surprise others. Here are details on some of the changes.
(Hunting - February 20, 2004)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will hold meetings statewide to gather public comments on management options to consider if chronic wasting disease, or CWD, is detected in Montana’s free ranging deer and elk populations.
(Hunting - February 20, 2004)

“Freezing To Death On A Sunny Day” is possible if you are a victim of hypothermia. It is also the title of a new brochure available on the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks web site at www.fwp.state.mt.us , or free of charge from FWP offices. The brochure provides detailed information on hypothermia, what it is, what causes it, signs and symptoms and how to avoid it. Among the tips shared in the booklet: Dress in layers. Set your thermostat to at least 70 degrees in cold weather.
(Headlines - February 20, 2004)

Planning is already underway for the 2004 Bannack Days celebration set for Saturday and Sunday, July 17 and 18 at Bannack State Park, 22 miles southwest of Dillon. “We’re asking volunteers to contact us by April 2 to volunteer to help with this traditional Montana pioneer celebration,” said Angela Hurley, Bannack State Park Manager.  “Now is the time for people to sign up to work behind the scenes, or to provide period demonstrations, wagon or horse rides, skits, and music.
(Parks - February 20, 2004)

To hunt in the spring black bear season, black bear hunters must purchase a license by April 14. Licenses purchased after April 14 can only be used for the fall black bear season. Only one black bear license a year is issued to an individual. Hunters are reminded that they must successfully complete bear ID training before purchasing a black bear license. Hunters who have already successfully passed the bear ID training do not need to retake the training.
(Hunting - February 20, 2004)

Spring Turkey permits for western Montana are due March 15 for the spring turkey season that runs April 10 – May 9. Residents must have a conservation and upland game bird license, and nonresidents will need a conservation license, to purchase a turkey license. The spring season turkey license is $5 for residents and $115 for nonresidents. The limit is one wild, male turkey during the spring season, with some exceptions.
(Hunting - February 20, 2004)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks internships for summer 2004 offer college students a variety of opportunities to gain valuable "hands-on" work experiences.  "Over 200 talented young people have participated in this program over the past 11 years," said Debbie Cheek, FWP internship coordinator.  "The interns gain valuable experience and complete projects that strengthen their resumes." The typical internship is 12 weeks, totaling 480 hours with an average wage of $8 per hour.
(Headlines - February 20, 2004)

Unlike the wolf or the grizzly bear, there isn’t much buzz about the swift fox.   But in the scientific community, this tiny 5-pound canine has a high profile. In 1998, a group of wildlife biologists and endangered species experts from 15 states, three provinces and seven countries met to define the state of “swift fox science” and what it will take to conserve these creatures who now inhabit short grass prairie environments.
(Headlines - February 20, 2004)

Don’t assume avalanches are only the worry of snowmobile riders, extreme skiers and death defying snow sledders. Recently four avalanches crossed U.S. Highway 2 in under two hours in northwestern Montana and another avalanche flipped over several train cars east of Essex.   Avalanches cause deaths, injuries, property damage and can interrupt communications lines and block travel routes.   If you live or recreate in Montana, you need to know the language of avalanches.
(Headlines - February 20, 2004)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking project proposals that will help maintain flows in streams and rivers in anticipation of the low water levels that may occur this summer in some parts of the state. “Our special drought funding cycle is for projects that will both help immediately improve stream flow and bring lasting changes so we are better prepared in the future,” said Glenn Phillips, FWP habitat protection bureau chief. The deadline to apply for this funding is March 29.
(Fishing - February 20, 2004)

By order of the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission, the season for trapping otters in Trapping District 1 in northwestern Montana will close one-half hour after sunset on Friday, February 20, 2004. The district includes portions of Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Lewis and Clark, Missoula, Powell and Sanders counties. For more information visit FWP's web site at www.fwp.state.mt.
(Hunting - February 18, 2004)

The hunting of all mountain lions in southwestern Montana hunting districts 310, 311, 360, 361 and 362, which include portions of Gallatin, Madison, Jefferson and Broadwater counties, will close at one-half hour after sunset on Tuesday, February 17, 2004. The order halting the hunt came shortly after Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials received word that the pre-established harvest sub-quota for the districts combined had been met. For more information, visit FWP's web site at fwp.state.
(Hunting - February 17, 2004)

