One Nation, Under God
One Nation, Under God
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MALTA- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks would like all folks to be “Bear Aware,” even in northeast Montana. Although bear encounters are rare in most of FWP Region 6, there are known black bears present in the Little Rockies and the Bears Paw Mountains, and more recently, some (likely) black bear sign and sightings have been reported near Malta. Black bears are occasionally found wandering far from their traditional areas, and preventative measures should always be taken to prevent wildlife encounters. In the last month, especially since the...
The final results are in from the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Havre check station for the 2021 hunting season. The check station was open for eight weekends from Oct. 9 (the open of general antelope) through Nov. 28 (the end of the deer/elk general season). Overall, hunter numbers and mule deer harvest were well above average. Biologists gather a lot of valuable information and biological data on game animals brought through check stations. FWP appreciates all hunters’ cooperation in this effort. Note that the harvest data described b...
Two Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks law enforcement cases from the fall of 2020 were completed, including an unlawfully killed bull elk in Blaine County, and a bull moose in Phillips County. Lucas Sterling, 42, of Columbia Falls, plead guilty to charges of hunting without a license and unlawful possession of a bull elk. Sterling killed the elk during the 2020 archery season in the Bear Paw Mountains in Blaine County. Sterling was hunting without the required special permit for the hunting district. He was ordered to pay $460 in fines, $1000 in...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will be using the chemical rotenone to remove invasive goldfish from an unnamed private pond on upper CK Creek, approximately one mile from Zortman. Rotenone will be applied to the pond on September 21, and the chemical will remain in the water and slowly degrade for four-five weeks. Signs will be placed around the pond and at nearby access locations, including the Square Butte Block Management Area (BMA). FWP encourages recreationists and their pets to stay away...
Potential hunting regulation changes for 2022 and 2023 are available online for the public to review. The proposed changes are coming now during the normal biennial season setting year to help make Montana’s hunting regulations simpler and easier to understand. Over the last several weeks, FWP biologists have worked on these potential changes with a sharp focus on the science behind the regulations. The potential changes focus primarily on deer and elk regulations; however, some regions have included regulations for other species as well. T...
Just in time for the Saco-Hinsdale Community Picnic on Sunday, a dedicated FWP crew, along with several local community members, completed the new shelter building at Bjornberg Bridge Fishing Access Site (FAS) north of Saco and Hinsdale. Fishing access site manager Dave Fuller and maintenance foreman BJ Kemp lead the local Region 6 effort, along with help from civil engineer specialist Kevin McDonnell and project manager Joey Renenger from Design and Construction out of Helena. In addition, local community members John Sunford, Glenn Fisher,...
Hunters and anglers out in the field this fall may see a new friendly face. Wyatt Pickens was recently hired as the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks field warden in Glasgow. Pickens will be covering Valley County and sharing working the Breaks districts (631 and 632), Fort Peck Reservoir, and the Missouri River with Warden John Huberty. Pickens, originally from Colorado, holds a bachelor's degree in Fish and Wildlife Management from MSU-Bozeman, where he was a Warden Trainee during his senior...
Biologists for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are expecting that many areas of the region will be challenging for upland bird hunting this fall. However, some areas with good habitat conditions should have fair bird populations for hunters prepared to find them. Habitat conditions, spring adult populations, and recent brood observations vary widely across the region for all species. Most noticeably, the severe drought has negatively impacted vegetation throughout the season and has likely led to a decrease in nest and brood success of all...
Publisher's Note: This is the correct information about the in-person and online field day event that was published last week. We apologize for the misprint in last week's edition of the Phillips County News. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Hunter Education course dates have been set for Glasgow. An in-person classroom course runs Sept. 13-17, and an optional online field day, for those that completed the online course, will be offered on Sept. 17. All hunter education classes are free of charge. In-person, instructor-led hunter education...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is beginning the biennial hunting regulations review process, and this year the department is looking to take a fresh approach. In the past, the biennial hunting regulation process typically had few changes to the existing regulations. This year, FWP will tackle more significant changes such as combining hunting districts and simplifying license structures, while still keeping focused on statewide wildlife population management goals. “Hunters have told us for years that our regulations are too complicated,” sai...
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Hunter Education course dates have been set for Glasgow. An in-person classroom course runs Sept. 13-17, and an optional online field day, for those that completed the online course, will be offered on Sept. 17. All hunter education classes are free of charge. In-person, instructor-led hunter education classroom courses are available to anyone age 10 and older and provide new hunters with a hands-on learning experience that can be particularly beneficial for...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host a Breaks Elk Working Group meeting in Malta on Aug. 18 from 5-8 p.m. in the Malta Business Center. The meeting is open to the public. Topics to be discussed include: Most recent elk population and harvest surveys, Updates on the statewide Elk Management Plan process, and 2022-2023 season setting process/regulations simplification objectives. FWP ensures that its meetings are fully accessible to persons with disabilities. To help ensure the safety for participants and the community FWP will adhere to any...
