Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will hold a northwest Montana hearing on the 2010-2011 tentative hunting regulations at the Red Lion Hotel, Kalispell Center Mall, on Saturday, January 16, 2010. The proposed regulations cover all hunting in Montana except furbearers and migratory waterfowl.
FWP Commissioner Bob Ream, who represents western Montana on the Commission, will be on hand to listen to the comments of northwest Montana hunters on the tentative regulations. Other informational meetings may be scheduled in other towns, but this is the main hearing for collecting public comment from hunters across Region One. The aim of the hearing is to explain the tentative hunting regulations, answer questions, and provide opportunities for public comment. The FWP Commission will adopt final regulations at its Feb. 11, 2010 meeting in Helena.
The Commission approved the tentative regulations Dec. 10. Text of the regulations is available online at http://fwp.mt.gov and follow the “2010-11 Hunting Season Comments” link under “For Hunters.” Printed copies will be available at the public meetings. Comments gathered at the meetings will be submitted to the Commission before regulations are finalized. People also may submit comments online by following the link to “2010-11 Hunting Season Comments” on http://fwp.mt.gov and filling out a form. All comments are due by 5 p.m. January 22.
Region One FWP Supervisor Jim Satterfield notes that the schedule calls for an open house to be held from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. FWP biologists and managers will be on hand to explain information on wildlife populations and proposed regulations. Satterfield urges all interested persons to attend the open house before the meeting so their questions can be answered. The actual hearing will begin at 10 a.m. Each member of the public who wishes to speak will have a time allotment for each tentative regulation.
According to FWP Region One Wildlife Manager Jim Williams, several changes are proposed that will affect hunting regulations both statewide and in Region One.
Statewide Tentatives:
Here is a sampling of the statewide Hunting Regulations changes out for public comment:
· Saturday opener, one day earlier than traditional Sunday for firearm season(deer and elk).
· Statewide, FWP proposes to discontinue the practice of issuing permits to harvest antlerless elk. In place of permits, FWP would use antlerless elk licenses as the tool to accomplish the prescribed harvest of cows or calves. This would allow holders of the antlerless elk license to harvest an antlerless elk without having to use their general elk license, and potentially allow hunters to kill two elk during the season, statewide including in Region One.
· Create youth (12 – 16 years of age) deer hunting season on third Thursday and Friday of October. Accompanying adult required comparable to other youth only hunts.
· Implement a 4-year waiting period for those successful in drawing a limited entry either sex, antlered bull or brow-tined bull elk permits.
· Bundle 23 HD archery elk permits into one bundle (900-15).
· Move nonresident application deadline for either-sex elk permits and antlered buck mule deer permits to March 15.
· Implement party application for up to 2 – 5 persons (number set at final adoption) for residents and nonresidents for deer and elk special permit and license applications. Residents and nonresidents may not mix, if the application deadline mentioned above is adopted.
· Apply a “multiplier” to bonus points. Specifically, bonus points would to be squared (1 bonus point squared to 1, 2 bonus points squared to 4, 4 bonus point squared to 16, etc.).
· Move the opening day of the general firearm season for antelope to Saturday of Columbus Day weekend and adjust the antelope archery only season to end Friday the day before this opener. The proposed opening date for the antelope general season would overlap with the opening date of pheasant season.
· Non-toxic shot for all game bird hunting on all WMA’s.
Region One Tentatives:
DEER
· no proposed changes; major restrictive changes were made last winter in anticipation of declining whitetail deer numbers.
ELK
· HD 121 – expand antlerless elk handicapped permit/license 121-02 to all of HD
· HD 141 – eliminate antlerless permit type 141-00
· HD 150/151 – eliminate 2 weeks of general license antlerless harvest during early backcountry firearm season
MOOSE
· HD 105 – eliminate antlerless licenses 105-10
MOUNTAIN GOAT
· no proposed changes
Black Bear
· Switch Spring season validation to Cabinet Yaak side of Highway 93 in BMUs
· Hunting Districts100/102/104/105/108 instead of Northern Continental Divide Bear Management Units 103/106
FWP Commissioner Bob Ream invites all hunters and interested persons to attend the meeting and present their views on proposed changes.