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HUNTING GUIDE 2011

Elk, deer faring well� Game numbers healthy

despite tough, long winter

BY NICK GEVOCK

of The Montana Standard

The winter of 2010-2011 was long,cold and fraught with heavysnow, but state biologists say

despite the tough conditions mostgame herds in southwest Montanamanaged to survive.

That bodes well for hunters headinginto the field this year, with mostareas of southwest Montana holdinghealthy numbers of deer and elk. Someareas were hit a little harder but overall biologists say game escapedmajor die offs.

“Things fared pretty well givenwhat they had to go through,” saidCraig Fager, Dillon wildlife biologistwith the Montana Department of Fish,Wildlife and Parks. When hunters getout for the archery and rifle seasons,the game will be there. Fager said animals were utilizing different winterranges than most years to cope withthe heavy snows. That may haverequired longer migrations, but he saidit also showed how hearty deer and elkare.

“They just showed how amazinglyadaptable they are,” he said. “Theyadjust accordingly and go about theirbusiness.”

ELKElk numbers look good throughout

most of FWP Region 3, which runsnorth of Helena and goes south to theIdaho state line, and runs from east ofLivingston west to near Anaconda.

Elk counts in the Gravelly

Mountains were at record levels, saidBob Brannon, FWP Sheridan biologist.But Brannon added that heavy snowsmay be bumping up those numbersbecause it forced elk to lower, moreopen terrain.

See SEASON, Page 4

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Seasons show promise

AN ELK

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4 � THE MONTANA STANDARD HUNTING GUIDE 2011 WWW.MTSTANDARD.COM

WISE RIVER CLUB

HUNTING GUIDE 2011

Season ...Continued from Page 3

“We’ve got just about as high acount of elk as we’ve ever had thispast winter,” he said. “But the highernumbers this year do not indicate ahigher population as much as it indi-cates we missed those elk the last twoyears when they were always there.”

Still, he said elk numbers in theGravellys, Snowcrest, Centennial andBlacktail mountains are healthy.Brannon said two years of more limit-ed harvest has helped boost numbers.

This year the hunting districts thatcomprise the Gravellys have twoweeks of cow or brow-tined bull hunt-ing and then three weeks of bulls only.

Farther west, the areas aroundLima had strong numbers of elk incounts as well. Fager said most of hisarea – including the Lima Peaks,Pioneers and Tendoys – had healthyelk herds and good calf production.

The one exception is the elk thatremain in winter in the Big HoleValley, where winter was harsh andlong.

“They endeared a hellish winter inthat Wisdom country,” he said. “Thesnow was with us a long, long time –last year we had significant snow inmid November and we carried it intoApril.”

But Fager said many of the BigHole elk migrated out of the valley andthey went farther to find feed, withmost of them faring well through winter.

Closer to Butte, elk numbers areslightly up in the Highlands, FleecerMountain and Mount Haggin and theBull Mountains, said Vanna Boccadori,

Butte FWP biologist. She said numbers are still slightly below thetargeted population and the more limited brow-tined bull regulationswill remain in effect, but she did issuemore cow elk “B” tags in the Highlandsand Bull Mountains.

“Everything looks good,” she said.“Going into this fall calf crops lookgood and everything’s healthy becausethere’s so much grass this year.”

Boccadori added that the healthygrasses produced by heavy springrains will help elk and deer producesome larger antlers this year.

The state FWP Commission did

move to scale back the cow elk harvestin the Madison Range this year. Fortwo years hunting districts 360 and362 had a combined B cow elk tag thatwas unlimited, but this year thosehave been replaced with 500 tags goodonly on private land in the two dis-tricts, which covers the range on theeast side of the Madison Valley.

MULE DEER

Mule deer are faring okay, but insome areas of southwest Montana suffered losses worse than elk did,

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ELK FIND GOOD feed in southwest Montana valleys, such as this herd in theMadison Valley. The long winter did not signficantly affect their numbers, officialssaid.

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Season ...Continued from Page 4

biologists say. Across the region, muledeer are hovering just at to belowaverage.

In the upper Ruby Valley, mule deernumbers are below average, Brannonsaid. The number of doe “B” tags hasbeen scaled back in several areas toaccount for the reduction and he hasissued a limited number of buck tagsin special draw districts.

In the Tobacco Roots, the season formule deer remains as a shortened sea-son in an effort to boost numbers.

