FWP urges hunters to check fire status, make safety a priority

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.

Hunters and other recreationists should:

Drive only on established roads.

Avoid roads with tall vegetation in the middle track.

Never park over dry grass and other vegetation (but make sure to pull off the road!)

Carry a fire extinguisher—or water-filled weed sprayer—bucket, shovel, axe, and a cell phone for emergency calls.

Restrict camping activities to designated camping areas.

Build campfires only in established metal fire rings, if allowed (note restrictions).

Smoke only inside buildings or vehicles.

Check on any fire restrictions in place.

When it comes to site-specific fire restrictions, FWP follows the lead of the county where the site is located.

As of Wed., Aug. 11, counties in Stage 1 Restrictions in Region 6 and northeast Montana include Hill, Blaine, Choteau, Phillips, Valley, McCone, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Richland, and Garfield counties. Daniels County is currently in a burn ban. Please be aware that these restrictions change weekly.

Stage 1 restrictions ban campfires except where specifically exempted, allow cooking fires on propane devices that can be shut off and allow smoking only in vehicles and areas three feet in diameter that are cleared of flammable materials.

Stage 2 restrictions start with regulations delineated by Stage 1 restrictions. In addition, Stage 2 restrictions ban welding, explosives, driving off established roads, and use of internal-combustion engines, except for vehicles on established roads, between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m. each day. Generators used in enclosed buildings or in an area cleared of vegetation specifically are exempted from Stage 2 restrictions. Currently, there are no counties in Stage 2 in FWP Region 6.

FWP sites that could be impacted by fire restrictions include fishing access sites, wildlife management areas and state parks.

For up-to-date details on state-wide FWP property fire and drought-related restrictions and closures, visit FWP's website at fwp.mt.gov. Click “Restrictions and Closures” at the top of the page. In addition, you can go to http://www.mtfireinfo.org to see restrictions statewide.

Block Management Areas in fire restrictions

Private landowners with land enrolled in Block Management Areas (BMAs) or other private land access programs may also have restrictions or closures. Be sure to ask when securing permission on any private land. Currently, there are several BMAs in Region 6 with closures.

These closures could change daily. BMAs fire restrictions and closures will be updated as changes occur at https://fwp.mt.gov/hunt/access/blockmanagement/restrictions with changes shown on the Hunt Planner Map on the FWP website as well. The FWP Region 6 Facebook page will be updated daily as changes occur.

Always be prepared to prevent or extinguish fire starts. Your awareness and assistance during this extremely dangerous fire year is appreciated!