On October 27, Shawn Damschen of Coram was charged by an adult female grizzly bear while hunting in the Marias Pass area. Damschen said that he was elk cow-calling when he heard a crashing sound.
(Headlines - October 31, 2008)
Construction is underway on a new $700,000 visitor center at Pictograph Cave State Park southeast of Billings.
(Headlines - October 31, 2008)
With the 2008 big game rifle season underway, wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks would like to remind hunters about some of the rules they need to follow while pursuing their sport.
(Hunting - October 31, 2008)
Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will meet Nov. 10 at the FWP Helena Headquarters, 1420 East 6th Ave, beginning at 8 a.m.
(Commission - October 31, 2008)
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has reopened the public comment period on its proposal to delist the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains. The comment deadline is Nov. 28.
(Wild Things - October 31, 2008)
Although hunting is not a "team sport," sportsmanship and ethics are as important in hunting as they are in any other outdoor activity.
(Hunting - October 31, 2008)
Before going afield to hunt, it is always wise to review the proper ways to handle and transport wild meat. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks encourages hunters to use safe practices when handling wild meat in the field:
(Hunting - October 31, 2008)
Montanans who plan to travel out-of-state or to Canada to hunt deer, elk and moose should know that it is now illegal to bring heads and spinal cords from harvested game animals back with them from a state that is known to have CWD in either wild animals or game farm animals. Bring home only:
(Hunting - October 31, 2008)
It all started when ranchers in the Blackfoot Valley didn’t like what they saw: increased demands for hunting, recreational access to the river and pressures to subdivide.
(Hunting - October 31, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials said training sessions for snowmobile volunteer safety instructors and snowmobile trail groomer operators are set for Dec. 6-7 in Helena, at Fort Harrison, 1900 Williams Street, beginning at 10 a.m.
(Recreation - October 31, 2008)
This time of year many bird hunters have hunting dogs, present and past, on their minds. Montana's upland game bird and waterfowl seasons are in full swing.
(Hunting - October 31, 2008)
Four elk, including at least two trophy bulls, have been illegally killed and left to spoil in the Bull Mountains recently. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is offering a reward of as much as $1,000 for information that leads to a conviction.
(Headlines - October 31, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking applicants to fill five volunteer positions on the Region 3 Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC was established almost three years ago.
(Headlines - October 31, 2008)
Opening day for the general deer and elk rifle season on the Rocky Mountain Front was steady, a state wildlife biologist says. At Augusta - the lone Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Region 4 biological check station - hunters brought in 14 elk, 19 white-tailed deer and 21 mule deer. "That’s right about average for the past five years," said Brent Lonner, FWP wildlife biologist.
(Headlines - October 30, 2008)
Hunters looking for deer north of Choteau in the old Teton Spring Creek Preserve need to remember that the preserve has been replaced by a cooperative hunting area. For decades the land inside the preserve was open only to archery hunting for deer; no firearms allowed.
(Headlines - October 30, 2008)
Hunters who plan on camping at Ackley Lake State Park this fall will find a major construction project under way on the dam, but camping is still available. The west side of the park is open to visitors, where they can camp at one of the nine campsites free of charge. Visitors can also fish from the shore of the lake. Ackley Lake is a grassland park about 20 miles west of Lewistown, just south of Hobson.
(Headlines - October 30, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is now accepting applications from one-boat outfitters for temporary client days on the Beaverhead and Big Hole Rivers for use in 2008.
(Headlines - October 30, 2008)
We have the opportunity in Montana to participate in some of the finest hunting anywhere. With the 2008 big game season underway, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks asks hunters to take the time to review Montana’s hunting rules and regulations to ensure they act within the law and are prepared to recognize when others violate the law. Any violation can be reported to 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668).
(Headlines - October 30, 2008)
USDA Wildlife Services and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, in collaboration with several other state and federal agencies, is sampling waterfowl across Montana as part of a national effort for the early detection of avian influenza (AI). Testing on ducks at Overland Avenue Pond in west Billings began in September and will continue intermittently through December.
(Headlines - October 30, 2008)
Big game hunters should be aware that significant boundary changes have taken place this year in Hunting District 640 near Scobey and Plentywood in FWP’s Region 6.
(Hunting - October 30, 2008)
The Marshall Cove campground and boat ramp at Cooney State Park reopened this week after nearly two months of improvements to its internal roads and campsites.
