The deadline is only days away for big game hunters to submit applications for deer B and antelope licenses and special elk and deer permits. Applications must be in to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Helena, or postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service, no later than June 1.
(Hunting - May 28, 2004)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will hold a series of public meetings in June to identify grizzly bear management issues and alternatives.    In 2003, FWP completed a review of the management program for grizzlies in southwestern Montana in the area around Yellowstone National Park.
(Hunting - May 28, 2004)

Outdoor enthusiasts from all over Montana will celebrate National Trails Day on June 5 by participating in trail improvement projects, hikes and trail dedications around the state. “We are seeing Montana’s trails becoming more connected and accessible. We have 15,000 miles of urban and back country trails in the state now, so that is something to celebrate,” said Bob Walker, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks trails program coordinator.
(Headlines - May 28, 2004)

The board of the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks TIP-MONT Program awarded 25 callers a total of $15,500 in 2003, including $9,300 that recently went to 15 callers to the 1-800 TIP-MONT hotline. “These citizens provided critical information to help us solve some important cases,” said Debbie Lewis, FWP TIP-MONT coordinator. Over 1,300 citizens in 2003 reported violations including over-bag limits, waste of game, residency violations, and the loan or transfer of tags.
(Hunting - May 28, 2004)

Most of Montana’s spring black bear hunting areas closed May 15.  A few bear management units close in late May or June.  Black bear hunting closes in a 500 series bear management unit at the time a black bear quota or sub-quota is reached. For season dates in a specific bear management unit, check the 2003 Montana Black Bear Hunting Regulations.  For notices on closures when management unit quotas are met, check the FWP web site at fwp.state.mt.
(Hunting - May 28, 2004)

It is easier than ever to get the Montana State Lands permit required for hunting and angling on state lands.   A $2 state lands access fee is now included in the $6.25 price of the conservation license, replacing the $10 state lands recreational use license for hunting, fishing and trapping activities on state lands. Others planning to hike, watch birds and wildlife or otherwise recreate on state lands are still required to purchase the $10 state lands recreational use license.
(Fishing - May 28, 2004)

Every spring, many Montanans are faced with a tough question, “Is that tiny fawn or bear cub abandoned or not? The answer, “If you care, leave them there.” Now a poster featuring this message is available to groups and educators from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. “The poster delivers a strong message.
(Wild Things - May 28, 2004)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is reminding hunters who applied for an unlimited bighorn sheep permit in Hunting District 300 that the season opener still is Sept. 2, 2004, as stated in the 2004 Montana Big Game Hunting Regulations.   Some applicants apparently were confused about the opening date.
(Hunting - May 28, 2004)

Montana’s fish, wildlife and State Parks all come with exciting and colorful stories. Part of managing these resources is telling those stories, and that can be a big job. Some are captured on educational videos; others tucked in learning trunks for schools; or told around the campfire at State Parks, and on the FWP web pages at www.fwp.state.mt.us . At many state parks there are exhibits, signs, and brochures. In some parks interpretive specialists lead tours and make presentations.
(Parks - May 28, 2004)

Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will gather in Helena June 9-10 for a work session and meeting. The FWP Commission meeting is set to begin at 8 a.m. on Thursday, June 10 at the FWP Headquarters, 1420 East 6 th Ave.   Commissioners will take final action on harvest quotas for mountain lions, moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats.
(Headlines - May 28, 2004)

Beginning this year, Montanans have unlimited, free access to all 43 State Parks, including vacation and cultural destinations like Flathead Lake near Kalispell, Bannack ghost town near Dillon, Lewis and Clark Caverns near Three Forks, and Cooney Reservoir near Billings. The Montana license plate is now a pass into Montana’s State Parks, thanks to an optional $4 annual fee on Montana vehicle registrations.
(Headlines - May 27, 2004)

Makoshika State Park near Glendive is more than a State Park—it is an important player in Glendive’s economic development story. Last fall Glendive civic leaders identified Makoshika State Park and the Yellowstone River as the two resources most critical to Glendive’s future economic development.
(Headlines - May 27, 2004)