The picture for mule deer isbrighter around Lima, Fager said. Hisground counts this spring showed adecent fawn production and survival.

“Deer fared pretty well despite areally, really hard winter,” he said. “Wehad just under 40 fawns per 100 doesdown in hunting district 300.”

Boccadori said in her areas aroundButte, mule deer continue to be belowaverage in numbers. She said that’sbeen the trend of the past few yearsand this spring didn’t help.

“The past few years we’ve had thesecold wet springs and that doesn’t helpwith fawn survival at all,” she said.“Everybody’s kind of seeing it.”

WHITE-TAILED DEER

White-tailed deer in southwestMontana remain healthy in most areasof southwest Montana where they’refound. The deer primarily live on private land in the river bottoms,although there are some areas of

public land with whitetails in decentnumbers.

For the most part, whitetails haveweathered the colder spring fairlywell, biologists say. The state stillissues a standard, region-wide B doetag for white-tails and some huntingdistricts offer multiple whitetail B tags.

Hunters who can secure access to aprivate ranch will have no problem filling the freezer.

ANTELOPE

Pronghorn antelope in many regionsof Montana suffered severe losses lastwinter and that is reflected in thisyear’s hunting opportunities. In south-eastern Montana’s Region 7, FWP hascut in half the number of tags andmany parts of regions 4, 5 and 6 haveseen an even more drastic cut inopportunities.

The herds in the intermountain val-leys of Region 3 didn’t suffer nearly asbadly, biologists say.

Fager said in the Big Hole Valley,antelope appear to be down fromrecent years with a lower fawn produc-tion this spring. But antelope there arestill above the target population.

Brannon said in the CentennialValley the herd is stable from lastyear, while the Blacktail Valley is alsoholding steady. In the Jefferson Valleydown to Cardwell, the antelope herd isconsiderably down, he said.

“It’s been a number of tough yearsand low production, so it’s going to bea number of years before they bounceback,” he said.

Reporter Nick Gevock may be reached at [email protected]

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HUNTING GUIDE 2011

Citizen wardens

Step up to stop poachingE

very Montana hunter needs toadd something to his or her packthis season.

A small notebook, pencil and basicdigital camera should go inside a sealable plastic bag. Call it the antipoaching pack – the stuff you’ll badlyneed when you run into poachers.

Simply put, hunters today are fac-ing some serious threats to our out-door heritage, our wildlife and ourimage. But despite the rhetoric fromsome, the most pressing culpritisn’t anti-hunters, predators or environmentalists.

Our biggest problem is found amongour ranks. And it’s slowly erodingpublic support for hunting.

Poachers and slob hunters – thosewho break game laws or lack any

sense of ethical hunting– are common, althoughthey clearly aren’t the majority of us. And theyneed to be stopped to

protect our wildlife, protect our out-doors heritage and protect our contin-ued right to continue hunting.

Game wardens can’t do it alone.There simply aren’t enough of them topatrol all of Montana, yet as hunterswe collectively are out there every dayof the season covering far more territory.

We need to become citizen wardensand step up the fight against those

who are slowly killing our outdoorsheritage.

Last year I was put in a horrible situation when I walked into the aftermath of a group of hunters whohad “flock” shot a herd of elk. In abouta minute’s time I heard more than 30 shots, and after walking directlytoward the commotion found one guydressing out an elk.

Within 100 yards I walked upon twoother dead cow elk and saw the blood-stained tracks of the herd headingtoward private land.

In the end, I illegally tagged one ofthe cows, took it home and wrote aboutthe incident. I was later issued a written warning for illegally taggingan elk, which I had to forfeit to the

See POACHING, Page 9

In the HuntBY NICK GEVOCK

ONE

LUCKY

huntertags a

largemuledeer.

File photo

Poaching ...Continued from Page 8

food bank. To this day I’m proud the elk didn’t go to waste.And I learned some valuable lessons that day that I hopehelp guide me for the rest of my life when it comes to fight-ing poaching.

The first is that no matter how hard you try, inevitablyall of us will encounter a poacher or slob hunter some day.They may be shooting before or after legal time, using otherpeople’s tags or blatantly taking more animals than theyhave tags for.

At other times, it may walk the fine line between what’slegal and what’s ethical, although leaving an animal towaste is clearly wanton waste under Montana law.Whatever the case, these hunters are out there and if youhunt public land, you will bump into them.