(Headlines - October 30, 2008)
Wolves killed a domestic cow on private land in the Big Hole Valley east of Wisdom. USDA Wildlife Services confirmed the depredation on Oct. 27.
(Headlines - October 30, 2008)
On October 28, two wolves were lethally removed from the Hog Heaven Pack in response to a livestock depredation earlier in October. The wolves were killed about eight miles west of Nirada.
(Headlines - October 30, 2008)
Rosebud Battlefield State Park, near Decker, was recognized Oct. 7 as a National Historic Landmark. The U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, approved the designation.
(Parks - October 29, 2008)
The beautiful weather was abundant during the southwest Montana big game season opener, while hunter numbers and harvest of elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer were all down.
(Headlines - October 29, 2008)
Whitefish Lake State Park will be closed on Tuesday, November 4 through Wednesday, November 5, 2008.
(Headlines - October 29, 2008)
The Deer and Elk General Rifle Season began in Montana on Sunday, October 26, 2008. In southeastern Montana weather conditions were not good, steady high winds with gusts up to 40 mph kept wildlife movement to a minimum.
(Hunting - October 28, 2008)
Hunters in northeastern Montana have two large tracts of highlighted public land available to them this season, thanks to a cooperative effort between Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the federal Bureau of Land Management, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and private landowners.
(Hunting - October 28, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) investigated the mortality of a 3-year old female grizzly bear approximately 3 miles west of the Bull River junction and Highway 200 last week. FWP Warden Sergeant Jon Obst and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Wayne Kaseworm recovered the bear from the Clark Fork River west of Noxon.
(Headlines - October 28, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Enforcement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are conducting a joint investigation into the death of a grizzly bear found in the Fishtrap drainage of the Thompson River about 18 miles north of Thompson Falls.
(Headlines - October 28, 2008)
Hunters took to the field yesterday across northwest Montana for the opener of the general deer and elk season. At the six northwest Montana check stations, a total of 2,873 hunters checked 80 white-tailed deer, 19 mule deer, and 15 elk for a 4.0 percent rate of hunters with game.
(Headlines - October 27, 2008)
By order of the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission, hunting district 303, which includes portions of Park County, will be closed to all hunting of bighorn sheep, effective one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, October 29, 2008.
(Hunting - October 27, 2008)
Collection sites for dropping off the heads of harvested deer, elk, and moose in FWP’s Region 6 have again been set up for chronic wasting disease (CWD) monitoring.
(Hunting - October 24, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing to purchase approximately 400 acres of important wildlife habitat at Cree Crossing, located about 25 miles northeast of Malta near Nelson Reservoir.
(Habitat - October 24, 2008)
Fish, Wildlife and Parks will be collecting the heads of harvested deer and elk this fall in approximately 30 hunting districts to monitor for chronic wasting disease. In FWP’s Region 4, north central Montana, two stations are set up: at Bohemian Corners just south of the Fred Robinson Bridge over the Missouri River, and at Winnett in Petroleum County. CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer and elk by making small lesions in their brains.
(Headlines - October 24, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has purchased the Lincoln property that straddles the Marias River, nine miles southwest of Shelby. The 7,363-acre property will soon become a combination state park and wildlife management area, but until next spring it’s closed to all public access while management plans are implemented.
(Headlines - October 24, 2008)
Two sites for hunters to drop off heads of harvested deer and elk in FWP’s Region 7 have again been set up for chronic wasting disease (CWD) monitoring. One is located at the FWP Regional Office in Miles City and the other will be in Broadus at the FWP office.
(Hunting - October 23, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks personnel euthanized a 20-year old grizzly bear sow on Oct. 23. The sow had become increasingly aggressive toward people in recent weeks at residences along the Yellowstone River north of Gardiner.
(Headlines - October 23, 2008)
Deer and elk hunters heading to the Blackfoot and upper Clark Fork this fall should review important regulation changes for the area.
(Headlines - October 23, 2008)
Pictograph Cave State Park closed for the season Thursday evening so construction can start on a new visitor center.
(Headlines - October 23, 2008)
The Hysham Check Station showed good numbers of antelope and upland birds being checked on the second weekend of the rifle antelope season. The check station is operated at the I-94 rest area just west of the town of Hysham.
