Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff are seeking public comments on a proposed fee-title acquisition of about 3.5 acres of private land west of Dillon to become a new fishing access site along the Beaverhead River. FWP is undertaking the process of acquiring the parcel as a donation from the Beaverhead Trails Coalition, a nonprofit in Dillon. A neighboring landowner donated the property to the coalition in 2021. The site would be known as Cornell Park Fishing Access Site. Following the acquisition, FWP staff would restore 325 feet of... Full story
Volunteer instructors will host a Bowhunter Education course at the Montana WILD Education Center in Helena this month. The class is scheduled over three days: • April 29, 6 to 9 p.m. • April 30, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. • May 1, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students will need to pick up a course manual from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks headquarters, 1420 E. Sixth Ave., or Montana WILD, 2668 Broadwater Ave, and complete it prior to the first day of class. Students can sign up for Hunter and Bowhunter Education courses by visiting fwp.mt.gov/h...
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park will host its largest volunteer event of the year on Saturday, April 9, as part of an early celebration of Earth Day later in the month. The event includes repairing the park’s damaged and winter-worn trails, as well as removing invasive weeds, to keep the park’s trail system healthy and easy to use. The project will begin at the group use pavilion on April 9 at 9 a.m. and is expected to last until 12:30 p.m. Volunteers are encouraged to bring work gloves, sturdy shoes, drinking water, and clothes for out...
The 2022 license year opens March 1, which means that is the day you can buy new hunting and fishing licenses and begin applying for permits and special licenses. The deadline to apply for deer and elk permits is April 1. Applications for most species – deer, elk, antelope, deer B, elk B, antelope B, moose, sheep, goat, bison, bear, turkey – can be made beginning March 1. This spring Fish, Wildlife & Parks will be launching the new MyFWP mobile app that will store and display licenses, permits, and digital carcass tags, known as E-Tags, which c...
Hunter and Bowhunter Education classes will be offered in several locations throughout southwest Montana this year. Many of these classes have been scheduled and will soon be open for registration. Hunter and Bowhunter Education classes are taught by skilled volunteer instructors and offer hands-on learning experiences, mentoring opportunities, and the ability for students to ask questions of experienced hunters. Students learn how to handle firearms and archery equipment safely, basic survival skills, hunting ethics, wildlife management, game...
A Helena man received a lifetime ban from hunting and trapping in Montana as part of his sentence for illegally killing a trophy moose east of Townsend in 2019. Shiloh Berry, 41, was sentenced Friday in Broadwater County District Court after pleading guilty last fall to unlawful possession of a game animal, hunting without a valid license and waste of a game animal. In addition to the lifetime ban from hunting and trapping, Berry's sentence includes a three-year suspension of fishing...
Game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are seeking information on several waterfowl that were killed and abandoned near Butte. Responding to a tip on Thursday, wardens found five dead Canada geese and one dead mallard drake along Roosevelt Drive south of Butte. The birds had been discarded about 200 yards off the road, and all the meat had been wasted. Anyone with possible information about this case is encouraged to call the FWP violation reporting hotline at 1-800-TIP-MONT. Callers may be eligible for a cash reward of up to...
Fisheries staff at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are seeking comments on a proposal to construct a fish barrier on Reservoir Creek near Dillon. This project would help protect a genetically pure population of westslope cutthroat trout from non-native trout. Reservoir creek is one of eight streams within the Beaverhead watershed that still supports an unaltered westslope cutthroat trout population. However, the population is only seasonally protected from non-native trout downstream. This proposal includes constructing a wooden barrier that wou...
A Deer Lodge man pleaded guilty this month to several charges after illegally killing a bighorn sheep in the Highland Mountains. Harold Horine, 45, shot a bighorn sheep ram on Nov. 22 without a license. He did not report the kill to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and he left the meat to waste. A witness who observed the violation contacted FWP after finding the dead sheep abandoned. Game wardens interviewed Horne, who said he mistook the sheep for an elk. Horine pleaded guilty in Madison County Justice Court on Dec. 7 to hunting without a...
Wolf trapping is now open in all Montana Wolf Management Units. After monitoring grizzly bear activity across much of the state, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks biologists have determined the potential risk for trapping conflicts in grizzly bear areas is low. FWP biologists have been monitoring grizzly bear activity with a variety of methods since early November. This includes monitoring collared grizzly bears, sightings of bears in the field, weather assessments and reports from the public. The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted...
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approved two rule changes on Monday concerning recreational and commercial use on the Madison River. In addition, commissioners approved an adjustment to brown trout regulations on a section the Big Hole River. In a relatively short meeting, the commission dealt with two recommendations from the current Madison River Work Group, which has met several times during the past six months. The work group recommended administrative rule changes that would keep the walk/wade sections in place, as they have been...
Every year, a new generation of trappers takes to the mountains and plains of Montana. Those new trappers need training and instruction, not only for safety and ethics, but also on how to truly enjoy the outdoor experience. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks needs volunteer instructors for the new Trapper Education Program across the state. Beginning in the 2022 trapping season, Montana will require aspiring trappers to complete a mandatory trapper education program. “We are excited to offer this brand-new education program,” said Wayde Coo...
