News - Montana Wildlife Federation

Take Action Now to Protect the Smith River!

August 2, 2021November 3, 2017 by Guest Profile

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of floating the Smith River, then you know that it is a truly amazing place. Winding its way through rangelands and its iconic canyon, this river gives recreationists an experience that they will never forget, not to mention some amazing fishing. ringing $10 million to the local economy each year, the Smith is a serious economic driver, employing guides, outfitters, and supporting other small businesses. For all of these reasons, it’s easy to see why the Smith is held as one of Montana’s greatest treasures.

Over the past few years the area has been eyed by those seeking a different kind of treasure; copper. Foreign mining company Tintina Resources has submitted their draft mining permit for the Black Butte Copper Project. This proposed mine would be located in the headwaters of Sheep Creek, a major tributary of the Smith.

Last Monday evening, MWF joined other conservation groups at a public scoping meeting in Great Falls put on by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). This was the first of four meetings held by the agency as part of the process in developing the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project. Over thirty individuals spoke at the meeting, the majority of whom were opposed to the potential negative impacts of the proposed mine.

MWF’s Western Field Representative Alec Underwood outlined the potential impacts to Sheep Creek and the considerations the DEQ should make going forward in the EIS process. “The DEQ should be especially stringent toward any risks to water quantity or quality in the

Sheep Creek drainage”, Underwood said, noting the importance of the creek as a fish spawning tributary and for providing a large percentage of the flow to the Smith River during low water flows. “Dewatering or contamination from mining processes in Sheep creek would likely have detrimental effects on not only fish, but recreational users who float the river during low water.”

In addition to the potential direct impacts of the mine, Underwood and others spoke about the potential for expansion of other mining operations in the area, citing the over 500 additional mining claims in close proximity to the proposed mine.

Now is the time to take action and attend the remaining public scoping meeting in Livingston. For the sake of the Smith River and to all those who will enjoy it in the future, speak up now and let the DEQ know that the Black Butte Copper Project is simply not worth the risk.

For information on the remaining meetings or how to comment on the proposed project, please visit

http://deq.mt.gov/Public/PressRelease/scoping-meetings-held-for-environmental-impact-statement-of-proposed-mine.

Hunters Crucial for Wildlife Management

August 2, 2021October 24, 2017 by Marcus Strange

cropped

Montana hunters have been giving a great deal of attention to elk in recent years, and for good reason. This year the statewide elk population is estimated at 176,000, an all-time high. We have more than 80 hunting districts where elk are over the targeted “objective” population established by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which is developed in consultation with landowners based on their tolerances for elk.

The discussion goes on and on about what to do to better manage wildlife. Shoulder seasons that span roughly six months long, second elk tags for cows only and cow elk hunting for all five weeks on a general license – all of these are thrown out as solutions to our elk population and distribution issues. But one method is time-tested, and proven, to lead to sound wildlife management – putting public hunters on the ground to hunt public elk.

A prime example is an area just south of Dillon in Hunting District 325, where FWP struggled for years to manage the elk herd. The adjoining public lands had fewer and fewer elk in them, but the center pivot hayfields on one ranch in the area was overrun with hundreds of elk. Sometimes close to a 1,000 elk were on the ranch, and the landowner charged a fee for elk hunting, both cows and bulls. But finally, after nearly a decade, even the landowner had enough when hundreds more elk showed up, further damaging crops and fences. The rancher three years ago started to allow public hunters.

The response was overwhelming. People were happy to show up and kill a cow elk. Some would drive from all over Montana. And because the landowner was allowing public hunters during the general season, the property qualified for a game damage hunt that started early and ran late. People would take vacation days to come kill an elk, and last season they killed more than 300 elk, according to the area FWP biologist. Two large, adjoining ranches cooperated as well, although they had been allowing hunters for several years.

It helped not only with population control, but also elk distribution. Hunters reported seeing dramatically more elk in the Blacktail Mountains, which are public land and offer good elk hunting. And after three seasons, far fewer elk are showing up on the fields. In fact, this season they have yet to call a hunter off the game damage roster.

At the same time, the hunting district’s population remains healthy. But those elk are in different places, with far more on public land and accessible to public hunters.

The bottom line is that hunters have to be part of the solution to these issues of elk overabundance. It’s not a big mystery. We’ve known it for years. Now it’s time to start the constructive conversations with landowners in other parts of the state struggling to manage their wildlife, and craft some access solutions that benefit landowners, hunters and wildlife.

Nick Gevock is the Conservation Director for the Montana Wildlife Federation.

MWF Has Beef with Arby’s Elk Sandwich

July 2, 2020October 17, 2017 by Alec Underwood

The Montana Wildlife Federation (MWF) is requesting a fast-food restaurant reconsider offering farm-raised elk to customers in Montana over concerns the practice could fuel an expansion of unethical commercial markets and erode Montana’s fair chase hunting culture.

In a letter sent today to Arby’s Corporation, MWF says the new menu options in three western location, including Billings, could lead to an increase in game farming practices which have been proven to impact the health of wild herds and privatize a public resource. The letters states, “elk and deer are best left as wild, free-ranging animals that are part of the public trust, managed by the state for the benefit of all Montanans.”

“There is a real danger in marketing wildlife as a commodity like this,” said Nick Gevock, conservation director for the Montana Wildlife Federation. “This runs counter to Montana’s fair-chase hunting values by encouraging the commercialization of a public wildlife resource.”

Game farms are already illegal in Montana after a citizen voter initiative banned them in 2000. Groups including the Montana Wildlife Federation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Montana Bowhunters Association, and other local rod and gun clubs asserted the practice spreads disease to wild herds including chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological disorder.