(Hunting - October 22, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on three tentative rules that relate to recreation in Montana: the State Parks biennial fee rule, the Smith River rule and the commercial use permit fee rule.
(Parks - October 22, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is seeking public comment on a proposal to acquire approximately 78 acres of land along the Bitterroot River three miles south of Missoula.
(Headlines - October 22, 2008)
Bears are still out and active through big game hunting season. Hunters should think ahead about what they would do in an encounter with a bear and carry and know how to use bear pepper spray.
(Headlines - October 22, 2008)
When planning a hunting trip this fall, hunters need to be mindful of the regulations associated with using Plum Creek Timber Company Land in west-central Montana.
(Headlines - October 22, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks researchers are asking hunters to drop off heads from deer, elk and moose harvested in much of eastern Montana for chronic wasting disease surveillance.
(Headlines - October 22, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking comment on the 2009 nonresident combination hunting license tenative annual rule.
(Hunting - October 21, 2008)
Red Lodge took a significant step this fall toward reducing the conflict between its residents and black bears. During August and September, the city’s garbage-disposal contractor replaced most residential garbage cans with bear-proof containers.
(Headlines - October 21, 2008)
EMPLOYER: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks CONTACT PERSON’S NAME/TITLE: Janet Hess-Herbert ADDRESS: 1420 E.
(Legislative - October 20, 2008)
The winning artwork from the 2008 Montana State Parks Poster Contest will be on display through November 7 at the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks regional office in Miles City.
(Parks - October 20, 2008)
When Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wardens ran a game check station at Hysham Hills last weekend, they were surprised at the type and number of violations they saw. Of about 175 hunters who stopped at the station, more than one in five either had improperly marked their game tag or had failed to legally leave evidence of species and sex attached to the carcass.
(Headlines - October 20, 2008)
Two residents of a rural summer subdivision south of Red Lodge were injured by a moose along Rock Creek Saturday afternoon. A dog from the same subdivision was injured by the same moose in a separate incident Sunday morning. None of the injuries was life-threatening.
(Headlines - October 20, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks logged just 34 antelope and 90 hunters Sunday at its Broadview check station.
(Headlines - October 20, 2008)
Studying Montana’s animals and plants is easier and more fun with the Montana Natural Heritage Program’s new "Tracker" web site and its online Montana Field Guide, both on the MNHP web site.
(Headlines - October 17, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking applications for the 2009 federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Program grants. Applications are due Feb. 27, 2009.
(Recreation - October 17, 2008)
Montana hunters have the opportunity to take part in some of the finest hunting found anywhere. But each autumn, some individuals unwittingly or knowingly violate the state’s game laws.
(Hunting - October 17, 2008)
When planning a hunting trip this fall, hunters need to be mindful of the regulations associated with using State School Trust Land.
(Hunting - October 17, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has approved the following ice fishing contests for winter 2008-2009. Participants must comply with state fishing regulations, including daily and possession limits.
(Fishing - October 17, 2008)
Pheasant hunting is so popular in Montana that many people may not stop to consider that pheasants are not native birds. That is too bad, because the story of how this exotic game bird made its way here is an interesting one.
(Headlines - October 17, 2008)
Wolves injured a domestic bull on public land in the Paradise Valley. USDA Wildlife Services confirmed the incident on Oct. 9.
(Headlines - October 17, 2008)
A Lewistown wildlife biologist has been honored by his peers for superior work. Tom Stivers, 55, was named recently as biologist of the year by Fish, Wildlife and Park’s wildlife division. "Key to this nomination," says Ken McDonald, FWP wildlife division administrator, "is the day-to-day, consistent and high quality product we receive from Tom." Stivers started with FWP in July 1980.
(Headlines - October 17, 2008)
Deer and elk hunters in north central Montana this fall will face a mixed bag. Deer numbers are as good on the Rocky Mountain Front as they have been in 10 years, while mule deer populations in the Little Belts are down. And elk are plentiful. In Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 4, prairie and mountains produce a mosaic of habitats with variable deer and elk populations.
(Headlines - October 17, 2008)
McWenneger Slough now has an official public access site. The slough, located about five miles east of Kalispell, has long been a popular fishing spot during summer and winter.