The hunting of all mountain lions in western Montana Hunting District 250, in portions of Ravalli County, will close at one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, February 18, 2004. The order halting the hunts came after Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials received word that the pre-established harvest quota for the districts had been met. For more information, visit FWP's web site at fwp.state.mt.
(Hunting - February 17, 2004)

The Private Land/Public Wildlife Council will meet in Helena March 3-4 to begin drafting Block Management Hunting Access Program recommendations.    Gov. Judy Martz appointed the 15-member Council comprised of hunters, landowners, and outfitters to review the success of Montana’s current Block Management Program, which provides hunter access to private and isolated public lands.
(Headlines - February 13, 2004)

The hunting of all mountain lions in southwestern Montana hunting districts 335, 339 and 343, in portions of Lewis and Clark and Jefferson counties, will close at one-half hour after sunset   on Thursday, February 12, 2004. The order halting the hunt came shortly after Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials received word that the pre-established harvest quota for the districts combined had been met.   For more information, visit FWP's web site at fwp.state.mt.
(Hunting - February 11, 2004)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is teaming up with the International Wildlife Film Festival to bring world-renowned wildlife ecologist George Schaller to the annual springtime event in Missoula. Schaller, a National Book Award winner for The Serengeti Lion: A Study of Predator-Prey Relations and a World Wildlife Fund Gold Medallist for his contributions toward the understanding and conservation of endangered species, will be the keynote speaker at the film festival in May.
(Headlines - February 11, 2004)

BOZEMAN— Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on issues to explore as it develops a hunting season proposal for bison that migrate out of Yellowstone National Park.   In 2003, Montana's Legislature passed SB395, which gave the FWP Commission authority to establish a bison hunt in Gallatin and Park counties.
(Headlines - February 11, 2004)

The hunting of female mountain lions in southwestern Montana hunting districts 318 and 350, in portions of Jefferson and Silver Bow counties, will close at one-half hour after sunset on Tuesday, February 10, 2004. The order halting the hunt came shortly after Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials received word that the pre-established harvest quota for the districts combined had been met. For more information, visit FWP's web site at fwp.state.mt.
(Hunting - February 09, 2004)

Winter in Montana means blizzards, ice fishing and visions of a summer float on the Smith River.   To make that dream come true, complete a 2004 float permit application.   Applications may be printed from the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks web site at fwp.state.mt.us under Parks & Recreation, or processed while you wait at an FWP office thanks to FWP’s new automated licensing system.
(Parks - February 06, 2004)

The Tri-Agency Youth Trapper Camp sponsored by the Montana Trappers Association, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and Montana 4-H will be June 11,12, and 13 in Beaver Creek Park in the Bears Paw Mountains, south of Havre.  Families are encouraged to participate, though youngsters 10 years of age and older may attend without an adult. Tents are available with adult chaperones for these youngsters.
(Hunting - February 06, 2004)

A new brochure available from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks features trap setting guidelines for trappers and instructions to help hunters and recreationists handle traps they may encounter in the outdoors. Traps and snares are rarely encountered by bird hunters, skiers or hikers in Montana, but it can occur and a hunting dog or pet, on rare occasions, may be caught in a trap. The brochure is packed with details on how ground sets should be placed, how traps work and how to release them safely.
(Hunting - February 06, 2004)

The fur trade that Lewis and Clark observed on their 1804-1806 expedition was on the verge of exploding. Soon after, it quickly became the first broad-based, multi-national “economy” in the Upper Missouri River territory.   For Indian tribes of the Upper Missouri River, furbearing animals had always been a source of food, ceremonial items, clothing and sometimes goods to barter with other tribes.
(Headlines - February 06, 2004)

The hunting of all mountain lions in western Montana Hunting District 270, a portion of Ravalli County, will close at one-half hour after sunset on Monday, February 2, 2004.   The order halting the hunts came after Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials received word that the pre-established harvest quota for the district had been met. For more information, visit FWP's web site at fwp.state.mt.
(Hunting - February 02, 2004)