Bannack, one of the West’s most colorful ghost towns, celebrates 50 years as a Montana State Park as visitors from around the world come to walk its silvery gray boardwalks lined by sage brush as tall as a man. Bannack became a Montana State Park in 1954. “Bannack is one of the grande dames of ghost towns in the West,” said Angie Hurley, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks manager of the site.
(Headlines - May 27, 2004)

As Lewis and Clark made their way up the Missouri River they named many natural features and recorded the names in their journals and notes.   Ironically, many of these features already had an Indian name. For example, the early Crow people knew and loved the rivers of the Missouri headwaters and called them Aashalatatche (Where the River is Straight), Baa’chuuaashe (Berry or Cherry River), and Iichi’ilaashe (Horse River).
(Headlines - May 27, 2004)

Montana’s State Parks are among the Treasure State’s best-kept secrets, and now Montanans have free, unlimited access to these 43 picturesque and diverse spots across the state. Visitors will find exceptional wildlife viewing, angling; cool hikes; spectacular scenery to photograph; and lakes for quiet, reflective times or angling and water sports.
(Headlines - May 27, 2004)

Special events are scheduled throughout the summer at Montana State Parks. Watch the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks web site at www.fwp.state.mt.us under Parks and Recreation for a full schedule of spring and summer events.
(Headlines - May 27, 2004)

If we live here, we assume we know Montana like an old friend. But even old friends have their secrets. It doesn’t take much digging to discover some of those secrets.
(Headlines - May 27, 2004)

“Montana is one big archaeological site, interrupted by lakes, rivers, and streams,” said Les Davis, Curator of Archaeology and Ethnology at the Museum of the Rockies. How does the average person learn to “read” the stories of ancient people locked in the landscape, plants, wildlife, and rocks of Montana? Davis suggests that one way to connect with the lives of ancient people is by applying skills good hunters of today use.
(Headlines - May 27, 2004)

A prominent archaeologist and educator in Montana, Les Davis, taught decades of students at Montana State University about the archaeological riches of Montana. Today Davis is the curator of archaeology and ethnology at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman.   Based on his years of study and research in the field, Davis recommended the following four state parks as places to begin your personal exploration of Montana’s prehistoric times.
(Headlines - May 27, 2004)

State Parks showcase Montana’s rich cultural history at sites such as Madison Buffalo Jump near Three Forks and Pictograph Cave State Parks near Billings. Important fossils and cultural artifacts may be found at these sites and on private and public lands across the state.   The Montana Antiquities Act and the federal National Historic Preservation Act forbid the destruction or removal of fossils and artifacts from public lands in Montana.
(Parks - May 27, 2004)

The earth seemed to reawaken with the love and attention of the drummers and the respectful crowd on Oct. 4, 2003 at Council Grove State Park near Missoula, the day the Salish, Kootenai and Pend d’ Oreille people gathered to honor their ancestors and dedicate a memorial to them.
(Headlines - May 27, 2004)

Mrs. Mary Ann Toppseh Combs of Arlee was the last surviving member of the Salish Indian band of about 250-300 people forced in 1891 from the Bitterroot to the Flathead Indian Reservation by way of the Jocko Valley. Led by Chief Charlo, this band of Salish for decades defied the government’s orders to move north to the reservation.
(Headlines - May 27, 2004)

Project director for the Council Grove memorial, Julie Cajune, is coordinator of the Indian Education Program for School District 30 in Ronan. Cajune said the memorial project at Council Grove State Park celebrates the cultural and spiritual ties of the people to their homelands, including Council Grove, and honors the elders of the Salish, Kootenai and Pend d’Oreille tribes who negotiated the Hell Gate Treaty of 1855 and who lived through those very trying transitional times.
(Parks - May 27, 2004)

You spot a young fawn lying still.  Why won't it move?  Is it hurt?  Where is its mother?  What should you do? The best decision is to leave the fawn--or any other apparently "orphaned" animals--alone.  When humans interfere with nature, we often turn a natural situation into a serious problem. Contact an FWP office or game warden only when you are sure the animal is truly orphaned.
(Headlines - May 27, 2004)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks laid the legal groundwork last week to share some management responsibilities with federal authorities for the state's recovered but still federally protected wolf population. "FWP will begin to participate in a number of on-the-ground wolf management decisions," said FWP Director Jeff Hagener.
(Headlines - May 19, 2004)