The second lesson learned is that when you come acrossa poaching incident, your day of hunting is over. By thetime you record information, get within cell phone rangeand wait for a warden to report the incident, the day or atthe very least half of it is blown.

And finally, I learned that despite your best intentions,it’s hard to make the right choices when you’re in a tensesituation and absolutely livid over the conduct of somehunters. Even if I had gone immediately to a game warden,the odds of getting a conviction are slim unless you haveactual video of a hunter committing a crime.

But that’s no reason not to try. As hunters, we all have aresponsibility to police ourselves – and each other. We haveto be conscious that in a country where only 5 percent ofthe population hunts, we’re a tiny minority. And at a timewhen we are under sharp criticism, the actions of poachersand slobs are fodder for the campaigns of people who areworking diligently to end all hunting.

Seriously, how can someone defend hunting when someamong us are willing to fling bullets at animals, fail to fol-low up on a shot, leave animals to waste or take otherabhorrent actions. It’s hard enough to explain to non-hunters

See POACHING, Page 10


HUNTING GUIDE 2011

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Poaching ...Continued from Page 9

that unfortunately sometimes animals get wounded and getaway. It’s impossible to justify taking reckless, abundantshots at animals and leaving them to die slow, miserabledeaths when they escape.

That’s where we can make a difference by policing ourselves. That’s where the “anti-poaching pack” can beinvaluable.

If you’re out one day and witness hunting violations, takedown as much information as you can. Write down licenseplate numbers and physical descriptions of the peopleinvolved.

Record the time. Make a note of exactly where you are.And make a call to a game warden as quickly as you can.

The camera can also be a powerful tool. Snap photos thatoffer proof that someone was there, such as a shot of theirvehicle at the trailhead or along a certain road. Take photosof the animal or animals involved if they’re close.

It can be intimidating if the people involved see yourecording this information. But you don’t have to confrontthem; just take the notes and leave.

And it may seem frivolous if it doesn’t lead to an arrestand conviction. That doesn’t matter – we have to try. Even aconversation with a game warden can have an effect onmany slob hunters to get them thinking about their actionsor at least feel stupid explaining what they did.

We owe it to ourselves as hunters, to the game we pursueand most importantly, to the next generation of sportsmenand women to crack down on those who are slowly destroy-ing our outdoors heritage.

Reporter Nick Gevock may be reached [email protected]


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HUNTING GUIDE 2011

Montana’s archery-only hunting season for deer,elk, antelope and black bear

begins Sept. 3. The bighorn sheeparchery season begins Sept. 5.

A bow and arrow license, plus theproper hunting license is requiredduring the deer, elk, antelope, blackbear and bighorn sheep archeryonly season or to hunt in areas limited to only archery equipment.Depending on the species and hunting district, some licenses were available only by special drawing.

For details on legal archeryequipment and the documentationnecessary to purchase a Montanabow and arrow license, check the2011 big game hunting regulationsavailable at FWP offices, licenseproviders and on the FWP websiteat fwp.mt.gov under Hunting.

Antelope archery

season under wayMany archery antelope hunters

will be afield soon with a 900 serieslicense to archery hunt antelope ofeither sex in any hunting districtstarting with a 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Hunting in the 900 series archeryhunt is restricted to archery equip-ment only and runs Aug. 15 to Nov. 13. Applications for the 900 series archery hunt for antelopewere due June 1 and the licensedrawing is completed.

Sept. 3 to Oct. 7 is the archeryantelope season. The general rifle sea-son for antelope is Oct. 8 to Nov. 13.

Most antelope hunting licenses,including those for the general rifleseason, are available onlythrough special drawingswith a June 1 application deadline.

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Archery hunters, know your bullsWith elk archery season opening Sept. 3, and the back-

country general elk season set to open Sept. 15, elkhunters need to know their bull elk. Here is a quick cheatsheet. An antlered bull elk is any elk with an antler orantlers at least four inches in length measured from thetop of the skull. A brow-tined bull is any elk with anantler or antlers with a visible point on the lower half ofeither main beam that is greater than or equal to fourinches long. A spike bull is an elk with antlers that do notbranch, or if branched, the branch is less than four incheslong measured from the main antler. An antlerless elk is afemale, or a juvenile male with antlers less than four inches in length measured from the top of the skull.