Game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are seeking information on two elk that were dumped near Gallatin Gateway Sunday morning. Carcasses from a cow elk and a bull elk with the antlers cut off were found dumped on the south side of Axtell Anceny Road on state land, about 4 miles west of Gallatin Gateway. The hindquarters and tenderloins from the bull were still attached to the carcass and left to waste. Reports from hunters and ranchers in the area indicate the elk were likely dumped around 7 a.m. on Sunday. Hunters are prohibited fr...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is looking at a handful of new strategies to better manage elk populations and improve quality hunting opportunities on public lands. FWP will propose these strategies to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission at its Dec. 14 meeting. In recent years, Montana has seen a dramatic increase in elk populations in many hunting districts around the state. Currently, 14 hunting districts are at least 200 percent above population objectives. Data also show an overcrowding of elk populations on private land, limiting...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff is on pace to collect a record number of chronic wasting disease samples from deer, elk and moose this year. Between July 1 and Nov. 12, FWP staff collected 3,147 CWD samples, of which 1,613 were from the 2021 priority sampling areas located in northwestern, northcentral, southwestern and southcentral Montana. This is above last year’s 2,966 collected samples within that same time period. In addition, hunters have submitted 239 samples this year, down from 430 hunter-submitted samples at this time last y...
Hunter success in southwest Montana has varied but remains close to long-term averages as the general hunting season reaches the half-way mark. Wildlife biologists with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks have operated several check stations on weekends during the general hunting season. Biologists use check stations to collect data on hunter participation and success, as well as the species, sex and age class of the animals harvested. This supplements data collected through hunter harvest phone...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is considering potential updates to the 2009 Smith River State Park and River Corridor Recreation Management Plan. These potential updates are included in a draft environmental assessment (EA), which is available to the public for review and comment. More information on the management plan update, a copy of the EA and a link to submit comments can be found at fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/smith-river/management. Comments will be accepted through Dec. 15. The process of updating the 2009 Smith River Management Plan began...
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) was recently detected in a mule deer buck that was euthanized within Baker city limits in Hunting District 705 by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials on Oct. 27. FWP officials collected the deer after residents reported the buck was acting lethargic and was visibly emaciated and had droopy ears, which are classic symptoms of the disease. Earlier this week the initial test came back positive for CWD and the results of the second, confirmation test should be available next week. “We are awaiting a second test t...
In September, bovine tuberculosis (bTB) was discovered in a herd of cattle in northern Blaine County and then later in Phillips County. Bovine TB is a contagious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis and primarily affects cattle. The disease can be transmitted to nearly any mammal, including humans. The Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) is the lead agency for the investigation into this finding and any epidemiologically linked cattle herds. To date, bTB has not been detected in any additional cattle herds or in wildlife in the...
At its Oct. 28 meeting, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission proposed to repeal two administrative rules regarding the recreational use of the Madison River. On Dec. 24, 2020, the commission adopted the Madison River Recreation Management Rules. One of the rules creates walk/wade sections on the Madison River. A second rule provides for rest rotation sections on the river. These rules would have been implemented Jan. 1, 2022. Another rule established a Madison River work group with the charge to make recommendations on the Madison River...
In August, the Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted several changes to the 2021/2022 wolf hunting and trapping regulations. Changes include eliminating quotas, increasing the number of wolf trapping and hunting licenses allowed for individual hunters, extending wolf trapping seasons and the allowance of snares to harvest wolves. The changes also specified that hunters are allowed to purchase and possess 10 wolf hunting licenses – a separate license for each wolf they harvest – and trappers are allowed a bag limit of 10 wolves. This means an...
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider one new administrative rule and several rule amendments at their meeting Oct. 28. The new rule and amendments are the result of a statutorily required review process. These proposed changes are also happening concurrently to FWP’s response to Gov. Greg Gianforte’s first executive order from earlier this year, which created the Red Tape Relief Advisory Council and directed all state agencies to identify excessive, outdated and unnecessary regulations. The new rule and amendments that are...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is proposing a wide array of grizzly bear relocation sites to the Fish and Wildlife Commission following new statutory requirements set by the 2021 Montana Legislature. The proposed relocation sites provide options for relocating grizzly bears both inside and outside of three of Montana’s federally designated recovery zones – the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, said FWP wildlife division administrator Ken McDonald. “The idea is to have the commi...
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission is considering adjustments to wolf trapping regulations for the 2021 season at its Oct. 28 meeting. The proposed changes are aimed at minimizing the possibility of non-target capture of lynx and grizzly bears. Both species are protected under the Endangered Species Act. The proposed changes look at more clearly identifying occupied grizzly bear habitat and adjusting the season dates for trapping and snaring in these areas. The proposed default opening day in areas likely to have grizzly bears would be...
Canyon Ferry Reservoir saw record-high use and increased visitors during the 2021 recreation season. Reclamation is proud to manage Canyon Ferry’s public federal lands, that belong to the American people, and exist for the benefit of all. Staff members at Canyon Ferry are working hard to maintain these areas and make improvements for recreationists to continue to enjoy these resources for many years to come. With this season’s record-high use also came record-high misuse, particularly at Fish Hawk Campground located on West Shore Drive. Reclama...
