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GREAT FALLS - In the Augusta area of north-central Montana, the five-week general rifle season began with mild weather for the first three weeks of the season, followed by cooler weather and some snow arriving over the last two weeks of the season. Despite that favorable weather the overall harvest finished approximately 10 percent below recent average with 695 big game animals checked at the station during the 2024 season. A total of 2,650 hunters stopped at the check station, representing an approximate 16 percent and 24 percent reduction...
HELENA – Hunters have until Dec. 22 to purchase lottery chances for a guided bison hunt on the Blackfeet Reservation. The drawing will be held on Dec. 23. The lottery is a way FWP partners with the Blackfeet Tribe to demonstrate a shared commitment to managing fish and wildlife across the state and to facilitate hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities. The lottery is open to all hunters – tribal members, nonmembers, Montana residents and nonresidents. Chances are $10 each, and hunters can purchase up to 20 chances. At least 400...
HELENA – With less than a week to go before the final day of the general season, hunters can help ensure the future of public access for generations to come. During these final days, remember “It’s Up to Us. Respect access. Protect the hunt.” This is a message from FWP and partners to encourage hunters to always practice conscientious behavior and show respect for private land and the access landowners provide. There are five actions hunters can take to show respect for landowners to ensure...
HELENA – Muzzleloader heritage season opens on Saturday, Dec. 14, and runs through Sunday, Dec. 22. This season is for heritage muzzleloaders only; no other means of taking game, such as archery, is allowed. Note that some areas have elk shoulder seasons through Feb. 15, where firearms and archery equipment may be allowed. Hunters should also note that many of Montana’s Block Management Areas (BMAs), even though they are open for upland bird or waterfowl through Jan. 1, are not allowing the h...
GREAT FALLS – Chronic wasting disease (CWD) was recently detected in a mule deer buck taken by a hunter north of Great Falls in Hunting District 404. This is the first time CWD has been detected in that Hunting District. Two tests taken in the first round of testing from the deer came back as positive for CWD, but a final confirmation test was negative. FWP will treat these results as a first detection of CWD in HD 404. Hunters are encouraged to continue having their animals tested for the d...
GREAT FALLS - Based on data collected at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks check station in Augusta, the overall deer and elk harvest remains above average along the southern Rocky Mountain Front as the 2024 general rifle season nears the halfway point. Through the third Sunday and the end of the second full week of the general rifle season, a total of 309 deer and elk have come through the check station, or approximately 28 percent more than the ten-year average, and 12 percent higher than the...
HELENA – The final piece of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting agenda for Nov. 12 was released today outlining the 2024 wolf trapping season dates and proposing new changes to predator trapping to avoid incidental capture of a grizzly bear. This new proposal builds upon a federal court order that limits wolf trapping within a geographic area that includes all of FWP regions 1, 2 and 3, along with the western portions of regions 4 and 5 to Jan. 1 through Feb. 15. First, starting D...
HELENA – Hunters will again have the opportunity to thank landowners who allow hunting access on their land. The “Thank a Landowner” web portal is an easy way for hunters to pass on a note of thanks and a photo to landowners who have allowed them access. FWP collects these submissions and mails the letters and photos to all landowners who were identified. Last year, nearly 600 hunters submitted a thank you note to private landowners through the portal. This portal is part of the “It’s Up...
GLASGOW- With the general deer and elk season coming up this weekend, a lot of folks will be hitting the field. Remember, it is up to the hunter to be familiar with the current year’s hunting regulations to be safe, ethical, and law-abiding. Below is one major regulation change this year in Regions 6 and 7 regarding mule deer doe hunting, along with the 10 most common mistakes hunters make. REGULATION CHANGE This year, in Regions 6 and 7, antlerless mule deer hunting is only permitted on p...
BILLINGS – Every year, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff find big game animal carcasses dumped on public and private land. Carcass dumping is illegal and can spread disease. This hunting season, protect our herds and make sure you have a plan to properly dispose of animal carcasses. Under Montana state statute, dumping carcasses on public and private land without the owner’s consent is considered littering and can result in fines not exceeding $500. Conviction of littering while hunting can...
HELENA – Anyone training bird dogs using game birds not raised in captivity needs to hold a bird dog training license, whether on private or public land. If you are training dogs with captive-reared birds, a license is not required. These licenses can be purchased online through the FWP Online License Service, any FWP regional office or any license provider. The license is $5 for residents ages 18 and over and $10 for nonresidents 18 and over. For residents and nonresidents ages 12 to 17, the l...
HELENA – Hunters who will not be able to use their license this season have the opportunity to donate that license. Residents and nonresidents can donate their hunting license to a disabled military veteran or disabled active-duty service member who is working with an organization that uses hunting as part of the rehabilitation process. The license donor program began in 2013, and each year between 40 and 60 hunters donate their license. Reasons vary, but according to Montana Fish, Wildlife & P...
GREAT FALLS – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks game wardens and are seeking information on a grizzly bear cub that was shot and killed along East Lake Road near New Miami Colony west of Conrad, in Pondera County. The bear was first discovered on June 7. Federal wildlife officials investigated the scene with the assistance of FWP game wardens and determined the bear had gunshot wounds and was killed sometime after June 4. No other information is currently a...
HELENA – Starting today, hunters can sign up for leftover licenses and permits that were not distributed by the drawing through MyFWP on the FWP website. The resulting Surplus License List will be randomized with hunters at the top of the list contacted via email with instructions to finalize their purchase within a specified time. To be placed on the Surplus License List, resident and nonresident hunters can sign up through the MyFWP portal. This process requires hunters to keep their email a...
HELENA – Hunters in Montana, along with Fish, Wildlife & Parks, are concerned about declining mule deer populations in much of the state. In response to this concern, FWP is embarking on research efforts to look into the declines and engage hunters about their attitudes on mule deer management and hunting. Mule deer numbers have typically been tracked over large areas using aerial surveys and declines can be attributed to several different things including winterkill, short-term habitat c...
REMINDERS FOR SHED HUNTERS Mar 24, 2023 10:17 AM Most wildlife management areas open May 15; block management areas not open for shed hunting without landowner permission HELENA – With warmer temperatures and snow quickly disappearing, shed-antler hunters are anxious to get into the field. Buck deer and bull elk and moose grow antlers each year, some to magnificent size, which drop off to regrow each spring. Hunting for and collecting these "shed" antlers in spring has become a popular a...
GREAT FALLS - An in-person Hunter Education course is now open for registration in Conrad. The course will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Mar. 6, 7, 9 and 10 at the Pondera Co Shooting Sports building in Conrad. There is no charge to attend the course, but advanced registration is required and is available online at https://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter-education In-person, instructor-led hunter education courses are available free to anyone aged 10 and older and are led by trained volunteer... 
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