EQUIPMENT REGS:Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ hunting regulations

specify under the heading “Archery & CrossbowEquipment,” the equipment that is legal for archery hunting in Montana.

For example, for FWP enforcement purposes, a bow isconsidered legal if it is at least 28 inches in total length.Bows shorter than 28 inches are prohibited for use inMontana. In another example, an arrow is defined as aprojectile at least 20 inches in overall length. An arrowmust weigh no less than 300 grains with the broadheadattached. Crossbows are not a legal weapon during thearchery equipment only season.

SEASONS: START ENDAntelope 900 Aug. 15 Nov. 13

Archery Sept. 3 Oct. 7

General Oct. 8 Nov. 13

Bighorn Sheep

Archery Sept. 5 Sept. 14

General Sept. 15 Nov. 27

Bison Nov. 15 Feb. 15, 2012

Black Bear


Fall Sept. 15 Nov. 27

Deer & Elk


Youth (Deer Only) Oct. 20 Oct. 21

General Oct. 22 Nov. 27

Backcountry HD’s 150, 151, 280, 316


General Sept. 15 Nov. 27

Moose Sept. 15 Nov. 27

Mountain goat Sept. 15 Nov. 27

Mountain Lion


Fall Oct. 22 Nov. 27

Winter Dec. 1 April 14, 2012

Wolf


General Oct. 22 Dec. 31

Upland game bird hunters who have been watchingthe weather won’t be surprised that Montana Fish,Wildlife & Parks officials expect eastern Montana’s

pheasant and grouse numbers to be well below average thisfall. In western and central Montana, game bird counts willbe similar to or slightly down from last year. Upland gamebird hunting begins Sept. 1. Pheasant season opens Oct. 8.

The most severe winter conditions,including prolonged, deep snow, occurredeast of a line that ran from north ofShelby to the southeast corner of thestate—a vast area. FWP officials said thisextreme winter weather followed by avery wet, cold spring significantly reducedthe winter survival and spring productionof upland game birds.

“Fortunately, western Montana counties avoided some ofthis extreme weather and hunters should find some uplandgame bird populations in western Montana that are similarto what they saw last year,” said Rick Northrup, MontanaFish, Wildlife & Parks game bird coordinator.Southwestern and South Central Montana (FWP Region 3, 5)

In southwestern Montana, late May and early June rainswere generally less of a factor than in the east. FWP isanticipating average to slightly improved dusky and ruffed

grouse numbers. Spruce grouse and gray partridge, laternesters, are not expected to have been impacted by June’searly, cold rain. Partridge numbers were 80 percent of average last year and FWP expects them to be near averagethis year. Spruce grouse, though not prevalent in south-western Montana, are expected to be above average in number. Also in FWP Region 3, FWP expects sage grouseand pheasant numbers to improve over last year.


HUNTING GUIDE 2011

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HUNTING GUIDE 2011


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UPLAND GAME BIRD HUNTING SEASONSOpening day for most upland game bird hunting seasons

occurs on the same day every year — Sept. 1. The 2011general pheasant season opens Oct. 8. Here are thestatewide hunting season dates.

UPLAND GAME BIRDS OPENS CLOSES

Mountain Grouse Sept. 1 Dec. 15Partridge Sept. 1 Jan. 1, 2012Pheasant Oct. 8 Jan. 1, 2012Youth Pheasant Weekend Sept. 24-25Sage Grouse Sept. 1 Nov. 1Sharp-tailed Grouse Sept. 1 Jan. 1, 2012Turkey

Fall Sept. 1 Jan. 1, 2012

Daily Bag Limits� Two sage grouse, four sharp-tailed grouse, and three

mountain grouse in aggregate and eight partridge inaggregate.

� Three cock pheasants daily.Possession Limits

� Two times the daily bag limit for sage grouse and fourtimes the daily bag limit for sharp-tailed, mountain grouseand partridge.

� Three times the daily bag limit for pheasants.The annual bag limit for turkey is two wild turkeys. The

total combined limit of the spring and fall seasons cannotexceed two turkeys per hunter.

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HUNTING GUIDE 2011

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ith Montana’s upland gamebird season opening Sept. 1and bow hunting season

underway Sept. 3, hunters will soon besharing the landscape with the state’sbears.

Grizzly bears are found throughoutwestern Montana, not just the RockyMountain Front, Bob MarshallWilderness complex and theYellowstone ecosystem. Black bearsalso range widely across the state.