Although game farms are legal in other areas of the globe, the Montana Wildlife Federation says that the majority of Montanan don’t believe the practice is ethical or necessary. The letter states, “Fundamentally, Montanans would rather hunt wild elk on public and private lands in our state than get them from a game farming operation that threatens the public wildlife resource.”

The Montana Wildlife Federation is urging the restaurant find a better way to promote hunting that doesn’t place public wildlife values at risk.

“There are much better ways to promote our hunting heritage and we welcome a productive dialogue with the leadership at Arby’s,” said Dave Chadwick, the executive director of Montana Wildlife Federation.

We need you to help defend Montana’s public wildlife and hunting heritage. Join MWF Today!

Montana Wildlife Federation – Gear Lists

August 2, 2021October 16, 2017 by Marcus Strange

Marcus is the Central Montana Field Representative for MWF and a passionate big game hunter. For Marcus, making sure his gear is ready prior to the beginning of each hunt is nothing short of ritualistic. Finding the balance between functionality and weight is critical to a successful hunt. One must avoid carrying unneeded gear, but be prepared. Thus, Marcus carefully selects his gear to fit the hunt. Here is his suggested gear list for big game hunting.

Clothes

Marcus’s boots of choice are the Danner Powderhorn. They are a solid, all-around boot that performs equally well chasing elk through the mountains or hiking to a tree stand along a river bottom. For camouflage, he wears King’s Camo. It’s a high quality, low-cost camo that can be found through many different dealers across Montana. Whether one believes that camouflage is needed or not, having comfortable clothes while hunting is essential. The one rule for Marcus is to avoid cotton due to its tendency to absorb water and cause chafing.

Pack

The ideal pack is one that can be used as a daypack or as a multi-day pack. Marcus uses the Sky 5900 from Stone Glacier, an expedition pack that can convert down into a daypack. If you’re looking for a less expensive option, check out ALPS Outdoorz or the King’s Camo Mountain Top 2200. Whatever pack you choose, make sure that it can handle the weight of a pack out.

Day Hunt

For Marcus’s day hunts he carries these basics:

Hunting Licences
Binoculars – Vortex Diamondback 10×42
Rangefinder – Vortex Ranger 1000
Harvest Kit – Alaska Game Bags, electrical tape, fluorescent flagging tap, and skinning knife
Bear Spray – UDAP
550 paracord
Wind Checker – Dead Down Wind Wind Detector
Facepaint – Nature’s Paint
Headlamp – Black Diamond Ion
First Aid – Quickclot and Ultralight/Watertight Medical Kit .9
Game calls – Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls

Multi-Day Hunt

For a multi-day hunt, Marcus’s list is a little more involved. The attached Excel sheet is a complete list of everything Marcus uses for a seven-day backpack trip. This is a good starting point and checklist for you to use as you plan your next adventure. Download the file and adjust it to fit your needs. If you have any questions about gear contact Marcus at mstrange@mtwf.org. Good luck out there and shoot straight!

Click the link below to see Marcus’s full list.

Marcus Strange-2017-Backcountry-Hunting-Gear-List-V1_0

Montana Wildlife Federation – Gear Lists

August 2, 2021October 5, 2017 by Marcus Strange

Montana Wildlife Federation’s John Bradley was nice enough to share what he took out to Eastern Montana on an early season duck hunt on public lands. Often overshadowed by its superb big game opportunities, Montana has some of the country’s best waterfowl hunting, It’s critical that we as hunters do our part to protect this treasured resource. The best gear will be useless without clean water, intact nesting habitat and wetlands, and healthy populations of waterfowl. To learn more about how to get involved, visit montanawildlife.org or contact John at jbradley@mtwf.org. Now here is the gear that John is using:

Clothes

Waterfowl hunting in Montana can range from 80 degree days in early October to below zero days in late December. The clothes you need vary greatly on the temperature. In the early season, I use Cabela’s Northern Flight Neoprene Waders, LaCrosse Alphaburly muck boots, Drake Waterfowl ¼ Zip Pullover, and an old camo baseball cap.

In colder weather, I supplement the gear above with merino wool base layers and I add my Cabela’s Northern Flight Jacket as a shell. I try to avoid throwing on a cotton sweatshirt at all cost. Cotton absorbs moisture and takes a long time to dry, two things that can make for an uncomfortable duck hunt on a cold morning.

Decoys

I tend to use less decoys than most, mainly because I often hunt alone and hate making multiple trips to the vehicle. My early season spread includes a dozen Avian X Blue Wing Teal Decoys (Texas Rigged), six Avian X Mallard Decoys (Texas Rigged), and four Cabela’s Northern Flight Canada Goose Floater Decoys.

Day Hunt

For an early season hunt I carry these basics. Some of the items serve as a back-up and stay in the vehicle.

License: Montana Resident Waterfowl License, Federal Duck Stamp
Gun: Benelli M2 Field in 12ga, Remington Model 11 in 20 ga
Ammo: Kent Faststeel 12ga #2s and Kent Faststeel 20ga #4s
Calls: Zink Calls’ “ATM Green Machine” Duck Call, Zink Calls’ “Call of Death” Goose Call
Dog: Ida, 5 Month Old Yellow Lab (not adviseable)
Dog supplies: Dog Food, Water, Crate, Lead, Whistle, and First Aid Kit
Binoculars: Vortex Diamondback 10×42
Headlamp: Cabela’s Alaskan Guide Series QUL Headlamp
Miscellaneous: Bore Snake, Wind Checker, Cushion Knee Pad

This is not a definitive list for every waterfowl hunter out there, but I’ve had good success over the years with this set up. Keep an eye out for more gear lists from the Montana Wildlife Federation as our staff head to the rivers, the fields, and the mountains this fall.

Jeff Lukas

Conservation Director