Off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, planners and decision makers will meet in Great Falls July 13-16 to discuss OHV recreation management, trail systems planning and improvements, and environmental issues related to OHV recreation. The OHV Recreation Management Workshop will be conducted by the National OHV Conservation Council in cooperation with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the US Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
(Headlines - May 14, 2004)

Did you know that 413 bird species inhabit Montana, or that 12 new bird species have been documented here since 1996. If details on the lives and times and birds appeal to you, the new Checklist of Montana Birds may be just what you’re looking for. The new list is based on the sixth edition of Montana Bird Distribution, published in 2003 by the Audubon Society.
(Headlines - May 14, 2004)

Special events and evening campfire programs are scheduled throughout the summer at Montana State Parks again this year. Watch the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks web site at www.fwp.state.mt.us under Parks and Recreation for a full schedule of events. Some highlights in May and early June include: Giant Springs State Park in Great Falls on May 26 The first in a series of Wednesday lunch hour programs will be on the history of Giant Springs illustrated with historical pictures.
(Headlines - May 14, 2004)

Women interested in learning the basics of beginning bird watching are invited to a weekend workshop sponsored by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Upper Missouri Breaks Audubon Society June 25-27. “This workshop is for the beginning birder who wants to learn to identify birds through field marks, sounds and habitat,” said Liz Lodman, FWP coordinator of the Becoming An Outdoor Woman workshops.
(Headlines - May 14, 2004)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking two members for a committee to review requests from people who want to import non-classified exotic species into Montana. Montana law regulates the import of exotic wildlife into Montana to minimize human health risks and potential risks to Montana’s wildlife.
(Headlines - May 14, 2004)

Boaters in Montana can borrow life jackets for kids through a special, free loaner program developed by Montana’s Safe Kids Campaign, a project of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies of Montana and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. “We’re very pleased with this loaner program because it means that every child can be protected when they are on or near the water,” said Liz Lodman, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks boating coordinator.
(Headlines - May 14, 2004)

Last winter knocked the stuffing out of many residents of northeastern Montana—including the thousands of pheasants and native grouse that starved when deep snow covered food sources. Now bird hunters want to know: This fall, will we have more or less birds to hunt compared to last fall? A lot of factors go into the answer. Biologists know that if environmental conditions are right, winter’s losses can quickly become springtime’s abundance.
(Headlines - May 14, 2004)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials announced today that 478,000 fish raised in the state trout hatchery in Lewistown will be destroyed rather than stocked after elevated levels of PCBs were confirmed in some of the fish raised at the 82-year old facility. Officials again stressed their decision is based on concern for public safety.
(Fishing - May 14, 2004)

The hunting of all black bears in Hunting District 520, in portions of Park, Sweet Grass, Stillwater and Carbon counties, will close one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, May 12, 2004.   In the Deer/Elk Hunting District 502 and 575 portion of Bear Management Unit 520 the season will remain open through May 31.        Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials said the harvest quota was reached.
(Hunting - May 11, 2004)

Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will meet in Miles City on Wednesday, May 12, beginning at 8 a.m. at the FWP regional office, Industrial Site West.
(Headlines - May 10, 2004)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials announced today that stocking fish raised in the state trout hatchery in Lewistown will continue to be delayed after low levels of PCBs were confirmed in some of the fish raised at the 82-year old facility. Officials stressed their caution is based on concern for public safety.
(Headlines - May 07, 2004)

Q. What are PCBs? A. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are a group of man-made chemicals that were used as lubricants and coolants in a variety of industrial and electrical products and applications, and in ink and paint additives. The manufacture of PCBs in the United States was banned in 1977. PCBs are very persistent, and even though their manufacture was discontinued nearly 30 years ago, trace levels of PCBs remain throughout our environment.
(Headlines - May 07, 2004)

The hunting of all black bears in Hunting District 510, in portions of Big Horn, Carbon and Yellowstone counties, will close one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, May 5, 2004.   In the Deer/Elk Hunting District 502 portion of Bear Management Unit 510 the season will remain open through May 31.        Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials said the harvest quota was reached.
(Hunting - May 03, 2004)