Upland game bird hunters andarchers hunting in bear countryshould:

� Carry bear spray and know howto use it;

� Hunt with a partner, or let some-one know your plans, and periodicallycheck in;

Archery hunters should:� Get harvested game out of the

woods quickly;� Carry a lightweight tarp or space

blanket to put the entails on and pullthem well away from the carcass andthen cover the carcass with the tarp toreduce the scent, if the carcass is leftunattended;

� When returning to a site whereharvested game is left unattended,study the site at a distance for anymovement or changes and signal yourapproach by making plenty of noise,

� Do not attempt to frighten orhaze a bear from a carcass.

If a bear finds a carcass left unat-tended and is eating it or has coveredit with debris and it is not salvageable,contact FWP.

The Interagency Grizzly BearCommittee recommends the use ofbear spray to hunters of all big gamespecies who plan to hunt in bear coun-try. Hunters should keep in mind thatbear spray is not a substitute for beingbear aware and taking proper safetymeasures.

FWP recommends these steps whenhunting in grizzly country:

� If you hunt in grizzly countryleave detailed plans with someone, andcheck-in periodically.

� Hunting partners should have acheck-in or communication system.

� Pay attention to fresh bear sign.Look for bear tracks, scat, and concentrations of natural foods.

Be prepared to come across bears

Early migratory bird seasons setThe hunting-season framework for Montana’s webless

migratory game birds—mourning doves, common snipe andsandhill cranes—will follow federal recommendations andremain similar to last year except for proposed changes inthe sandhill crane season dates and the crane permit totalfor the Warm Springs area (280-010) that is proposed to gofrom 30 to 5.

Other proposed season changes include:� Hunting season dates for the Rocky Mountain

population of sandhill cranes with permits obtained in aspecial drawing would be Sept. 10-Sept 25;

� Season dates for mid-continent sandhill cranes wouldbe: Sept. 24-Nov. 20.

For more information on the early migratory bird seasons, visit FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov on the Huntingpage.

Duck numbers shooting up

With the duck factories of North America producing arecord high number of waterfowl, Montana’s waterfowlhunters have something to look forward to this fall.

The tentative opening date for the general waterfowlseason is October 1, with the Youth Waterfowl Season thepreceding weekend on Sept. 24-25.

Waterfowl estimates are available for 2011 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recent release of its reporton breeding ducks and wetland conditions.

18 � THE MONTANA STANDARD HUNTING GUIDE AUGUST 2011 WWW.MTSTANDARD.COM

HUNTING GUIDE 2011

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ith record flooding thisspring and rain in July, it iseasy to forget that August is

fire season in Montana, say MontanaFish, Wildlife & Parks officials.

“As early season hunters take tothe field we are especially concernedabout accidental fire starts causedwhen dry vegetation accumulates in avehicle’s skid plate or catalytic converter,” said Ron Aasheim,Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parksspokesman. “Hot temperatures havecured summer’s lush vegetation,increasing the likelihood of grassfires.”

Driving on roads with drying vegetation along the edges or growingdown the middle of a two-track roadcan and does cause autumn firestarts.

“Hunters have an especially big

responsibility to be fire conscious,”Aasheim said. “It is a matter ofhuman safety and of protecting theresources of Montana.”

Hunters should take the time needed to:

� Avoid going off road with vehicles and avoid roads with tallvegetation in the middle. If you mustdrive off road or on vegetated roads,take the time to clean out the vehiclesundercarriage/skid plate often.

� Avoid parking over dry grass andother vegetation. If it is necessary topark in a field, inspect the undercarriage of the vehicle for vegetation that may have accumulated there and remove itbefore leaving the vehicle.

� Prior to setting out on a huntfrom home, make certain the vehicle’sundercarriage and its skid plates are

free of all vegetation and other woodydebris that may have collected therefrom a previous trip.

� Hunters should carry a fireextinguisher, shovel, axe, water,and, if possible, a cell phone for communications in addition to otheroutdoor safety gear.

Good judgment is essential in thefirst few seconds of a fire start whenit is small and easily extinguished.

“It is also essential to know whento back off and who to call for help ifyou come upon a fire or accidentallycause one in the outdoors that is toobig to easily put out,” Aasheim said.“FWP urges hunters to have a personal safety action plan when outdoors, for fire starts as well as inthe case of other types ofaccidents, severe injuries orother emergency.”