With our region of northeast Montana suffering extreme or exceptional drought with the constant threat of wildfires, hunters and other recreationists taking to the field must be aware of local fire restrictions and closures and take necessary precautions. Archery antelope hunters will be hunting with their 900-20 hunting licenses starting Aug. 15. Montana’s upland game bird season (and mourning doves) open Sept. 1, along with the archery-only hunting season for deer, elk, antelope, bighorn sheep, black bear, wolf and mountain lion on Sept. 4...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on a proposal to establish emergency haying and grazing leases on portions of 14 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the state. Five of these WMAs are in Region 6 in northeast Montana: Rookery WMA (near Havre), Sleeping Buffalo WMA (near Saco), Dodson Dam WMA (near Dodson), Hinsdale WMA (near Hinsdale), and Fox Lake WMA (near Lambert) The purpose of these late summer/fall 2021 leases is to improve wildlife habitat while making forage available for area agricultural producers. This...
Monday, August 9 marks the day when some licenses are available “over-the-counter,” including the 006-00 antlerless white-tailed deer license in Region 6. Every hunter is allowed one 006-00 license, and the license is valid in all R6 hunting districts. Other regions have other opportunities available as well. Please see the 2021 deer-elk-antelope hunter regulations for more information. Surplus licenses There are many districts with surplus white-tail B, mule deer B, and elk B licenses that were not administered through the June 1 drawing. To...
Drew Henry was hired as the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 6 regional supervisor in northeast Montana, based out of the regional headquarters in Glasgow. Drew replaced Mark Sullivan, who recently retired after working 35 years with FWP, including six years as regional supervisor. Drew, who is originally from Glasgow, was the Glasgow-area regional wildlife biologist for the last nine years. He holds both a bachelor's degree in biology from Minot State University and a master's degree in...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is beginning the sealed bid process for a one-year hay lease on the Cree Crossing Wildlife Management Area (WMA) located north of Nelson Reservoir in Phillips County. The sealed bids will be accepted through 3 p.m. on June 16, at which time the sealed bids will be opened and read aloud at the Regional FWP office in Glasgow. Following the completion of an Environment Assessment and public comment period, FWP is looking to award a one-year agricultural lease to help with vegetation management through the haying of...
Anglers on Fort Peck Reservoir this summer may be asked a few questions about their fishing experience when they come off the water. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is conducting an angling "creel" survey at one of the state's largest and most popular warm water fisheries to monitor catch rates of popular game fish and determine level of satisfaction with the fishery. The data-gathering surveys will be based at marinas and boat ramps around the reservoir. Creel clerks will ask several questions...
In anticipation of the new license year, which opens March 1, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks posted regulations for Dear/Elk/Antelope and Moose/Sheep/Goat online at fwp.mt.gov/hunt. The deadline to apply for deer and elk permits is April 1. Please verify your application prior to submission, as changes after submission will not be permitted. Permits will be printed and mailed to hunters after the drawing. When making license purchases online, please remember that licenses and carcass tags may be printed from your home printer on 8.5x11-inch...
Jared Krebs was recently hired as the new Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks eastern district fisheries management biologist in Glasgow. Krebs, originally from Minnesota, holds both a bachelor's degree in wildlife biology from St. Cloud State University and a master's degree in fisheries from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Krebs will be responsible in managing the eastern half of the region's fisheries, which includes the lower Missouri and Milk rivers. In addition, he will oversee pond...
4 marked the 25th anniversary of Fish, Wildlife & Parks' Block Management Program. This popular access program started locally across Montana in the mid-1980s. However, through HB195 in the 1995 Legislative Session, it created the program as it's formally known today starting with the 1996 hunting season. Block Management provides public hunting opportunities on private land across the state and has created positive working relationships among landowners and hunters. Funding for Block...
Samples taken in six eastern Montana counties this past summer have tested positive for the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS) disease in bats. The presence of the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) does not necessarily confirm the presence of the disease, but biologists are closely monitoring the situation and further sampling and testing will be conducted. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff is asking the public to report any dead or dying bats they observe this winter and spring to their local FWP office. “We are d...
It’s that time of year when ice anglers and other recreationists will be heading out to Montana's “hard” waters for the winter season. Everyone needs to be safe around ice, whether ice fishing, ice skating, hunting, snowmobiling, or just taking a walk. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reminds folks that safety should be the number one concern during a day out on (or near) the ice. And when on the ice, remember: Anglers and other recreationists should be familiar with the water body they plan...
The final results are in from the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Havre check station for the 2020 hunting season. The check station was open for eight weekends from Oct. 10 (the open of general antelope) through Nov. 29 (the end of the deer/elk general season). Overall, hunter numbers were just above average this year and mule deer harvest was well above average. Other big game and upland bird harvests were below long-term average, but compared to the last few years, most hunters reported that it was a good year for almost all species....
The free online classes are set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday Nov. 14 and 21. The classes are identical, and trappers must complete only one of them. To register for the classes, please browse to the FWP website at FWP.MT.GOV and follow the links to “Education” and “Wolf Trapper Education & Certification.” Because of current COVID-19 restrictions, FWP will offer no in-person classes this fall. The two classes will be online via ZOOM. Students will be sent the ZOOM address for the classes when they register....
