Sorted by date Results 226 - 239 of 239
Just a couple of months past his 89th birthday, long time Powder River County rancher Donald Kolka found his big bull elk in the land drained by the Little Pumpkin Creek. Since opening the letter with his coveted bull tag, Mr. Kolka had been laying plans for his hunt, plans which had quickly dismissed using one of his old rifles. A new rifle was warranted. A new rifle like a lever action .45-70 buffalo gun. When Mr. Kolka saw the big bull in the early morning light, the first shot hit its mark....
By order of the Montana Fish & Wildlife Commission, the hunting of all black bears in Bear Management Unit 700 closed one-half hour after sunset on Monday, October 29, 2018. To check Montana’s black bear harvest in quota areas, go to Hunting and choose Drawing and Quota Status, http:// fwp.mt. gov/hunting/status/, or call the toll-free number at 1-800-385-7826....
Friday, August 24, 2018 Upland season starts Sept. 1 with mountain, sage and sharptail grouse along with partridge. Pheasant hunting starts Oct. 6. All seasons end Jan. 1, except sage grouse, which ends Sept. 30. Gray (Hungarian) Partridge While no formal surveys are conducted for huns in Montana, weather and habitat conditions suggest huns across the state will range from slightly above to below average this season, depending on the area of the state. A severe winter across most of the Region 7...
The badlands, farmland and rolling prairie of southeast Montana are home to a vast number of animals, including strong populations of mule and white-tailed deer, variable antelope numbers and a growing number of elk. Mule deer in the region recovered rapidly from their low point in 2012, and since 2016 remain at one of the higher densities seen in southeastern Montana since current surveys were initiated in the 1980s. Following back-to-back severe winters in 2009-10 and 2010-11, mule deer numbers bottomed out at 61 percent of long-term...
Fall is a time of year when bat observations are common in Montana. This time of year young bats are attempting to take care of themselves, some bats are beginning long migrations to warmer climates and some bats are grounded by disease or illness. A common misconception is that bats "carry" rabies. Bats are not asymptomatic carriers of rabies, that is, the rabies virus does not exist indefinitely in a bat host. When a bat contracts rabies, it dies. When a bat begins to show clinical signs of the disease, it becomes lethargic, loses its...
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reports some exciting news…Chinook salmon are biting at Ft. Peck Reservoir! Casual and hardcore salmon fisherman have been waiting to hear whether salmon will be showing up this year, especially after the slower 2017 season. Interest in this unique fishery continues to grow and numerous social media outlets have been quick to alert anglers of the improving salmon bite in recent weeks. Boats rigged with downriggers have been flocking to the dam area in search of the prized Chinook (or king) salmon. Salmon were fi...
For the fifth year, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Outlook-area wildlife biologist Ryan Williamson is in full swing of trapping and banding this small game bird. Mourning doves are one of the most widely distributed and abundant birds in North America and are also a popular game bird with hunting seasons established in 40 of the lower 48 states. As part of an effort to estimate population size, harvest rates and regulations, mourning doves are banded throughout the United States including within Montana’s Region 6. “Banding mourning dov...
Here’s nothing new: It’s been hot recently. How hot? So hot, I saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walking. So hot I’m being forced to use passive verbs. Okay, for those who suffer from the heat, extreme temperatures are no joke. However, maybe nature can teach us a few tricks to cope. In late summer, prairie amphibians, like the Great Plains toad are underground, waiting out the heat wave. All amphibians begin their lives in water, developing from eggs to swimming larvae (tadpoles) to adult frogs, toads or salamanders. Adult frogs...
A few important dates remain for hunters looking for license for this upcoming hunting season: On Aug. 6, hunters can buy over-the-counter and surplus B licenses (antlerless) for deer and elk. On Aug. 9, general antelope and antelope B drawing results will be available. On Aug. 13, surplus general antelope, antelope B and antelope archery 900-20 licenses go on sale. On Aug. 15, antelope archery season opens for the 900-20 license. The 900-20 archery antelope licenses were drawn on July 16. These licenses allow bowhunters to hunt antelope from...
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wants to remind anglers that as reservoir water temperatures increase, mortality associated with catch and release also increases. A study published in 2011 in The North American Journal of Fisheries Management found that walleye catch and release mortality rate rose from 0-1.8% with water temps below 68° F to nearly 16% when water temps were above 68° F. Walleye that are played for extended periods of time, handled extensively in the boat, and/or stored in a live well will see an increase in mortality if the f...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ wardens would like to remind watercraft users that they must stop every time they pass an AIS inspection station, even if they have previously been inspected. For example, if a person goes through an inspection station at 7 a.m. and receives a copy of the watercraft inspection form, and then drives past the same inspection station at 2 p.m. on their way home, they need to stop again. It’s not uncommon for folks to bypass inspection stations after already being inspected, thinking they are in the clear for the day...
Montana 2018-19 waterfowl and ‘webless’ migratory bird regulations released Waterfowl and webless migratory bird regulations are already complete for the 2018-19 hunting seasons. With all of the water and ducks across Montana this summer, there are signs that it could be an interesting and productive waterfowl season for Montana hunters. Montana's migratory bird regulations, set within the federal frameworks, will be very similar to last year. The regulations are online at http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/regulations and hard copies will be ava...
The weather has been extremely unpredictable, and so was the 2018 paddlefishing season on the Yellowstone and lower Missouri rivers. According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 7 fisheries manager Mike Backes, it took 15 harvest days to approach the 1,000 fish harvest target. Compare that to the 2017 season, which was fast and furious and closed in just over three days. The 2018 harvest season opened May 15 and closed on June 8. Catch-and-release fishing just concluded. According to tallies, 714 paddlefish were processed at Intake fishin...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is taking public comment on several items, including furbearer and trapper seasons and quotas, swift fox conservation strategy and the nongame check-off work plan. Further information on the items is provided below. Additional clarification and materials can be provided by calling the Wildlife Division office at 406-444-2612 or emailing [email protected]. Public comments can be submitted by mail or electronically. Comments can be mailed to Fish, Wildlife & Parks, P.O....