Use judgment around campfires

New nonresident combo license availableThe Montana State Legislature, in a new law effective July 1, established

a preference point system to distribute nonresident big game and deer combination licenses.

In a preference point system, licenses go to applicants who hold the greatest number of preference points.

Purchasing Preference PointsPreference points for a nonresident big game or deer combination license

may be purchased for a nonrefundable fee of $50. Applicants may purchaseonly one preference point per license year. Preference points can be purchased:

� When applying for the nonresident combination license; or� Between July 1 and Sept. 30, for those who did not apply for a

nonresident big game license, or who did not purchase a preference point atthe time they applied for a nonresident big game combination license.

The application deadline is Sept. 30 at 5 p.m. Preference points purchasedat the time of application are awarded prior to the drawing.

Distribution of LicensesSeventy-five percent of the nonresident combination licenses will be

issued to individuals with preference points and 25 percent will be issued tothose applicants who do not have preference points.

Retaining Preference PointsWhen you are successful in obtaining a nonresident combination license,

your preference points are zeroed out.Hunters must apply for the license at least every other year to retain

their preference points. Failure to apply for the license for two consecutiveyears zeroes out the preference points.


HUNTING GUIDE 2011

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College students have an opportunityA discount on Montana’s big game combination license

will be available beginning Sept. 12 for nonresident collegestudents to hunt in Montana.

Qualifying students may purchase the $70 big gamecombination license at any Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parksregional office or the Helena headquarters office.

The big game combination license includes conservation,fishing, upland game bird, deer and elk licenses.

Students eligible for the discount include:� Nonresident full-time students taking 12 credits or

more at postsecondary institutions in Montana,� Nonresident students who are former Montana high

school graduates now enrolled full-time at out-of-state postsecondary institutions and who have a parent that is aMontana resident.

The nonresident student must present a valid studentidentification card and an enrollment verification formfrom their school showing they are full-time students.

Former residents who are now full-time students at out-of-state colleges must present a valid student identificationcard, current enrollment verification form, a parent’sMontana FWP ALS number and a copy of their Montanahigh school diploma or General Education Developmentdegree.

A $10 hunting access enhancement fee—and proof theyhave passed hunter education instruction in Montana oranother state — are also required.


HUNTING GUIDE 2011

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Last step in the hunt: Carcass disposalHow to best dispose of a big game carcass after the

meat is in the freezer is a question all hunters face. Theanswer is simple enough but the regulations and reasonsbehind it are not understood by many hunters and thatleads to violations, say Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parksenforcement officials.

“All carcass parts remaining after processing a gameanimal should be disposed of in a regulated landfill or at atransfer station,” said Tim Feldner, of Montana Fish,Wildlife & Parks’ enforcement bureau. In many communities, fur buyers and hide tanners will purchasedeer and elk hides.

Montana State Law, applicable on all state-owned andmanaged sites, prohibits leaving dead animals or refuseon public property, including all state-owned and managedlands which would include FWP managed fishing accesssites and wildlife management areas.

These laws may surprise some hunters, especially someold timers for whom dumping big game carcasses in thewoods was standard practice.

“It is not only illegal to dump big game carcasses, it is abad idea for health and sanitation-related reasons,” saidFeldner. “Even on private land there are restrictions thatapply to the handling of animal carcasses.”

For example, human health-related state lawsprohibit the placing of animal carcasses in anyMontana lake, river, creek, pond or reservoir.

Access: Ask early, don’t wait, be courteous

Montana’s millions of acres of private land offers somegood hunting opportunities — the only catch is gaining thelandowner’s permission to hunt.

It is Montana law that hunters obtain landowner permission to hunt on all private land.

Here are a few things to keep in mind that will greatlyimprove results when attempting to secure hunting accessto private land.

� Show courtesy to the landowner and make huntingarrangements by calling or visiting at times convenient

to the landowner.� Plan ahead and secure permission well in advance of

the actual hunting date.� Provide complete information about yourself and your

hunting companions, including vehicle descriptions andlicense numbers.

� Explain what type of hunting you wish to do, and besure to ask any questions which can help clarify the conditions of access.

� Follow the landowner’s instructions, and bringwith you only the companions for whom youobtained landowner permission.


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Documents

montana standard hunting

strong numbers of elk

hunting districts

elkelk numbers

high acount of elk

river club hunting guide

montana standardthe

montana department of