(Headlines - October 16, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Enforcement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are conducting a joint investigation into the death of a male grizzly bear found in the Coal Creek drainage of the North Fork Flathead south of Polebridge
(Headlines - October 16, 2008)
Pictograph Cave State Park will hold what promises to be a free, fun, family friendly Halloween program that is out of the ordinary, entertaining and educational.
(Headlines - October 15, 2008)
The Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Region 2 Citizen Advisory Committee will meet Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Missoula Holiday Inn Dowtown, 200 South Pattee.
(Headlines - October 15, 2008)
Frenchtown Pond, the popular, water–based State Park located 15 miles west of Missoula, will now remain open for visitors throughout the winter season.
(Headlines - October 15, 2008)
Wolves killed three ewes and injured a fourth on private land near Hall. USDA Wildlife Services confirmed the incident on Oct. 9.
(Headlines - October 15, 2008)
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 5 Citizen Advisory Committee will meet Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the agency’s offices in Billings. The public meeting starts at 6 p.m.
(Headlines - October 15, 2008)
Wolves killed a domestic cow on public land in the Big Hole Valley east of Wisdom. USDA Wildlife Services confirmed the incident on Oct. 9.
(Headlines - October 14, 2008)
Deep, wet snow that blanketed the region over the weekend kept many hunters home for the antelope rifle season opening day. And those who went to the field in south central Montana found limited success.
(Headlines - October 14, 2008)
Wolves killed a domestic goat on private land in the Rattlesnake Creek area northwest of Helena. USDA Wildlife Services confirmed the incident on Oct. 3.
(Headlines - October 14, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on a draft environmental assessment for a proposal to enter into a 30-year grazing restriction and bison access agreement with the Royal Teton Ranch and contribute $300,000 to the cost of the agreement.
THE COMMENT PERIOD HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 5, 2008.
(Headlines - October 14, 2008)
An exploding population of white-tailed deer in northeastern Montana has prompted state officials to cut the cost of some non-resident licenses and work with a private program to distribute harvested animals to the hungry.
(Hunting - October 14, 2008)
This year’s winning entries from FWP’s annual state parks poster contest will be displayed in the lobby of the Region 6 headquarters through Oct. 17.
(Parks - October 14, 2008)
The Yellowstone Valley’s new upland game bird habitat specialist started work last month with plans to improve feeding, rearing and nesting places for upland game birds on public lands.
(Headlines - October 10, 2008)
Wolves killed a domestic calf on public land in the Antelope Basin area south of Ennis. USDA Wildlife Services confirmed the depredation on Oct. 1.
(Headlines - October 10, 2008)
There will be a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting Wednesday evening, October 22, beginning at 7 p.m. at the FWP headquarters on 490 North Meridian Road in Kalispell.
(Headlines - October 10, 2008)
Registration is still open for the annual Trapper Education Course in northwest Montana which will be held Saturday, October 18, 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Lawrence Park in Kalispell.
(Headlines - October 10, 2008)
When Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists and fisheries technicians pulled research nets out of Lake Elmo earlier this week, they found data that was satisfying, if not surprising.
(Headlines - October 10, 2008)
Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will meet Oct. 16 at the FWP Helena Headquarters, 1420 East 6th Ave, beginning at 8 a.m.
(Commission - October 09, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announces improvement projects beginning at Harrison Lake and Four Corners fishing access sites.
(Headlines - October 09, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) authorized the lethal removal of the Skalkaho wolf pack this week after escalating problems between the pack and cattle on private land southwest of Philipsburg.
(Headlines - October 09, 2008)
By order of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission, the above listed hunting shall be closed to hunting of ALL BLACK BEARS in a portion of BMU 520. Deer/Elk hunting districts 520 and 560 within BMU 520 shall be closed to hunting of ALL BLACK BEAR hunting one-half hour after sunset on Friday, October 10, 2008.
(Hunting - October 08, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Montana Department of Livestock are looking for ranchers and wildlife enthusiasts to help recommend solutions to the spread of brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area.
The seven-member task force will make science-based recommendations on wildlife and livestock management in the Greater Yellowstone Area to reduce the risk of transmission of the disease.
(Hunting - October 07, 2008)
Summary of statewide Pheasant harvest estimates.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Pheasant hunting opportunities will vary this year across the state Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials say. The general season is Oct. 11—Jan. 1, 2009.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
One thing's for certain this hunting season. Montana's got elk and hunters by the thousand are making plans for what's shaping up to be a great season.
Montana's general elk hunting season opens Oct. 26.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
If you notice your neighbors smiling like never before this fall, chances are they're among Montana's 157,000 deer hunters.
Deer hunters in Montana will find abundant hunting opportunities across the state when the general deer season opens Oct. 26.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Hunters with children say, regardless of their experience level, that many new questions occur to them when planning the first few formative trips afield for a child.
How do you create early hunting experiences that will form a life-long love affair with hunting and the Montana outdoors?
The role of hunter-mentor can be overwhelming at first, so we asked a group of FWP employees who have mentored young hunters for advice.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
To assist in getting Montana's future hunters afield, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks offers a variety of cost-saving options for young and first-time hunters. Special requirements may apply to youth of certain ages in some situations.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
There are few tools as essential to a hunter as a good map. At one time a hunting map was a many-creased affair with coffee stains and blurry pencil marks, dog-eared and soft from use. Today it is as likely to be a digital map downloaded from the Internet.
The entertaining new maps available on the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov are of the digital kind. Go to FWP's Hunt Planner on the Hunting page and select Montana Land Ownership Maps under the Resource column.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
It's time for hunters who plan to hunt on private land to secure permission from landowners.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
The majority of hunters who use off-highway vehicles obey the laws and regulations on OHV use during a hunt. However, if even a few violate those laws and regulations it can result in real harm to wildlife, wildlife habitats and the hunting experiences of others.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Montana's Block Management Program offers hunters managed access to over eight million acres. That leaves millions of acres of private land that may be available to the hunter willing to request landowners' permission to hunt.
In total, there are nearly 59 million acres of private land in Montana with excellent hunting opportunities for big game and game birds.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Hunters interested in learning more about the lands enrolled in FWP's Block
Management Program may contact the regional FWP office in the area where they plan to hunt, or check the "Hunting" pages on the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov .
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Montana’s hunter education manual, combined with the teaching skills of 1,200 hunter education instructors, is at the core of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Hunter Education Program.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Although hunting is not a "team sport," sportsmanship and ethics are as important in hunting as they are in any other outdoor activity.
If hunters keep a few simple thoughts in mind, they can hunt safely and set a good example for other hunters.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Before going afield to hunt, it is always wise to review the proper ways to handle and transport wild meat. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks encourages hunters to use safe practices when handling wild meat in the field.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Montanans who plan to travel out-of-state or to Canada to hunt deer, elk and moose should know that it is now illegal to bring heads and spinal cords from harvested game animals back with them from a state that is known to have CWD in either wild animals or game farm animals.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Officials at game check stations gather information needed to manage the state's wildlife resources. When hunters stop at check stations, they may be asked a variety of questions including how many deer, elk or antelope they saw and in which drainages or general locations their hunting took place.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Montana hunters have the opportunity to take part in some of the finest hunting found anywhere. But each autumn, some individuals unwittingly or knowingly violate the state’s game laws.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials ask that hunters take the time to review Montana's hunting rules and regulations to ensure they act within the law and are prepared to recognize when others violate the law.
Any violation afield can be reported to TIP-MONT on 1-800-TIP-MONT, that is
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
When planning a hunting trip this fall, hunters need to be mindful of the regulations associated with using State School Trust Land.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
As Montana seeks to manage the risk and stop the spread of brucellosis, hunters and landowners will be working together this fall help find a solution.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks requests that hunters report any sightings or signs of wolves. A gray wolf is, on average 2.5 feet tall; 5-6 feet long; 70-120 pounds with a broad snout, round ears and fur ranging from gray, black or tan to white.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Montana requires the use of certified weed-free hay,
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Bear pepper spray is not just for summer use when hiking or camping. Hunting in Montana is a prime time to encounter a bear, especially if your are calling game and using scents.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Veterans will enjoy discounts and new opportunities during Montana's 2008 hunting season.
(Hunting - October 03, 2008)
Wolves returned to a sheep ranch north of Reed Point this week and killed one ewe and a goat. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks asked USDA Wildlife Services to kill one wolf in the area and capture, collar and release a second wolf to gather information about its travels.
(Headlines - October 03, 2008)
Steve Dalbey, a 19-year veteran of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, has been appointed to lead the Region 6 fisheries program.
(Fishing - October 03, 2008)
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